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107-682: A small part of the Italian Royal Air Force ( Regia Aeronautica ) remained under German control. This was known as the National Republican Air Force ( Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana , or ANR), ostensibly part of the forces of Benito Mussolini 's Fascist state in northern Italy, the Italian Social Republic ( Repubblica Sociale Italiana ). The ANR pilots flew with the Axis . By

214-523: A different field under the city council's authority. The most important board is the City Board that wields the executive rights along with the City Mayor. The City Mayor is the senior public official and also the director of city operations. Other public officials control city institutions under the mayor's authority. Thus, the administration consists of two different parts: The Independence Party

321-702: A halt in the following economic crash of 2008 . There are 14 embassies in Reykjavik, in addition to ambassadorial residences, and representative offices for Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and the European Union. Per capita car ownership in Iceland is among the highest in the world at roughly 522 vehicles per 1,000 residents, though Reykjavík is not severely affected by congestion . Several multi-lane highways (mainly dual carriageways ) run between

428-453: A large number of companies and three investment banks. Reykjavík has been at the centre of Iceland's economic growth and subsequent economic contraction over the 2000s, a period referred to in foreign media as the "Nordic Tiger" years, or "Iceland's Boom Years". The economic boom led to a sharp increase in construction, with large redevelopment projects such as Harpa concert hall and conference centre and others. Many of these projects came to

535-832: A major part of the British land and air forces were diverted there giving the Italian forces time to recover. New Italian aircraft and units were supplemented by the arrival of the German Afrika Korps , and the attached Luftwaffe contingent deployed almost 200 airplanes in Libya and another 600 in Sicily. Working with the Luftwaffe, the Regia Aeronautica performed better due to the exchange of tactical doctrine and

642-589: A more continental climate, including the Bothnian Bay basin in Scandinavia. Nonetheless, Reykjavík is one of the cloudiest and coolest capitals of any nation in the world. The highest temperature recorded in Reykjavík was 25.7 °C (78 °F), reported on 30 July 2008, while the lowest-ever recorded temperature was −24.5 °C (−12 °F), recorded on 21 January 1918. The coldest month on record

749-616: A new political party, The Best Party , win six of 15 seats, and it formed a coalition with the Social Democratic Alliance; comedian Jón Gnarr became mayor. At the 2014 election, the Social Democratic Alliance had its best showing yet, gaining five seats in the council, while Bright Future (successor to the Best Party) received two seats and the two parties formed a coalition with the Left-Green movement and

856-589: A small French Navy fleet shelled the Ligurian coast on 15 June, the Italian air force was not able to prevent this action or attack the French ships effectively, showing a lack of cooperation with the Regia Marina , Italian navy. The Regia Aeronautica carried out 716 bombing missions, with Italian aircraft dropping a total of 276 tons of bombs on French fortifications, military bases, and airfields (some of

963-647: A successful strike on the port of Oran . The only unit of the Regia Aeronautica to fly the Piaggio P.108 was the 274th Long-Range Bombardment Group, which was formed in May 1941 as the first machines came off the assembly lines. Training and achieving full operation strength took far longer than anticipated, and the 274th only became operational in June 1942. When the Greco-Italian War started on 28 October 1940,

1070-531: A total of 19,000 km (11,800 miles) with Savoia-Marchetti S.55 flying boats . This Decennial Air Cruise included stops in Amsterdam , Derry , Reykjavík , Labrador , Montreal , Chicago , Brooklyn , and Washington D.C. , with the highlight being a landing in Lake Michigan in front of Chicago Navy Pier and a procession through the city before crowds of thousands of Americans to coincide with

1177-436: A vital role in all cultural life in the country. The city is home to Iceland's main cultural institutions, boasts a flourishing arts scene and is renowned as a creative city with a diverse range of cultural happenings and dynamic grassroots activities. Most of the country's writers live in the city, and it also provides the setting for the majority of contemporary Icelandic literature – a development that has gone hand in hand with

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1284-518: A war of attrition. By 31 January, Prince Amedeo, Duke of Aosta , reported that the Italian military forces in East Africa were down to 67 operational aircraft with limited fuel. By the end of February, the Regia Aeronautica had only 42 aircraft left in East Africa, and the British now had the upper hand. In March, surplus personnel of air force units had to fight as infantry. By the end of

1391-440: Is January 1918, with a mean temperature of −7.2 °C (19 °F). The warmest is July 2019, with a mean temperature of 13.4 °C (56 °F). The Reykjavík City Council governs the city of Reykjavík and is directly elected by those aged over 18 domiciled in the city. The council has 23 members who are elected using the open list method for four-year terms. The council selects members of boards, and each board controls

1498-533: Is a result of exposure to the maritime winds in its exposed west coast location that causes it to be much cooler in summer than similar latitudes in mainland Scandinavia . Contrasting this, winter days are milder than anywhere in far southern Sweden and the vast majority of Denmark . In fact, winter temperatures are comparable to those of New York City , which is more than 20 degrees further south. Reykjavík averages 147 days of rain (more than 1mm) per year. Droughts are uncommon, although they occur in some summers. In

