municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
on the
Southern Peninsula
Southern Peninsula ( is, Suðurnes ) is an administrative unit and part of Reykjanesskagi (pronounced ), or Reykjanes Peninsula, a region in southwest Iceland. It was named after Reykjanes, the southwestern tip of Reykjanesskagi.
The region ha ...
(''Suðurnes'') in
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
, though the name is also used by locals to refer to the suburban region of
Keflavík
Keflavík (pronounced , meaning ''Driftwood Bay'') is a town in the Reykjanes region in southwest Iceland. It is included in the municipality of Reykjanesbær whose population as of 2016 is 15,129.
In 1995, Keflavik merged with nearby Njarð ...
and
Njarðvík
Njarðvík () is a town in southwestern Iceland, on the peninsula of Reykjanes. As of 2009, its population was 4,400.
History
In 1995 it merged with the town of Keflavík and the village of Hafnir to form the new municipality of Reykjanesbær. T ...
which have grown together over the years. The municipality is made up of the towns Keflavík, Njarðvík and the village of
Hafnir
Hafnir () is a village in southwestern Iceland.
It is situated in the Reykjanes peninsula and has 109 inhabitants (as of 2011).
In 1994 the inhabitants of Hafnir, Njarðvík and Keflavík
Keflavík (pronounced , meaning ''Driftwood Bay'') is ...
. The municipality was created in 1994 when the inhabitants of the three towns voted to merge them into one. Reykjanesbær is the fourth largest municipality in Iceland, with 19,676 citizens (2021).
Overview
Of the three towns which make up the municipality, Keflavík is the largest, while Hafnir is the smallest and some 10 kilometers distant. Keflavík and Njarðvík were originally distinct towns but gradually grew together over the course of the latter half of the 20th century, until the only thing separating them was a single street. The northern side of the street belonged to Keflavík and the southern side to Njarðvík.
Since May 2009 the township of Njarðvík has been the location of the
Viking World museum
Viking World ( is, Víkingaheimar ) is a museum in Njarðvík, Reykjanesbær, Iceland.
The museum opened on 8 May 2009,United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
closed
Naval Air Station Keflavik
Naval Air Station Keflavik (NASKEF) was a United States Navy station at Keflavík International Airport, Iceland, located on the Reykjanes peninsula on the south-west portion of the island. NASKEF was closed on 8 September 2006, and its facilitie ...
, the site was taken over by the development agency Kadeco, and renamed Ásbrú. A university, Keilir, was founded and now Ásbrú houses the campuses of various educational institutions and also businesses, both newly founded and relocated to the site of the air base.
Demographics
Reykjanesbær is the most populous municipality in the Suðurnes region, the fourth most populous in Iceland, and the most populous outside of the Greater Reykjavík area. The municipality had a population of 18,920 on 1 January 2019; that is about 5.3% of the country's population. The Suðurnes region, which includes Reykjanesbær and five neighbouring municipalities, was home to 27,113 people; that is about 7.6% of the country's population.
On 1 January 2018, of the town's population of 17,805, immigrants of the first and second generation numbered 4,352 (24.4%).
The most common foreign citizens were
Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in C ...
Latvians
Latvians ( lv, latvieši) are a Baltic ethnic group and nation native to Latvia and the immediate geographical region, the Baltics. They are occasionally also referred to as Letts, especially in older bibliography. Latvians share a common La ...
Naval Radio Transmitter Facility Grindavik
Naval Radio Transmitter Facility Grindavik (NRTF Grindavik) is a transmission facility of the US Navy at Grindavík, Iceland, maintained by the N62 Division. It is active on shortwave and longwave under the callsign TFK on 37.5 kHz.
NRTF ...
Viking World museum
Viking World ( is, Víkingaheimar ) is a museum in Njarðvík, Reykjanesbær, Iceland.
The museum opened on 8 May 2009,twinned with:
* Kerava, Finland
*
Kristiansand
Kristiansand is a seaside resort city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporati ...
Orlando
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...
, United States
*
Trollhättan
Trollhättan () is the 23rd-largest city in Sweden, the seat of Trollhättan Municipality, Västra Götaland County. It is situated by Göta älv, near the lake Vänern, and has a population of approximately 50,000 in the city proper. It is loc ...
, Sweden
Gallery
File:Church Hafnir Iceland 2004.jpg, Church of Hafnir (''Kirkjuvogskirkja'')
File:Reykjanesbær_hiticeland_town_center.jpg, Keflavik town center
File:Reykjanesbær_water_reserve_hiticeland.jpg, Old Water Reserve Tank
File:Keflavík_(1).jpg, Street in Keflavík
File:Keflavik Kirche.jpg, Church of Keflavik
File:Keflavik town from the harbor.jpg, Keflavík harbour
File:SSJ100 Keflavik runways (5160518757).jpg, Aerial view of
Keflavík International Airport
Keflavík Airport ( is, Keflavíkurflugvöllur ) , also known as Reykjavík–Keflavík Airport, is the largest airport in Iceland and the country's main hub for international transportation. The airport is west of Keflavík and southwest of ...