How Alcohol Increases the Effects of Cigarettes

How Alcohol Increases the Effects of Cigarettes Addiction Nicotine Use Print How Alcohol Increases the Effects of Cigarettes By Buddy T facebook twitter Buddy T is an anonymous writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Learn about our editorial policy Buddy T Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD on July 05, 2016 Steven Gans, MD is board-certified in psychiatry and is an active supervisor, teacher, and mentor at Massachusetts General Hospital. Learn about our Medical Review Board Steven Gans, MD Updated on January 26, 2020 PhotoAlto/Getty Images More in Addiction Nicotine Use After You Quit How to Quit Smoking Nicotine Withdrawal Smoking-Related Diseases The Inside of Cigarettes Alcohol Use Addictive Behaviors Drug Use Coping and Recovery As of Dec. 20, 2019, the new legal age limit is 21 years old for purchasing cigarettes, cigars, or any other tobacco products in the U.S. Did you ever wonder why so many of your friends who drink also smoke? Have you ever thought that you had successfully quit smoking, but the next time you had an alcoholic beverage you just had to have a cigarette? Why is it so difficult for drinkers to quit smoking? Alcoholics Smoke More Than Non-Alcoholics We know from statistics and observations that: People smoke more in places where alcohol is servedAlcoholics smoke more than non-alcoholicsSmokers are more likely to be binge drink?? Researchers at the Duke University Medical Center believe they have found one reason why alcohol seems to be so closely linked to smoking.?? Smoking Can Increase Health Risks in Alcoholics Behavioral Link Between Alcohol and Nicotine Epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory evidence clearly indicate a behavioral link between cigarette smoking and alcohol use, said Jed Rose, Ph.D., director of the Duke Nicotine Research Program and co-creator of the nicotine patch. The combined use of cigarettes and alcohol presents health risks  over and above the risks posed by smoking alone, and thus constitutes a serious public health problem which deserves additional research attention. In particular, understanding the pharmacological basis of the interaction between alcohol and nicotine could lead to the development of effective strategies for treating the drugs dual-use, Rose said. Smoking and Drinking Are Often Linked According to researchers:If you have more than five drinks a week, you’re two-and-half times more likely to smoke.Compared to nonsmokers, smokers are three times more likely to drink to excess.Moderate drinkers who smoke have a higher risk of heart, liver, and lung disease than those who only smoke or only drink.?? Nicotine Offsets Alcohols Effects In the past, investigators have speculated about the alcohol-nicotine association. Some research has indicated that it is because nicotine offsets the sedative effects of alcohol. Drinking alcohol can slow reaction times and impair the performance of some visual tasks, but some studies have found that nicotine can counteract these deficits.?? Both Increase Dopamine in the Brain Both alcohol and nicotine increase concentrations of dopamine in the brain, so another theory is using nicotine and alcohol together increases the feeling of pleasure more than using either drug by itself??. Meanwhile, some neurobiological research has produced conflicting information regarding the nicotine-alcohol link. Some have reported that ethanol increases the activity of the brain receptors that respond to nicotine, while others have indicated a dampened response of certain subtypes of the so-called nicotinic receptors in the presence of ethanol, the Duke researchers said. To find out, Roses investigators examined 48 volunteers who were regular smokers and who reported usually drinking at least four alcoholic beverages per week. The participants were served either an alcoholic beverage or a placebo beverage. In one session, the volunteers were given a regular cigarette, but in another session, they were given a nicotine-free cigarette. How Smoking and Drinking Affect the Brain Alcohol Enhances Nicotines Rewarding Effects Compared to those who drank a placebo beverage, those who had alcohol reported that: Alcohol enhanced the rewarding effects of nicotineAlcohol enhanced the calming effects of nicotineNicotine-free cigarettes did not elicit the same response The research suggests that it is nicotine itself, not other aspects of smoking, that is the critical ingredient in producing a positive response in people who drink alcohol.?? Even a Small Amount of Alcohol Effects Nicotine A relatively low dose of alcoholâ€"below that required to induce any measurable euphoriaâ€"was enough to increase participants enjoyment of nicotine significantly, Rose said.?? In light of the current finding, it makes sense that so many people who have quit smoking relapse when they drink. The researchers took the study a step further by giving the participants mecamylamine, a drug known to be a nicotine antagonist. Effects Encourage Combined Use Those participants who reported that alcohol boosted the rewarding effects of nicotine, reported just the opposite effect of mecamylamine. They initially smoked more to try to offset the drugs effect, but overall reported less satisfaction from smoking. Researchers concluded that alcohol enhances rather than antagonizes nicotines effects, which tends to encourage their combined use.?? The finding might help elucidate why those who have quit smoking often relapse while drinking alcohol. Such insights might lead to new smoking cessation methods that take the drugs interaction into account, wrote Rose. Mecamylamine Might Help Smokers Quit Mecamylamine might offer a novel treatment to help smokers who also drink alcohol quit both drugs as mecamylamine has been found to counteract the effects of both nicotine and alcohol, said Rose. Such an approach to smoking cessation would work especially well for drinkers as it would dampen both desires, Rose said. Such methods would be particularly useful for heavy drinkers and people with an addiction to alcohol, Rose added. How Much Alcohol Is Safe to Drink Per Day?

