Althing

Icelandic Parliament Alþingi Íslendinga
Type
Type	Unicameral
Leadership
Speaker	Einar Kristinn Guðfinnsson, Social Democratic Alliance since 14 May 2009
Structure
Seats	63
Political groups	Government coalition   Independence Party (21)   Progressive Party (8) Opposition Parties   Pirate Party (10)   Left-Green Movement (10)   Reform Party (7)   Bright Future (4)   Social Democratic Alliance (3)
Elections
Voting system	Proportional representation
Last election	25 April 2009
Meeting place
Parliament House (Alþingishúsið), Reykjavík
Website
www.althingi.is

The Althing (Icelandic: Alþingi) is the national parliament of Iceland. It is the oldest legislature in the world that has been abolished and subsequently re-established.^[1][2] It was founded in 930 at Thingvellir (the "assembly fields"),^[3] which is almost 45 kilometres (28 mi) east of Iceland's capital, Reykjavík. When the Althing was formed, that was the beginning of Iceland as a country.

Iceland is divided into six electoral constituencies. Each constituency elects nine members. Another nine seats are divided between parties based on how many people in the whole country voted for them.

1. ↑ Althingi's English pages: Establishment of the Althing. Althingi Administration. (Press 'English', then 'Timeline') [1]
2. ↑ Carl Cavanagh Hodge (2008). Encyclopedia of the Age of Imperialism, 1800-1914. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 337. ISBN 9780313043413.
3. ↑ Christopher Moore (2004). In Other Words. New York: Walker Publishing Company. ISBN 0-8027-1444-7.