Be o 28 -51. 44
> fraget boas LRT WW elba AscRalt, Kok

PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION

The Landsbanki Islands (National Bank of Iceland) was established
ander an act of Althingi dated on the 18th of September 1885, and,
commencing operations on the 1st of July the following year, has
now been doing business for 40 years.
The bank has wished to celebrate this fortieth anniversary of its
establishment by issuing in English a handbook on Iceland, where,
‘hough the main stress is laid on describing the economic and inellectual
 life of the nation in its present varied manifestations, frequent
 comparisons are made between the past and the present, and a
brief account given of the progress made during the last forty vears
or so.
That a book of this kind is needed there can be no denying; and
lhe fact that the bank, since its inception, has, as it were, been one
of the driving wheels of progressive change in the country, will, it is
hoped. serve as an excuse for its publishing the present little volume.

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION

Though it is only four years since this little book was first published,
it was so rapidly exhausted, that it has been out of print for a considerable
 time. This, and the fact that orders for it have been and
still are steadily coming in, seems to show that there reallv is a demand
 for a work. of this kind.
The present edition differs from the first only in this, that all in-‘ormations
 have, so far as possible, been brought up to date, and a
few minor additions made here and there.