The Stereotypes Of Women And Women Essay - 916 Words

Medina 3 Emily Medina Professor Zolliker English 50 30 October 2016 A Misunderstood Topic We have surrounded ourselves around the many stereotypes that differentiate men and women. For many generations, we have the belief that women should vocalize their emotions while men should repress them and work it out among themselves. Society has developed masculine and feminine roles as well as expectations we feel like we have an obligation to pursue. It’s obvious that the gender roles we constructed immensely impacts how we think and operate. According to traditional stereotypes, men are assumed to be strong, assertive and dominant, while females are submissive and shy. The demeanor of men and women have nothing to do with your gender, anyone could be emotional or an easygoing individual; It all depends on your upbringing and perspective on the situation. If both parents were raised with tough love or harsh criticism, they are most likely going to implicate that into their parenting style. Every child learns differently, some benefit better with an emotional or a more of a tough love strategy. Some parents believe in inductive discipline, which is discussing the issue with your child or taking the non-aggressive discipline strategy which results in the child taking a time-out, or threatening to ground them. â€Å"The roots of these emotional differences, while they may be partly biological, also can be traced back to childhood† (Goleman, 389). Parents have to adapt to theirShow MoreRelatedStereotypes And Stereotypes Of Women1056 Words   |  5 PagesStereotypes of Women For a very long time, stereotypes have been part of the society and culture, and to this day, they are still present. Stereotypes can be defined as â€Å"[oversimplifying] the image or idea of a particular type of person or thing† (Google Dictionary). A current event would be a female who cannot work in a factory because of her gender, or a male who cannot join ballet because of his gender. But what still occurs in our nation or the whole society is that stereotypes are generallyRead MoreStereotypes And Stereotypes Of Black Women858 Words   |  4 PagesStereotypes are images and ideas, fixed and oversimplified, of particular people or things. Black women tend to encounter the utmost sexual and racial stereotypes. The remarks that I commonly hear are black women emasculate their men and are also sexually inhibited. Media and society have installed these stereotypes in a majority of our minds. Black women hear stereotypes very frequently and begin to believe in them. I encoun tered an immense amount of stereotypes, but they were only misjudgmentsRead MoreStereotype of Women with Rape710 Words   |  3 Pagesmessage of how women are often wrongly stereotyped as being the main causes of rape by the public. And, I concur with your point. I was stimulated by your challenge to confront the institutionalized behavior of people that stereotypes women, and this encouraged me to write a letter to you to show my support and share my opinion. Undeniably, I think your statement at the bottom of the cartoon plays a great role in highlighting your criticism against the public stereotype of women. When your quoteRead MoreBlack Women Stereotypes763 Words   |  4 PagesThe stereotypical misrepresentations of African-American women and men in popular culture have influenced societal views of Blacks for centuries. The typical stereotypes about Black women range from the smiling, asexual and often obese Mammy to the promiscuous Jezebel who lures men with her sexual charms. However, the loud, smart mouthed, neck-rolling Black welfare mother is the popular image on reality television. The typical stereotype about Black men is the violent, misogynistic thug, and theRead MoreStereotypes Of Wonder Women1989 Words   |  8 PagesIn what ways does Pattie Jenkins’ 2017 Wonder Woman eschew superhero stereotypes and present a strong female narrative? Although superhero movies have become some of the most popular and successful movie instalments of the 21st century most of these movies have been about men and focused on their trials and triumphs while also creating and perpetrating negative stereotypes of women. The female superhero movie falls into one of three categories: the victim, the tomboy and the bombshell. In the firstRead MoreThe Effects Of Media And Stereotypes On Women1554 Words   |  7 PagesWomen Leaders and The Effects of Media and Stereotypes Confidence, integrity, purpose, empowerment, determination, and courage. These are some of the many words associated with leadership. Regardless of gender, these words apply to all leaders. It is no longer a question of what women leaders are, but rather why there are not women leaders. Today’s society focuses on fulfilling leadership positions with males, not because females do not have the same skills and knowledge as men, but because peopleRead MoreGender Stereotypes And Objectification Of Women888 Words   |  4 Pagesdiscussing overarching