From 874 Iceland is inhabited by Vikings from Norway. The Viking colonists found their own state that becomes independent in 930 as the Republic of Iceland. Iceland gets a parliament, the oldest in the world. In 1263 Iceland becomes a Norwegian dependency and in 1380 the island becomes as a result of the personal union between Denmark and Norway a Danish posession. Denmark abolishes the Icelandic parliament in 1800.

Parliament is refounded in 1843 and in 1874 Iceland becomes a autonomous part of Denmark. Since 1904 there is Danish ministers for Iceland residing in Reykjavik. These are Hannes Hafstein (1904-1909) for the Heimasthórnarflokkurin (Home Rule Party, HTF), Björn Jonssón (1909-1911) for the pro-independence Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn (Independence Party, SSF), Hannes Hafstein (1912-1914), now for the conservative Sambandsflokkurin (Union Party, SF), Sigurdur Eggerz (1914-1915) and Einar Arnórsson (1915-1917), both of the SFF. In 1917 Iceland gets its own prime minister. The first being Jón Magnússon of the conservative Íhaldsflokkurin (Conservative Party, ÍF) from 1917 to 1922).

Iceland becomes independent in 1918 as the Kingdom of Iceland, a parliamentary democracy in a personal union with Denmark. Prime ministers are Sigurdur Eggerz of the SSF (1922-1924), Jón Magnússon (1924-1926) and Jón Thorláksson (1926-1927), bot of the ÍF. Under prime minister Tryggvi Thórhallsson (1927-1932), the ÍF merges into the new new Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn. In 1932 Ásgeir Ásgeirsson agrarian liberal Framsóknarflokkurin (Progressive Party, FSF) becomes prime minister, succeeded in 1934 by his co-partisan Hermann Jónasson. He remains in office until 1942, when he is succeeded by Ólafur Thors of the SSF (1942) and the non-partisan Björn Thórdarson (1942-1944). During World War II Iceland is occupied by allied forces.

The personal union is dissolved in 1944 and the Republic of Iceland is established. Iceland is now a parliamentary democratic republic, allways governed by coalition governments of very diverse kind. Ólafur Thors becomes prime minister between 1944 and 1947, as he is from 1949-1950, 1953-1956 and 1059-1963). His premiership is interupted by again in 1944. He is succeeded in 1947 by Stefán Jóhann Stefánsson of the social democratic Alþýðuflokkurin (People's Party, AF) (1947-1949), Steingrímur Steinthórsson of the FSF (1950-1953), Hermann Jónasson, FSF (1956-1958) and Emil Jónsson, AF (1958-1959). The SSF dominates goverments until 1978 under Bjarni Benediktsson (1963-1970), Jóhann Hafstein (1970-1971), Ólafur Jóhannesson (1971-1974) and Geir Hallgrímsson (1974-1978). Ólafur Jóhannesson becomes prime minister agian for the FSF between 1978 and 1979, but is succeeded by Benedikt Gröndal, AF, in 1979. Between 1980 and 1983 Gunnar Thoroddsen, SSF, is prime minister. From 1983 until 1991 Steingrímur Hermannsson of the FSF is prime minister. This is interrupted by a short premiership of Thorsteinn Pálsson (1987-1988). The SSF regains the premiership in 1991 with Davíd Oddsson. In 2004 Halldór Ásgrímsson of the FSF takes office in a coalition government with the SSF.