1605-550: Is around 830MW, and the city has an average heating demand of 473 MW. Hot water for Reyjavík's district heating comes from two combined heat and power (CHP) geothermal power plants as well as lower temperature geothermal fields: Safnahúsið (the Culture House) was opened in 1909 and has a number of important exhibits. Originally built to house the National Library and National Archives and also previously

1712-586: Is characterized by peninsulas , coves, straits, and islands. During the Ice Age (up to 10,000 years ago) a large glacier covered parts of the city area, reaching as far out as Álftanes . Other parts of the city area were covered by sea water. In the warm periods and at the end of the Ice Age, some hills like Öskjuhlíð were islands. The former sea level is indicated by sediments (with clams) reaching (at Öskjuhlíð, for example) as far as 43 m (141 ft) above

1819-403: Is said to be inspired by steam rising from hot springs in the region. The original name was Reykja r -vík , with an "r" suffix for the genitive singular of reykr ; the modern version reykja- uses the genitive plural. The name's meaning is still transparent in modern Icelandic, and in modern Norwegian ( røyk + vik ). The name originally referred to both the bay on the northern shore of

1926-413: Is the capital and largest city of Iceland . It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. With a latitude of 64°08′ N, the city is the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. Reykjavík has a population of around 140,000 as of 2023 (up from 121,822 in 2015). The Capital Region has a population of around 248,000. Reykjavík is believed to be the location of

2033-467: Is the centre of Iceland's cultural , economic , and governmental activity, and is a popular tourist destination among foreigners. It is among the cleanest, greenest, and safest cities in the world. According to legend, the first permanent Norse settlement in Iceland was established at Reykjavík by Ingólfr Arnarson circa AD 870, as described in the Book of Settlement . Ingólfr is said to have decided

2140-535: Is the centre of this heritage. It preserves manuscripts, conducts research on them and publishes texts for the public, in addition to offering research facilities and tutoring to foreign scholars and students. The Arnamagnæan Manuscript Collection was added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register on 31 July 2009. Reykjavík city was designated as a UNESCO City of Literature in 2011 and joined then

2247-787: The Spirit of St. Louis inspired the Regia Aeronautica to embark on a longer transatlantic voyage with stops in West Africa and Brazil . Possibly the most brilliant successes were the floatplane world speed record of 709 km/h (440.6 mph) achieved by Francesco Agello in the Macchi-Castoldi MC-72 in October 1934 and the long-range formation flight to the United States and back to Italy in 1933,

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2354-764: The Allied forces . In northern Italy, the National Republican Air Force ( Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana , or ANR) flew for the Italian Social Republic and the Axis . The first ANR fighter unit was the 101st Gruppo Autonomo Caccia Terrestre , based in Florence . Aircraft of the Royal and Republican air forces never fought each other. The ACI operated in the Balkans and the ANR in northern Italy and

2461-546: The Balkans ( Yugoslavia or Albania ). This was to avoid any possible encounter between Italian-crewed aircraft fighting on opposite sides. During the entire history of ACI, no encounter, let alone combat, was ever reported between ACI and ANR aircraft. The ACI formed the basis of the post-war Air Force of the Italian Republic ( Aeronautica Militare Italiana ). Regia Aeronautica The Royal Italian Air Force ( Regia Aeronautica Italiana ) ( RAI )

2568-607: The Century of Progress Exhibition. This pioneering achievement was organized and led by General of Aviation Italo Balbo . During the latter half of the 1930s, the Regia Aeronautica participated in the Spanish Civil War , as well as the invasions of Ethiopia and Albania . The first test for the new Italian Royal Air force came in October 1935, with the Second Italo-Ethiopian War . During

2675-551: The Pirate Party , which won one seat each. The Independence Party had its worst election ever, with only four seats. The mayor is appointed by the city council; usually one of the council members is chosen, but they may also appoint a mayor who is not a member of the council. The post was created in 1907 and advertised in 1908. Two applications were received, from Páll Einarsson , sheriff and town mayor of Hafnarfjörður and from Knud Zimsen , town councillor in Reykjavík. Páll

2782-728: The Regia Aeronautica before the truce with the Allies was the defence during the United States Army Air Forces ' bombings of Frascati and Rome on 8 September 1943. After the Italian armistice , the Regia Aeronautica was briefly succeeded by two new Italian air forces. Headquartered at Salerno in southern Italy, the Royalist Italian Co-belligerent Air Force ( Aviazione Cobelligerante Italiana , or ACI) fought alongside

2889-542: The Regia Aeronautica fielded 193 combat aircraft, which initially failed to achieve air superiority against the Royal Hellenic Air Force (RHAF), which had 128 operational aircraft out of a total of 158. The poor infrastructure for Albania air bases hindered communications and movements between the Italian flying units. Only two airfields – Tirana and Valona – had macadam runways , so autumn and winter weather made operations more difficult. There

2996-639: The Regia Aeronautica fought side by side with the German Luftwaffe in the Western Desert . Although the air campaign in Libya was seriously limited because of desert conditions, the Italian Royal Air Force managed to retain a force of nearly four hundred airplanes. During the first British counter-offensive, the Regia Aeronautica had suffered heavy losses (over 400 aircraft) until the Axis attack on Greece began, when