themes, in particular, gender stereotypes and objectification of women. Then I will analyze the photos from an intersectionality perspective and its importance. In addition, I will self-reflect about how gender, sex, and sexuality influence my life and how my beliefs have been challenged over the semester. Finally, I will conclude my paper with ways, in which, we can make social change, so we can reduce gender stereotypes. Themes There were two major overarching themes thatRead MoreIdentities And Stereotypes Of The Arab Women919 Words   |  4 PagesIdentities and stereotypes are followed by the person/s depending on ready-made ideas. These ideas are related to the previously known as their; customs, traditions ,cultures, religious and heritage .Until this moment stereotype is inconsequential because it’s not completely accurate since it’s based on the status quo not backed up by facts . We are all humans; there is no difference between blacks, whites, Arabs, or foreigners. It’s true that humans standout from each other, morality, the acquiredRead MoreStereotypes And Gender Roles Of Women Essay1522 Words   |  7 Pages A stereotype can be defined as â€Å"a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.† Stereotypes are preconceived notions about a group of people. Gender roles are â€Å"the public image of being a particular gender that a person presents to others.† These roles are also known as the social norms that dictate the types of behaviors that are deemed acceptable, appropriate or desirable for people of the two genders. Both stereotypes and gender roles of womenRead MoreHarmful Women Stereotypes Essay975 Words   |  4 PagesThe wide ranging harmful representations of women have now achieved a new level in popular culture. Every medium (television, movies, magazines, games) has the problems of their own of depicting women. Whereas there are various other issues related to the way women are repented for viewers, for the purposes of this essay it is useful to explore gender stereotypes and negative depiction of women in movie s, which also include overly sexualized and unrealistic images in movies. All together these issues

Protecting Youself and Others from Cyberbullying - 1835 Words

In the simplified, fast-paced technological age we live in, ways to communicate are advancing on a seemingly daily basis, making so many things in our lives easier. But, as with anything, there are negative effects. With the ever evolving ways to communicate with those in your life, or even strangers halfway around the world, come those who seem to make it their lifes mission to bring harm to others through a technological platform. The current state of cyber bullying is the worst it had ever been, because of not only the growth in what people are harassed for online, but because it often extends outside of the electronic world. Inasmuch, cyber bullying has grown so much larger than its ever been, and will probably continue to do so. In the same manner, what the victims are subjected to has been changing in the worst kind of way over these years of electronic advancement. Above all, is the safety and well-being of the victims though, as it is no secret the detriment bullying has on s omeone. Therefore, there need to be more ways for consumers and users to protect themselves from this new form of harassment. Since the first instance of online harassment, it has been on the fast track so to speak growth wise, and has been getting wildly out of hand. Many students in this current age use technology on a daily basis, and value using it to communicate with their friends. With that, as one would expect, it has been speculated that with the growth of technology, so cyber

Black People and Tone Free Essays

Tone is the attitude a writer has about a topic. For example, a tone might be serious, sarcastic, respectful, or unsympathetic. A writer establishes tone through choice of words and details. We will write a custom essay sample on Black People and Tone or any similar topic only for you Order Now Directions: Zora Neale Hurston creates a strong tone when she writes about race in this essay. In the second column of the chart, list key word choices and details from the essay that reflect her attitude for each topic. Describe her tone in the third column. Then answer the question that follows. Topic| Word Choices and Details| Tone| Growing up in a town with only African-Americans| She knew no other and just thought it was normal. Laid back,normal| White people visiting Eatonville| NorthernersWhites would just pass thru| Exciting, actors| The difference between Eatonville and Jacksonville| Eatonville was only blacks and Jacksonville was predominantly white with colors being a minority. | Solemn and lonely| The lasting effects of slavery in the United States| People reminding her that she is a granddaughter of slaves| Depressed | How African-Americans and white people respond differently to music| African-Americans feel more depth and soul. It is real they have lived it and white people look for more classical to relax and just enjoy. respectful| What is the overall tone of Hurston’s essay? What point does Hurston make by choosing this tone to discuss the subject of race? Is Hurston’s tone appropriate and effective for her topic? Explain. I believe her tone was excited about her younger years and the fun of just being a kid and knowing nothing about race or discrimination. Towards the end it became more solemn. But she was wrong by no means. Her talk and expression was regulated by her story telling. She only told about her situation and what she experienced. I really enjoyed it. How to cite Black People and Tone, Essays

