Last modified: 2022-03-05 by christopher oehler
Keywords: thingvellir national park | iceland |
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![[Thingvellir National Park flag]](../images/i/is_thnp.gif)
image by Valentin Poposki, 22 February 2022
based on photo
by Adam Fagen, 26 July 2103,
https://www.flickr.com/photos/afagen/39208383801
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Thingvellir was the site of the Althing, the annual parliament of Iceland
from the year 930 until the last session held at Thingvellir in 1798. Since
1881, the parliament has been located within Althingishúsidh in Reykjavík.
Thingvellir is now a national park in the municipality of Bláskógabyggdh in
southwestern Iceland, about 40 km (25 miles) northeast of Iceland's capital,
Reykjavík. Thingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological
significance, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland.
The park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge
and the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. To its
south lies Thingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
Thingvellir National Park was founded in 1930, marking the 1000th anniversary of
the Althing. The park was later expanded to protect the diverse and natural
phenomena in the surrounding area, and was designated as a World Heritage Site
in 2004.
Valentin Poposki, 22 February 2022