3103-531: The Regia Aeronautica was seen as splendid air arm, holding no fewer than 33 world records, which was more than Germany (15), France (12), the United States (11) Soviet Union (7), Japan (3), the United Kingdom (2) and Czechoslovakia (1). When World War II began in 1939, Italy had a paper strength of 3296 machines. While numerically still a force to be reckoned with, it was hampered by

3210-661: The Regio Esercito , sometimes dropping poison gas bombs against the Ethiopian army. After the end of hostilities on 5 May 1936, for the following 13 months the Regia Aeronautica had to assist Italian forces in fighting Ethiopian guerrillas. During the Spanish coup of July 1936 , Italian pilots in Spanish Foreign Legion uniforms airlifted Francisco Franco 's Army of Africa from Spanish Morocco to

3317-859: The Spanish Nationalists and took part in training and joint operations with the pilots of the German " Condor Legion ". Mussolini sent to Spain 6000 aviation personnel as well as about 720 aircraft, including 80-90 Savoia-Marchetti SM 81 , 100 Savoia Marchetti SM.79 bombers and 380–400 Fiat CR.32 biplanes that dominated the air, proving superior to the Soviet Polikarpovs of the Spanish Republican Air Force . The Aviazione legionaria achieved approximately 500 aerial victories, losing 86 aircraft in air combat and about 200 flying personnel. But more important than

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3424-575: The Spanish mainland . During the Spanish Civil War Italian pilots fought alongside Spanish Nationalist and German Luftwaffe pilots as members of the Aviazione Legionaria (" Aviation Legion "). This deployment took place from July 1936 to March 1939 and complemented an expeditionary force of Italian ground troops called the " Corps of Volunteer Troops ". In Spain, the Italian pilots were under direct command of

3531-721: The Stalingrad area. In mid 1942 the more modern Macchi C. 202 was introduced to operations in Russia. The CSIR was subsumed by the ARMIR in 1942 and the ARMIR was disbanded in early 1943 after disaster during the Battle of Stalingrad . The Air Corps pulled out of operations in January 1943, transferring to Odessa . From 1944 to 1945, Italian personnel operated from the Baltic area and in

3638-484: The UNESCO Creatives Cities network. Iceland is one of the smallest linguistic areas in the world, with only around 330,000 inhabitants and very few speakers outside the country. The language has not changed much since the time of settlement in the 9th century and modern Icelanders can still read the original medieval texts with relative ease. Literature plays a vital role in cherishing and cultivating

3745-629: The Western Desert Campaign was a near equal struggle between the Regia Aeronautica and the British Royal Air Force (RAF). Early on, the fighters available to both sides were primarily older biplanes, with Italian Fiat CR.32 and Fiat CR.42s flying against British Gloster Gladiators . After the Italian disasters during Operation Compass and the arrival of General Erwin Rommel and his German Africa Corps ,

3852-747: The air offensive on the British controlled island of Malta along with the German Air Force in an attempt to protect the Axis sea routes from Sicily, Sardinia, and Italy to North Africa. Up to the end of 1940, the Regia Aeronautica carried out 7410 sorties against the island, dropping 550 tons of bombs, but losing 35 aircraft. The Italians claimed 66 British planes in these first six months of combat, but these claims were exaggerated. In 1941, Regia Aeronautica carried out further attacks on Malta, but less intensely than in 1940. The Italian airmen started to fear Maltese fighters and AA artillery, so much that

3959-440: The world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state ( Nuuk , the capital of Greenland , is slightly further north at 64°10' (about 4 km) but Greenland is a constituent country , not an independent state). Reykjavík has a subpolar oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfc , Trewartha : Eolk ) closely bordering on a subarctic climate ( Köppen : Dfc ) in the 0°C isotherm. The city has had its present climate classification since

4066-563: The " Italian Army in Russia " ( Armata Italiana in Russia , or ARMIR) were known as the "Italian Air Force Expeditionary Corps in Russia" ( Corpo Aereo Spedizione in Russia ). These squadrons, initially consisting of 22° Gruppo CT with 51 Macchi C.200 fighters and 61° Gruppo with the Caproni Ca.311 bomber, supported the Italian armed forces from 1941 to 1943. They were initially based in the Ukraine and ultimately supported operations in

4173-586: The BR.20s did not cause much material damage, moreover aircraft were needed on the Greek front and in Cyrenaica so in January 1941 the bombers and CR.42s started to be withdrawn to Italy. Just two squadrons of G.50s remained until mid-April 1941. During this campaign, Regia Aeronautica lost 36 planes, (including 26 in accidents) and 43 aircrew personnel, without achieving a single confirmed air victory. Initially,

4280-623: The British Operation Crusader , while inflicting heavy losses on RAF bombers. During Rommel's second offensive, the Regia Aeronautica and the Luftwaffe suffered considerable losses due to stronger Allied resistance during air battles over El Alamein and bombing raids over Alexandria and Cairo. The Regia Aeronautica , having suffered heavy losses in Egypt, was withdrawn progressively to Tobruk, Benghazi, Tripoli and, eventually, Tunisia. The Regia Aeronautica participated in

4387-599: The British 150 kills. Actually the air war against Greece cost the Italians just 65 losses (but 495 damaged) while RAF losses in the Greek campaign were 209 aircraft, 72 in the air, 55 on the ground, and 82 destroyed or abandoned during the evacuation. In August 1941 the Regia Aeronautica sent an Air Corps of 1,900 personnel to the Eastern Front as an attachment to the " Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia " ( Corpo di Spedizione Italiano in Russia , or CSIR) and then