Reading and Movie Reflection

Movie summary: â€Å"What’s Cooking† â€Å"What’s Cooking† is a movie directed by Gurinder Chadha and shot in Los Angeles, United States. It looks into the lives of families living in a multi-ethnic part of the city. The setting is timed at a period when Los Angeles was experiencing a high influx of foreign nationals mainly from the African-American, Latino, Jewish and the Asian communities.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Reading and Movie Reflection specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It is set during the Thanksgiving celebrations, these are times when families gather at their homes, get to spend times together and sort whatever issues that might be affecting the family, and welcome new additions to the family structure. The movie is about experiences of four ethnically diverse families who grapple with their own integration problems during Thanksgiving. It starts with a shot of a Latin o man on his way to the grocery store to do some shopping, meets his exiled father who had left them a long time ago to lead his own life after separating with the mother. He invites his father home for dinner after catching up briefly with one another. The mother does not like the idea of inviting the father for the festivity because of the existing differences but after being convinced by the family, she takes advantage of the opportunity to reconcile the huge family. She makes less of the situation as the family members engage in the all day preparations. Elizabeth’s college student daughter comes home with his Asian boyfriend, Lee, to introduce him to the family. Ethnic toleration is brought to the frontlines by this situation since the boyfriend’s family have no knowledge of his presence at their home, he had to lie that he’s going to be in school to catch up with his school work just to get an excuse to visit his potential in- laws. The second family is in troduced, Lee’s family is Vietnamese and his mother is preparing traditional dinner for her family. She does not appear happy with the course that their children have taken in life. Her daughter (Kristy) has a white boyfriend and this raises arguments during the preparations. The Vietnamese consider themselves as a conservative society who sees the American social fabric as being too loose and lenient on the children making them rebellious, their fear was that the children might get assimilated to the American way of life.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The third family headed by Ronald (Dennis Haysbert) is introduced. He is an African- American spin doctor working for ‘The Republican Politico’. He has invited his mother to dinner but she does not approve of the daughter in law. His wife, Audrey is trying to put her best in the menu but it seems the kitchen battles with the mother in law cannot end, she detests her culinary skills. She does not like the way she raises the children either. Another problem with this family is that the son has refused to come for thanksgiving dinner because of the existing differences on career choice and political affiliation with the father. The fourth is a Jewish family who has reservations about their daughter’s roommate. They see her as not just an ordinary roommate because of her behavior and the existing relations with the daughter. Despite the realities that the families discover that they have to live with during the thanksgiving celebrations, they manage to handle all the issues in a dignified manner, appreciate each other’s views of the world, and are able to practice tolerance as a source of peace in their families. During the celebrations and feastings, details are revealed about the personal lives of the characters, reality dawns on the Jewish family that their daughter, Rachel is a lesbian and she goes to an extent of bringing her partner, Carla home to meet them. The Vietnamese immigrant family struggles to get into the lives of their assimilated children. Nguyen discovers a gun in her son’s room as she was doing her rounds in the house. She is infuriated by this discovery but it gets worse when she finds condoms in her daughter’s jacket. In her mother’s eyes, that was a sign that she had already gotten spoilt by the white boyfriend. The reading summary The history of Thanksgiving goes back in the colonial times when the Americans were still being considered as a refuge for most refugees who were driven out of their ancestral lands. There were Pilgrims who came from England escaping the persecution carried out at the time, they initially moved to Holland but did not like the place. On arrival in America, they settled at Massachusetts with the help of American natives. They immediately adopted a means of livelihood by planting corn a nd rearing turkey. When they received their first harvest, they were in a celebratory mood because of the peace they were experiencing and the abundant food. They then celebrated their first Thanksgiving as a feast to give back to the community for their generosity and acceptance. Since then, Americans have always recognized that day.