Icelandic people
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 383,500–465,000 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 Iceland 295,672 |
|
 Canada
|
94,205 |
 United States
|
42,716 |
 Denmark
|
8,429 |
 Norway
|
8,274 |
 Sweden
|
5,454 |
 United Kingdom
|
2,225 |
 Germany
|
1,802 |
 Spain
|
1,122 |
 Australia
|
980 |
 Brazil
|
576 |
 Poland
|
492 |
| Other countries combined | c. 3,000 |
| Languages | |
|
Related languages include Faroese, Norwegian and other Scandinavian and Germanic languages. Gaelic has a historical importance |
|
| Religion | |
| Nominally Lutheran; Neo-pagan and Roman Catholic minorities among other faiths; secular. Historically Norse paganism, Celtic Christianity (c. 1000) and Catholic Christianity (c. 1000 – 1551). See Religion in Iceland |
|
| Related ethnic groups | |
|
Faroese, Norwegians, Danes, Shetlanders, Orcadians, Irish,Scottish, Swedes, Dutch, Germans,English Icelandic Canadians, Icelandic Americans Other Northern European ethnic groups |
|
Icelanders (Icelandic: Íslendingar) are a Germanic ethnic group and nation, native to Iceland.
On 17 June 1944, when the Icelandic republic was founded, the Icelanders became independent from the Danish monarchy. The language spoken is Icelandic, a North Germanic language, and Lutheranism is the predominant religion. Historical and DNA records indicate that around 60 to 80 percent of the settlers were of Norse origin (primarily from Western Norway) and the rest were of Celtic stock from Ireland and peripheral Scotland.
Icelanders have had a tumultuous history. Development of the island was slow due to a lack of interest from the countries controlling it for most of its history: Norway, Denmark–Norway, and ultimately Denmark. Through this time, Iceland had relatively little contact with the outside world. The island became independent in union with Denmark in 1918. Since 1944, Iceland has been a republic, and Icelandic society has undergone a rapid modernisation process in the post-independence era.
Iceland is a geologically young land mass, having formed an estimated 20 million years ago due to volcanic eruptions on the Mid-Atlantic ridge. One of the last larger islands to remain uninhabited, the first human settlement date is generally accepted to be 874, although there is some evidence to suggest human activity prior to the Norse arrival.
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