Italian Co-belligerent Air Force - Misplaced Pages Continue

4494-538: The British Protectorate of Bahrain . In Italian East Africa the Regia Aeronautica performed better than in other war theaters. In June 1940, the Italian Royal Air Force had here 195 fighters, bombers and reconnaissance aircraft, plus 25 transport planes. Some of these aircraft were outdated, but the Italians had Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 (12 examples) and Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 bombers and Fiat CR.42 fighters. In relative terms, these were some of

4601-418: The British crown colony of Gibraltar and its important naval base from July 1940. In 1942, Italian Piaggio P.108 bombers attacked Gibraltar from Sardinia , flying a number of long-range night raids. Up to October 1942, the Regia Aeronautica carried out 14 raids with a total of 32 bombers. The last raids on Gibraltar were flown during the 1943 Allied landing in Algeria , when those bombers also made

4708-412: The British government to consent to the occupation, but it always declined on the basis of its policy of neutrality . For the remaining years of World War II , British and later American soldiers occupied camps in Reykjavík, and the number of foreign soldiers in Reykjavík became about the same as the local population of the city. The Royal Regiment of Canada formed part of the garrison in Iceland during

4815-425: The Danish Crown, and Danish traders continued to dominate trade in Iceland. Over the following decades, their business in Iceland expanded. After 1880, free trade was expanded to all nationalities, and the influence of Icelandic merchants started to grow. Icelandic nationalist sentiment gained influence in the 19th century, and the idea of Icelandic independence became widespread. Reykjavík, as Iceland's only city,

4922-434: The Independence Party. Ólafur F. Magnússon , the leader of the F-list, was elected mayor on 24 January 2008, and in March 2009 the Independence Party was due to appoint a new mayor. This changed once again on 14 August 2008 when the fourth coalition of the term was formed, by the Independence Party and the Social Democratic Alliance, with Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir becoming mayor. The City Council election in May 2010 saw

5029-402: The Innréttingar, such as fisheries , sulphur mining , agriculture, and shipbuilding. The Danish Crown abolished monopoly trading in 1786 and granted six communities around the country an exclusive trading charter. Reykjavík was one of them and the only one to hold on to the charter permanently. 1786 is thus regarded as the date of the city's founding. Trading rights were limited to subjects of

5136-451: The Italian and German air forces and claimed almost 1,500 Axis planes, three times the real losses: up to November 1942, the Luftwaffe admitted to losing 357 aircraft and the Regia Aeronautica 210. But during the siege, the RAF's losses were even heavier, amounting to 547 in the air (including some 300 fighters) and 160 on the ground, plus 504 aircraft damaged in the air and 231 on the ground. The Regia Aeronautica began its attacks on

5243-438: The Italian flag colors across the full span of the undersides of the wings, making numerous record-breaking flights. Between 1 April 1939 and 1 November 1939, Italian airmen established no fewer than 110 records, winning world championships in round trips, long-range flights, high speed and altitude flights. After successful long-range flights around the Mediterranean Sea , Charles Lindbergh 's successful transatlantic flight in

5350-415: The Republic of Iceland was founded and a president , elected by the people, replaced the king; the office of the president was placed in Reykjavík. In the post-war years, the growth of Reykjavík accelerated. An exodus from the rural countryside began, largely because improved technology in agriculture reduced the need for manpower, and because of a population boom resulting from better living conditions in

5457-399: The Seltjarnarnes peninsula, but the suburbs reach far out to the south and east. Reykjavík is a spread-out city: most of its urban area consists of low-density suburbs, and houses are usually widely spaced. The outer residential neighbourhoods are also widely spaced from each other; in between them are the main traffic arteries and a lot of empty space. The city's latitude is 64°08' N, making it

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5564-540: The area around the Baltic Sea . From 10 June 1940 up to 8 September 1943, the Regia Aeronautica lost 6483 aircraft (other sources report 5201 ), including 3483 fighters, 2273 bombers, torpedo-bombers and transports, plus 227 reconnaissance planes. The Royal Italian Air Force itself claimed 4293 enemy aircraft, including 1771 destroyed on the ground. Personnel losses suffered during the conflict consisted of 3007 dead or missing, 2731 wounded and 9873 prisoners of war. The Regia Aeronautica tended not to keep statistics on

5671-449: The area led to the Allies' Syria-Lebanon Campaign . In one of the lesser known incidents of the war, starting in July 1940, Italian aircraft bombed cities in the British Mandate of Palestine . This was aimed at pushing the British back and retaking the greater Mediterranean, as in ancient Roman times. The bombing of Tel Aviv on 10 September killed 137 people. In mid-October, the Italians also bombed American-operated oil refineries in

5778-461: The arrival of more modern aircraft. In mid-1942, during the Battle of Bir Hakeim (26 May 1942 – 11 June 1942) the new Macchi C.202 fighter outperformed all of the Desert Air Force 's fighters, achieving an unprecedented ratio kill/loss of 4.4/1, better than that of famed Messerschmitt Bf 109s (3.5/1) fighting the same battle. During Rommel's first offensive, the Italians managed to divert RAF attacks from his forces and covered his retreat during