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Reading and Movie Reflection specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thanksgiving was initially not a welcome idea among other groups of people since the Pilgrims who started it were believed to be following a specific doctrine. Most of the migrant communities from England settled at New England, the Puritans living at the region did not observe thanksgiving as they thought it was associated to other faiths. Special thanksgiving observances were issued by the government and these were compulsory to anyone such as celebrations of military victories, celebrat ion of a bumper harvest, or the welcoming of the rainy season signaling the start of cultivation. The Puritans just prayed and congregated together during these days. However, no specific day was set aside by then for thanksgiving. Little is known about the components of thanksgiving in the ancient times, however, turkey stood out as the main delicacy that formed a bond across different cultures and people in America as families would share it out. The difference in style was the accompaniment that was taken by it and this varied from place to place like the people of New Hampshire had ham with roast turkey while people from Connecticut had turkey and chicken. In the early nineteenth century, thanksgiving was still an optional celebration held just when there were special achievements made by the government and its people. For example, George Washington called for thanksgiving when the American Constitution was adopted after successfully passing through a referendum. However, the re al push for adoption of Thanksgiving as a nationwide celebration was a brainchild of Sarah Josepha Hale. She published books and other editorial pieces that discouraged the practice of slavery and the need for recognition of basic human rights. These fictional novels changed the people’s perception towards other disadvantaged communities who were used by the whites to give manual labor in farms and industries. She also talked about the value of Thanksgiving to her audiences, emphasizing on the benefits including a moment for families to interact with one another, shared meals creates strong bonds among families and it provides an opportunity for the disadvantaged to feed and be supported as a method of promoting reconciliation. Despite the restrictions on publications of political pieces, she continued to produce her publications occasionally crossing paths with the authorities. She eventually started the campaign to make the day a national holiday marked on the last Thursday of November, in 1846. She did this by writing to presidents and governors in every state.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More She also mobilized other magazines to help in the campaign even though this was a difficult task because the presidents were still rigid about the idea. She believed the day provides an opportunity for Americans to pull together their efforts in alleviating regional differences and economic disparities. By 1860, thirty states in United States of America celebrated Thanksgiving due to the pressure from the citizens and lobbyists. It was also observed by Americans living abroad. The eventual success came in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln declared the day a national holiday. However, some historians still thought that the push for Thanksgiving by Hale did not consider the original ideologies of English settlers. Comparison between the movie and the reading summary The movie, â€Å"What’s Cooking† is a celebration of diversity in cultures and it promotes the idea of tolerance among the different cultures. This is seen in the way the four families grappling with the is sues of assimilation in their young ones eventually accommodate their views on life and take a rejuvenated role of handling their children’s concern. The reading material tells about the history of Thanksgiving, the English on their voyage from Holland through the Atlantic landed in Massachusetts where they were welcome by the natives. After settling there for a while and getting their first harvest, they decided to celebrate with the natives irrespective of their ethnic affiliations. In both the movie and the reading, turkey is the main meal that is