Iceland is an island nation in the North Atlantic Ocean, and its capital is Reykjavík. It is a Nordic country but maintains a relatively temperate climate from the Gulf Streams. The Althing is one of the world’s oldest legislative assemblies, established in the thirteenth century. Though it was under Danish rule beginning in the sixteenth century, Iceland gained independence in 1918 and became a republic in 1944. Icelandic culture is based on its Scandinavian heritage, and the Icelandic language resembles Old West Norse.