5885-602: The beginning of the 20th century. At 64° north, Reykjavík is characterized by extremes of day and night length over the course of the year. From 20 May to 24 July, daylight is essentially permanent as the sun never gets more than 5° below the horizon. Day length drops to less than five hours between 2 December and 10 January. The sun climbs just 3° above the horizon during this time. However, day length begins increasing rapidly during January and by month's end there are seven hours of daylight. Despite its northern latitude, temperatures very rarely drop below −15 °C (5 °F) in

5992-491: The best aircraft on hand to either side at the beginning of the East African Campaign . In addition, the Italian aircraft were often based at better airfields than those of the British and Commonwealth forces. When the war began, Italian pilots were relatively well trained and confident of their abilities. At the beginning of the hostilities, Regia Aeronautica achieved aerial superiority and occasionally skilled Italian pilots, flying their Fiat biplanes, managed to shoot down even

6099-485: The bombs were dropped on the targets. Despite this misuse of resources, the bombing missions made possible and supported the limited Italian advance into southern France by the Regio Esercito , with the Italian air force retaining its fame until the Battle of Britain showed its limitations. After the war, there was a widespread rumour in France, especially between Paris and Bordeaux , of Italian aircraft strafing civilian columns, with many people claiming to have seen

6206-406: The capital and six municipalities around it, was home to 233,034 people; that is about 64% of the country's population. On 1 January 2019, of the city's population of 128,793, immigrants of the first and second generation numbered 23,995 (18.6%), increasing from 12,352 (10.4%) in 2008 and 3,106 (2.9%) in 1998. The most common foreign citizens are Poles , Lithuanians , and Latvians . About 80% of

6313-484: The city centre, pavements and streets use geothermal snow-melting systems . Many driveways of private residences are also fitted with geothermal snow-melting systems. Geothermal hot water is also used to heat the city's numerous public pools and hot tubs. Natural hot water is used to heat roughly 90% of all buildings in Iceland. Of total annual use of geothermal energy of 39 PJ , space heating accounted for 48%. The total thermal capacity of Reykjavíks hot water production

6420-430: The city's foreign residents originate in European Union and EFTA member states, and over 58% are from the new member states of the EU, mainly former Eastern Bloc countries, which joined in 2004 , 2007 and 2013 . As of 1 January 2023, about 63% of the population was documented to live in the Greater Reykjavik area with a total of 242,995 inhabitants. Children of foreign origin form a more considerable minority in

6527-406: The city's schools: as many as a third in places. The city is also visited by thousands of tourists, students, and other temporary residents, at times outnumbering natives in the city centre. Reykjavík is divided into 10 districts: In addition there are hinterland areas (lightly shaded on the map) which are not assigned to any district. Borgartún is the financial centre of Reykjavík, hosting

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6634-422: The city, serves international flights and is the main gateway to the country. Since 1962, there has been some controversy regarding the location of the airport, since it takes up a lot of valuable space in central Reykjavík. Reykjavík has two seaports : the old harbour near the city centre, which is mainly used by fishermen and cruise ships , and Sundahöfn in the east city, which is the largest cargo port in

6741-683: The colonization of Libya in 1911, it made the first reconnaissance flight in history on 23 October, and the first ever bombing raid on 1 November. During World War I , the Italian Corpo Aeronautico Militare , then still part of the Regio Esercito (Royal Army), operated a mix of French fighters and locally built bombers, notably the gigantic Caproni aircraft. The Regia Marina (Royal Navy) had its own air arm, operating locally built flying boats. The Italian air force became an independent service—the Regia Aeronautica —on 28 March 1923. Benito Mussolini 's fascist regime turned it into an impressive propaganda machine, with its aircraft, featuring

6848-400: The council which took over in June 2006. In October 2007 a new majority was formed on the council, consisting of members of the Progressive Party, the Social Democratic Alliance , the Left-Greens and the F-list (liberals and independents), after controversy regarding REI, a subsidiary of OR, the city's energy company. However, three months later the F-list formed a new majority together with

6955-467: The country and serves larger cruise ships . There are no public railways in Iceland, because of its sparse population, but the locomotives used to build the docks are on display. Proposals have been made for a high-speed rail link between the city and Keflavík . Volcanic activity provides all of Reykjavík and surrounding areas with geothermal district heating systems for both residential and industrial districts. In heavily trafficked areas, mostly in

7062-421: The country. A once-primitive village was rapidly transformed into a modern city. Private cars became common, and modern apartment complexes rose in the expanding suburbs. In 1972, Reykjavík hosted the famous World Chess Championship between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky . The 1986 Reykjavík Summit between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev underlined Reykjavík's international status. Deregulation in

7169-415: The current sea level. The hills of Öskjuhlíð and Skólavörðuholt appear to be the remains of former shield volcanoes which were active during the warm periods of the Ice Age. After the Ice Age, the land rose as the heavy load of the glaciers fell away, and began to look as it does today. The capital city area continued to be shaped by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions , such as the one 4,500 years ago in