used as a symbol of Thanksgiving; this was adopted during the inception of the day back when there was initial push to make the day a national holiday. It became the central meal since it was big enough to be shared by the members of a family. The original intention of Thanksgiving was to make it a moment for people from different regions but living in one place for example, the slaves who worked in the farms and their masters ce lebrating a harvest as is stated in the reading. However, the movie dilutes the significance of this day by setting the plot in individual family units and not the society in general. The reading summary tells more about the process that led to the recognition of Thanksgiving as a national holiday while the movie â€Å"What’s Cooking† shows the modern day reflection on the day and shows how the day’s perception has evolved over the years. This essay on Reading and Movie Reflection was written and submitted by user Aaden Z. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on San Francisco Earthquake

On April 18, 1906, shortly after 5:00 a.m., a great earthquake struck San Francisco and a long narrow band of towns, villages, and countryside to the north-northwest and south-southeast. Many buildings were wrecked; hundreds of people were killed; electric power lines and gas mains were broken. Fires broke out and burned wildly for days, utterly out of control because of severed water mains. The ground had broken open for more than 270 miles along a great fault - the San Andreas rift. The country on the east side of the rift had moved southward relative to the country on the west side of the rift. The greatest displacement had been 21 feet about 30 miles northwest of San Francisco. Nearly all the scientists in California began immediately to assemble observations on the results of the quake. Professor A.C. Lawson, chairman of the geology department at the University of California, took the first steps that led to Governor George C. Pardee's appointment, three days after the shock, of a State Earthquake Investigation Commission to unify the work of scientific investigations then under way. The members of this Commission were Professor Lawson, Chairman; J.C. Branner, professor of geology at Stanford University; Charles Burckhalter, director of the Chabot Observatory at Oakland; W. W. Campbell, director of Lick Observatory; George Davidson, professor of astronomy at the University of California; G.K. Gilbert, geologist of the U.S. Geological Survey; A. O. Leuschner, professor of astronomy at the University of California; and H.F. Reid, professor of geology at Johns Hopkins University. With the exceptions of Gilbert and Reid, none of the Commission members were the n known as students of earthquakes. Nevertheless, they were a distinguished and highly competent group of men. Two of the geologists and two of the astronomers were then members of the National Academy of Sciences and three others subsequently became members of that body. ... Free Essays on San Francisco Earthquake Free Essays on San Francisco Earthquake On April 18, 1906, shortly after 5:00 a.m., a great earthquake struck San Francisco and a long narrow band of towns, villages, and countryside to the north-northwest and south-southeast. Many buildings were wrecked; hundreds of people were killed; electric power lines and gas mains were broken. Fires broke out and burned wildly for days, utterly out of control because of severed water mains. The ground had broken open for more than 270 miles along a great fault - the San Andreas rift. The country on the east side of the rift had moved southward relative to the country on the west side of the rift. The greatest displacement had been 21 feet about 30 miles northwest of San Francisco. Nearly all the scientists in California began immediately to assemble observations on the results of the quake. Professor A.C. Lawson, chairman of the geology department at the University of California, took the first steps that led to Governor George C. Pardee's appointment, three days after the shock, of a State Earthquake Investigation Commission to unify the work of scientific investigations then under way. The members of this Commission were Professor Lawson, Chairman; J.C. Branner, professor of geology at Stanford University; Charles Burckhalter, director of the Chabot Observatory at Oakland; W. W. Campbell, director of Lick Observatory; George Davidson, professor of astronomy at the University of California; G.K. Gilbert, geologist of the U.S. Geological Survey; A. O. Leuschner, professor of astronomy at the University of California; and H.F. Reid, professor of geology at Johns Hopkins University. With the exceptions of Gilbert and Reid, none of the Commission members were the n known as students of earthquakes. Nevertheless, they were a distinguished and highly competent group of men. Two of the geologists and two of the astronomers were then members of the National Academy of Sciences and three others subsequently became members of that body. ...