7276-447: The dwindling numbers of the Greeks. However, this advantage did not stop the Hellenic Army from forcing the Regio Esercito onto the defensive and back into Albania. In early 1941, the tide was turned as the German Wehrmacht launched its simultaneous invasions of Yugoslavia and Greece . For the 11-day campaign against Yugoslavia, the Regia Aeronautica deployed 600 aircraft, claimed five air victories (plus 100 planes destroyed on

7383-487: The early part of the war. The economic effects of the occupation were positive for Reykjavík: the unemployment of the Depression years vanished, and construction work began. The British built Reykjavík Airport , which remains in service today, mostly for short-haul flights (to domestic destinations and Greenland). The Americans, meanwhile, built Keflavík Airport , situated 50 km (31 mi) west of Reykjavík, which became Iceland's primary international airport. In 1944,

7490-412: The end of 1943, 281 Italian warplanes had landed at Allied airfields, but most were no longer useful for combat. The crews of these aircraft were re-equipped with Allied aircraft and engaged in transport, escort, reconnaissance, sea rescue, and limited tactical ground support operations flying 11,000 missions from 1943 to 1945. The ACI never operated over Italian territory, its objectives being always in

7597-551: The fame of the Italian air force and the heated and confused climate. Regia Aeronautica aircraft were involved in the Middle Eastern theatre almost from the start of Italian involvement in World War II. During the Anglo-Iraqi War , German and Italian aircraft of "Flyer Command Iraq" ( Fliegerführer Irak ) stopped to refuel in the Vichy French -controlled Mandate of Syria as they flew to Iraq . These masqueraded as Iraqi Air Force aircraft and were painted as such en route . Continued concern over German and Italian influence in

7704-415: The faster and better armed Hawker Hurricane monoplanes. However, during the first three months, Regia Aeronautica lost 84 aircraft and had 143 aircrew personnel killed and 71 wounded, but the losses did not halt Italian operations. Cut off from Italy as they were though, problems with lack of fuel, munitions, spare parts and replacements became a serious problem and the Regia Aeronautica was worn down in

7811-484: The final stages of the war, the Regia Aeronautica deployed up to 386 aircraft, operating from Eritrea and Somalia . The Italian aviators did not have any opposition in the air, as the Imperial Ethiopian Air Force had just 15 transport and liaison aircraft, only nine of which were serviceable. However, the Regia Aeronautica lost 72 planes and 122 aircrew while supporting the operations of

7918-434: The financial sector and the computer revolution of the 1990s again transformed Reykjavík. The financial and IT sectors are now significant employers in the city. The city has fostered some world-famous musicians and artists in recent years, including musicians Björk ; Múm and Sigur Rós ; writer Sjón ; and visual artist Ragnar Kjartansson . Reykjavík is located in the southwest of Iceland . The Reykjavík area coastline

8025-445: The first permanent settlement in Iceland, which, according to Landnámabók , was established by Ingólfur Arnarson in 874 AD . Until the 18th century, there was no urban development in the city location. The city was officially founded in 1786 as a trading town and grew steadily over the following decades, as it transformed into a regional and later national centre of commerce , population, and governmental activities. Reykjavík

8132-401: The flight to the besieged island became known as the rotta della morte , the "route of death". In 1942, for its operations against Malta, between 1 January and 8 November, the Regia Aeronautica had 100 more aircraft lost in action. Malta suffered heavy loss of equipment, ship, and vehicles, and was to the edge of starvation. However the besieged island managed to withstand the attacks from

8239-411: The following month, Italians had only 13 serviceable aircraft left in East Africa. At last, on 24 October 1941, about one month prior to the final Italian surrender, the last Italian aircraft of the campaign, a Fiat CR.42, was shot down. On 10 September 1940, an independent air corps for supporting Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain was established. It was named Corpo Aereo Italiano , or CAI. It

8346-636: The great narrative art of Iceland". The House of Halldór Laxness, Gljúfrasteinn , in the capital area can be visited year-round. A number of writers have won the Nordic Council's Literature Prize , among them are Thor Vilhjálmsson , Einar Már Guðmundsson and Sjón , and authors such as Guðrún Helgadóttir , Kristín Steinsdóttir and Ragnheiður Gestsdóttir are winners of The Nordic Children's Literature Prize . Crime writer Arnaldur Indriðason has won prizes abroad, including The Golden Dagger Award. Among other prizes awarded to writers from Reykjavík are

8453-667: The ground) and suffered five losses. However, from that point on, the role of the Regia Aeronautica in the Balkans Campaign was primarily that of supporting the Luftwaffe . This support role continued during the occupation of Greece and Yugoslavia that followed. The Regia Aeronautica claimed 218 aircraft shot down plus 55 probables against the RHAF and RAF, while the Greeks claimed 68 air victories (plus 23 probables) and

8560-578: The individual level, instead reporting kills for a certain unit, attributed to their unit commander. However, pilots were able to keep personal log books, so the few that survived through World War II give individual statistics. Here is a list of the aces attributed with ten or more kills: The Regia Aeronautica was succeeded by Aeronautica Militare when Italy became a republic on 2 June 1946. Reykjav%C3%ADk Reykjavík ( / ˈ r eɪ k j ə v ɪ k , - v iː k / RAYK -yə-vik, -⁠veek ; Icelandic: [ˈreiːcaˌviːk] )

8667-514: The language, both original Icelandic literature and translations. Language undergoes constant renewal and development in fiction, and translation of foreign work has also been instrumental in conserving this thousand-year-old literary language. Award-winning authors Several Reykjavík writers have received international and Nordic awards. Halldór Laxness was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1955 for "vivid epic power which has renewed

8774-682: The local aircraft industry which was using obsolete production methods. In reality, only 2000 aircraft were fit for operations, of which just 166 were modern fighters (89 Fiat G.50 Freccias and 77 Macchi MC.200s ), both slower than potential opponents as the Hawker Hurricane , the Supermarine Spitfire and the Dewoitine D.520 . The Regia Aeronautica also had neither long-range fighters or night fighters. Technical assistance provided by its German ally did little to improve

8881-457: The location of his settlement using a traditional Norse method: when land was in sight, he cast his high seat pillars overboard and promised to settle where the gods decided to bring them ashore. Two of his slaves then searched the coasts for three years before finding the pillars in the bay which eventually became the site of Reykjavík. The name is of Old Norse origin, derived from the roots reykr ('smoke') and vík ('bay'). The name

8988-631: The location of the National Museum and Natural History Museum, in 2000 it was re-modeled to promote the Icelandic national heritage. Many of Iceland's national treasures are on display, such as the Poetic Edda , and the Sagas in their original manuscripts. There are also changing exhibitions of various topics. Reykjavík is the capital, and in fact Iceland's only city, and as such, it plays

9095-512: The material losses were the wrong conclusions drawn from air war in Spain. The Air Ministry, blinded by the success of the Fiat CR.32, persisted in its belief that the biplane could still dominate the sky, and ordered large numbers of Fiat CR.42 Falcos , the last war biplane in history. The Regia Aeronautica played a limited role during the Italian invasion of Albania in 1939. In July 1939,

9202-532: The modern city centre was farmland until the 18th century. In 1752, King Frederik V of Denmark donated the estate of Reykjavík to the Innréttingar  [ is ] corporation. The leader of this movement was Skúli Magnússon  [ is ] . In the 1750s, several houses were built to house the wool industry, which was Reykjavík's most important employer for a few decades and the original reason for its existence. Other industries were undertaken by

9309-503: The modern city centre, between Örfirisey  [ is ] and Laugarnes , as well as the estate and farm of Ingólfr Arnarson. This form of the name fell out of use shortly after settlement, and the estate was referred to as Vík á Seltjarnarnesi until the name Reykjavík was revived when urban development began centuries later. The name has been translated as Bay of Smoke in English-language travel guides. The site of

9416-431: The morning of 10 May 1940, following the German occupation of Denmark and Norway on 9 April 1940, four British warships approached Reykjavík and anchored in the harbour. In a few hours, the Allied occupation of Reykjavík was complete. There was no armed resistance, and taxi and truck drivers even assisted the invasion force, which initially had no motor vehicles. The Icelandic government had received many requests from

9523-566: The most heavily populated areas and most frequently driven routes. Parking spaces are also plentiful in most areas. Public transportation consists of a bus system called Strætó bs . Route 1 (the Ring Road) runs through the city outskirts and connects the city to the rest of Iceland. Reykjavík Airport is positioned inside the city, just south of the city centre. It is used for domestic flights, general aviation and medical flights. Keflavík International Airport , located around 40km southwest of

9630-522: The mountain range Bláfjöll , when the lava coming down the Elliðaá valley reached the sea at the bay of Elliðavogur. The largest river to run through Reykjavík is the Elliðaá River, which is non-navigable. It offers salmon fishing within the city limits. Mount Esja , at 914 m (2,999 ft), is the highest mountain in the vicinity of Reykjavík. The city of Reykjavík is mostly located on

9737-682: The northern part of the Eastern Front under the direct command of the Luftwaffe under the name Air Transport Group 1 (Italian: 1° Gruppo Aerotrasporti "Terracciano" , German: 1° Staffel Transportfliegergruppe 10 (Ital) ). This group was part of the National Republican Air Force of the Italian Social Republic . By the time of the Tunisian Campaign , the Regia Aeronautica and the Luftwaffe rarely enjoyed parity let alone air superiority in North Africa . The Regia Aeronautica

9844-509: The rapid expansion of the city in the past 100 years or so. Reykjavík is home to Icelandic medieval literature, including the Sagas of the Icelanders and the Poetic Edda , landmarks of world literature still widely read and translated today. This literary heritage is the core of the nation's identity and narrative art is the single most important part of its cultural history. The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies in Reykjavík

9951-517: The situation. On 10 June 1940, during the closing days of the Battle of France , Italy declared war on France and the United Kingdom. On 13 June, Fiat CR.42s attacked French Air Force bases and escorted Fiat BR.20s that bombed the harbour of Toulon . Two days later, CR.42s from 3° Stormo and 53° Stormo attacked again French air bases and clashed with Dewoitine D.520s and Bloch MB.152s , claiming eight kills for five losses. But when

10058-496: The summer of 2007, no rain was measured for one month. July and August are the warmest months of the year on average and January and February the coldest. Summer tends to be the sunniest season, although May averages the most sunshine of any individual month. Overall, the city receives around 1,300 annual hours of sunshine, which is comparable with other places in northern and north-western Europe such as Ireland and Scotland , but substantially less than equally northern regions with