The History and Geography of Iceland

The History and Geography of Iceland Population: 306,694 (July 2009 estimate)Capital: ReykjavikArea: 39,768 square miles (103,000 sq km)Coastline: 3,088 miles (4,970 km)Highest Point: Hvannadalshnukur at 6,922 feet (2,110 m)Iceland officially called the Republic of Iceland, is an island nation located in the North Atlantic Ocean, just south of the Arctic Circle. A large part of Iceland is covered with glaciers and snowfields and most of the countrys inhabitants live in the coastal areas because they are the most fertile regions on the island. They also have a milder climate than other areas. Iceland is highly active volcanically and has recently been in the news due to a volcanic eruption under a glacier in April 2010. The ash from the eruption caused disruptions all over the world. History of Iceland Iceland was first inhabited in the late 9th and 10th centuries. The main peoples to move to the island were the Norse and in 930 C.E., the governing body on Iceland created a constitution and an assembly. The assembly was called the Althingi.Following the creation of its constitution, Iceland was independent until 1262. In that year it signed a treaty which created a union between it and Norway. When Norway and Denmark created a union in the 14th century, Iceland became a part of Denmark.In 1874, Denmark gave Iceland some limited independent ruling powers, and in 1904 after a constitutional revision in 1903, this independence was expanded. In 1918, the Act of Union was signed with Denmark which officially made Iceland an autonomous nation that was united with Denmark under the same king.Germany then occupied Denmark during World War II and in 1940, communications between Iceland and Denmark ended and Iceland attempted to independently control all of its land. In May of 1940 though, B ritish forces entered Iceland and in 1941, the United States entered the island and took over defensive powers. Shortly thereafter a vote took place and Iceland became an independent republic on June 17, 1944.In 1946, Iceland and the U.S. decided to end U.S. responsibility for maintaining Icelands defense but the U.S. kept some military bases on the island. In 1949, Iceland joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and with the start of the Korean War in 1950, the U.S. again became responsible for defending Iceland militarily. Today, the U.S. is still Icelands main defensive partner but there are no military personnel stationed on the island and according to the U.S. Department of State, Iceland is the only member of NATO with no standing military. Government of Iceland Today Iceland is a constitutional republic with a unicameral parliament called the Althingi. Iceland also has an executive branch with a chief of state and head of government. The judicial branch consists of the Supreme Court called Haestirettur, which has justices who are appointed for life, and eight district courts for each of the countrys eight administrative divisions. Economics and Land Use in Iceland Iceland features a strong social-market economy typical of Scandinavian countries. This means its economy is both capitalistic with free-market principles but it also has a large welfare system for its citizens. Icelands main industries are fish processing, aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production, geothermal power, and hydropower. Tourism is also a growing industry in the country and the associated service-sector jobs are growing. In addition, despite its high latitude, Iceland has a relatively mild climate due to the Gulf Stream which allows its people to practice agriculture in the fertile coastal regions. The largest agricultural industries in Iceland are potatoes and green vegetables. Mutton, chicken, pork, beef, dairy products, and fishing also contribute considerably to the economy.   Geography and Climate of Iceland Iceland has a varied topography but it is one of the most volcanic regions in the world. Because of this, Iceland has a rugged landscape dotted with hot springs, sulfur beds, geysers, lava fields, canyons, and waterfalls. There are approximately 200 volcanoes in Iceland and most of them are active. Iceland is a volcanic island primarily because of its location on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which separates the North American and Eurasian Earth plates. This causes the island to be active geologically as the plates are constantly moving away from each other. In addition, Iceland lies on a hotspot (like Hawaii) called the Iceland Plume which formed the island millions of years ago. As a result in addition to earthquakes, Iceland is prone to volcanic eruptions and features the aforementioned geologic features such as hot springs and geysers. The interior portion of Iceland is mostly an elevated plateau with small areas of forest but little land suitable for agriculture. In the north, however, there are extensive grasslands which are used by grazing animals such as sheep and cattle. Most of Icelands agriculture is practiced along the coast.Icelands climate is temperate because of the Gulf Stream. Winters are usually mild and windy and summers are wet and cool. References Central Intelligence Agency. (2010, April 1). CIA - The World Factbook - Iceland. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ic.htmlHelgason, Gudjonand Jill Lawless. (2010, April 14). Iceland Evacuates Hundreds as Volcano Erupts Again. Associated Press. Retrieved from: https://web.archive.org/web/20100609120832/infoplease.com/ipa/A0107624.html?Infoplease. (n.d.). Iceland: History, Geography Government, and Culture - Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: infoplease.com/ipa/A0107624.htmlUnited States Department of State. (2009, November). Iceland (11/09). Retrieved from: state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3396.htm Wikipedia. (2010, April 15). Geology of Iceland - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology_of_Iceland