10165-550: The targets being Toulon, Briançon, Traversette, and Cap San Martin); during this short war, Regia Aeronautica lost 10 aircraft in aerial combat and 24 aircrew personnel, while claiming 10 kills and 40 French planes destroyed on the ground. According to a book published after the war by Generale Giuseppe Santoro , critical of the unplanned use of the Air Force, which had not been prepared for operations of aerial bombing against fortifications, only about 80 long tons (81 t) of

10272-428: The time it functioned only as an advisory assembly, advising the king about Icelandic affairs. The location of Alþingi in Reykjavík effectively established the city as the capital of Iceland. In 1874, Iceland was given a constitution ; with it, Alþingi gained some limited legislative powers and in essence became the institution that it is today. The next step was to move most of the executive power to Iceland: Home Rule

10379-412: The tricolour roundels painted on them. These allegations have been disproved, as the Italian aircraft did not have the range to hit such distant targets and concentrated on short-range military objectives ( Regia Aeronautica wing roundels had three fasci littori , having replaced the tricolour ones). It was concluded that this was nothing more than a myth, arising from the reaction to the Italian attack,

10486-830: The winter. The proximity to the Arctic Circle and the strong moderation of the Atlantic Ocean in the Icelandic coast (influence of North Atlantic Current , an extension of the Gulf Stream ) shape a relatively mild winter and cool summer. The city's coastal location does make it prone to wind, however, and gales are common in winter (influence of the Icelandic Low ).  Summers are cool, with temperatures fluctuating between 10 and 15 °C (50 and 59 °F), rarely exceeding 20 °C (68 °F). This

10593-576: Was also the usual lack of co-operation between the Italian Navy and Army. Finally, just few days after the start of the war, Italian pilots were confronted by No. 80 Squadron , led by the outstanding ace Marmaduke Pattle and equipped with Gloster Gladiators , No. 30 Squadron , No. 211 Squadron and No. 84 Squadron with Bristol Blenheims , and No. 70 Squadron with Vickers Wellingtons . Gradually, Italian air power (including Squadriglie flying from Italian air bases) grew to over 400 aircraft against

10700-453: Was appointed on 7 May and was mayor for six years. At that time the city mayor received a salary of 4,500 ISK per year and 1,500 ISK for office expenses. The current mayor is Einar Þorsteinsson  [ is ] . Reykjavík is by far the largest and most populous settlement in Iceland. The municipality of Reykjavík had a population of 131,136 on 1 January 2020, comprising 36% of the country's population. The Capital Region , which includes

10807-471: Was central to such ideas. Advocates of an independent Iceland realized that a strong Reykjavík was fundamental to that objective. All the important events in the history of the independence struggle were important to Reykjavík as well. In 1845 the Alþingi , the general assembly formed in 930 AD, was re-established in Reykjavík; it had been suspended a few decades earlier when it was located at Þingvellir . At

10914-625: Was forced on the defensive during the Sicilian Campaign . Italian pilots were constantly fighting against Allied efforts to sink Regia Marina ships. Just before the Allied invasion, a huge Allied bomber offensive struck the airfields in Sicily in an effort to gain further air superiority. This left the Regia Aeronautica very weak, but aircraft continued to arrive from Sardinia , southern Italy , and southern France . The last mission of

11021-659: Was granted in 1904 when the office of Minister for Iceland was established in Reykjavík. On 1 December 1918, Iceland became a sovereign country, the Kingdom of Iceland , in personal union with the Crown of Denmark . By the 1920s and 1930s, most of the growing Icelandic fishing trawler fleet sailed from Reykjavík; cod production was its main industry, but the Great Depression hit Reykjavík hard with unemployment , and labour union struggles sometimes became violent. On

11128-673: Was historically the city's ruling party; it had an overall majority from its establishment in 1929 until 1978, when it narrowly lost. From 1978 until 1982, there was a three-party coalition composed of the People's Alliance , the Social Democratic Party , and the Progressive Party . In 1982, the Independence Party regained an overall majority, which it held for three consecutive terms. The 1994 election

11235-592: Was the air force of the Kingdom of Italy . It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946. In 1946, the monarchy was abolished and the Kingdom of Italy became the Italian Republic , whereupon the name of the air force changed to Aeronautica Militare . At the beginning of the twentieth century, Italy was at the forefront of aerial warfare: during

11342-832: Was under command of Generale Rino Corso Fougier . It comprised approximately 170 aircraft including 80 Fiat Br.20 bombers and 98 Fiat G.50 Freccia and CR.42 fighters. The transfer of the planes was completed by 19 October. The CAI was based in Nazi-occupied Belgium . Bad weather and planes inadequate to that war theater hindered effective action by the CAI. The CR.42s clashed with British Hawker Hurricanes and Supermarine Spitfires just two times, in November. The Italians claimed five victories and nine probables, but five Fiat biplanes were shot down. The RAF, however, reported no losses. The 17 bombing raids carried out by

11449-453: Was won by Reykjavíkurlistinn (the R-list), an alliance of Icelandic socialist parties, led by Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir . This alliance won a majority in three consecutive elections, but was dissolved for the 2006 election when five different parties were on the ballot. The Independence Party won seven seats, and together with the one Progressive Party it were able to form a new majority in

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