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Rangárvallasýsla
Iceland was historically divided into 23 counties known as ''sýslur'' (), and 23 independent towns known as ''kaupstaðir'' (). Iceland is now split up between 24 sýslumenn (magistrates) that are the highest authority over the local police (except in Reykjavík where there is a special office of police commissioner) and carry out administrative functions such as declaring bankruptcy and marrying people outside of the church. The jurisdictions of these magistrates often follow the lines of the historical counties, but not always. When speaking of these new "administrative" counties, the custom is to associate them with the county seats rather than using the names of the traditional counties, even when they cover the same area. Composition Independent towns (''kaupstaðir'') were first created in the 18th century as urbanisation began in Iceland; this practice continued into the 1980s. The last town that was declared an independent town was Ólafsvík in 1983. Since then, the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eyjafjörður
Eyjafjörður (, ''Island Fjord'') is one of the longest fjords in Iceland. It is located in the central north of the country. Situated by the fjord is the country's fourth most populous municipality, Akureyri. Physical geography The fjord is long and narrow and measures 60 km from its head to its mouth. Its greatest width is 15 km between Ólafsfjörður and Gjögurtá at the fjord's mouth, but for the greater part of its length it is mostly between 5–10 km wide. The fjord is surrounded by hills and mountains on both sides; the mountains are taller on the west side, in the mountain range of the Tröllaskagi peninsula. In the outer part of the fjord there are no lowlands along the coast as the steep hills roll directly into the sea. Further south in the fjord there are strips of lowland along both coasts; these are wider on the west side. Several valleys lead from Eyjafjörður: most of them to the west, where the two most significant are Hörgárdalur and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Akureyri
Akureyri (, ) is a town in northern Iceland, the country's fifth most populous Municipalities of Iceland, municipality (under the official name of Akureyrarbær , 'town of Akureyri') and the largest outside the Capital Region (Iceland), Capital Region. The municipality includes the town's neighbourhood at the head of Eyjafjörður and two farther islands: Hrísey at the mouth of Eyjafjörður and Grímsey off the coast. Nicknamed the "Capital of North Iceland", Akureyri is an important port and fishing centre. The area where Akureyri is located was settled in the 9th century, but did not receive a municipal charter until 1786. Allies of World War II, Allied units were based in the town during World War II. Further growth occurred after the war as the Icelandic population increasingly moved to urban areas. The area has a relatively mild climate because of geographical factors, and the town's ice-free harbour has played a significant role in its history. History The Norsemen, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Akranes
Akranes () is a port town and municipality on the west coast of Iceland, around north of the capital Reykjavík. The area where Akranes is located was settled in the 9th century; however, it did not receive a municipal charter until 1942. History Akranes was settled in the 9th century by the brothers Þormóður and Ketill, sons of Bresi, who came from Ireland. The town started to form in the mid-17th century as a fishing village. In 1942, it was formally chartered, and in the following years it had the biggest surge in population in its history. Industry has been a big and growing employer: a cement plant has been operated in the town since the 1950s, and an aluminium smelting plant has been in operation near the town since 1998. Economy The fishing industry remains the town's most important source of employment. Akranes also acts as a service center for the large rural region surrounding it. The town is expected to grow in the coming years because of an increase in industr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Snæfellsnes
The Snæfellsnes () is a peninsula situated to the west of Borgarfjörður, in western Iceland. The peninsula has a volcanic origin having the Snæfellsnes volcanic belt down its centre, and the Snæfellsjökull volcano A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most oft ..., regarded as one of the symbols of Iceland, at its western tip. With its height of , it is the highest mountain on the peninsula and has a glacier at its peak (''jökull'' means "glacier" in Icelandic language, Icelandic). The volcano can be seen on clear days from Reykjavík, a distance of about . The mountain is also known as the setting of the novel ''Journey to the Center of the Earth'' by the French author Jules Verne. The area surrounding Snæfellsjökull has been designated one of the four national parks b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Skagafjörður
Skagafjörður () is a deep fjord and its valley in northern Iceland. Location Skagafjörður, the fjord, is about 40 km long and 15 km wide, situated between Tröllaskagi to the east and the Skagi, Skagi Peninsula to the west. There are two municipalities in the area, Skagafjörður Municipality (approx. 4140 inhabitants) and Akrahreppur, Akrahreppur Municipality (approx. 210 inhabitants). This is one of Iceland's most prosperous agricultural regions, with widespread dairy and sheep farming in addition to the horse breeding for which the district is famed. Skagafjörður is the only county in Iceland where horses outnumber people. It is a centre for agriculture, and some fisheries are also based in the settlements of Sauðárkrókur and Hofsós. The people living in Skagafjörður have a reputation for choir singing, horsemanship, and gatherings. There are three islands in the bay: Málmey, Drangey and Lundey, Skagafjörður, Lundey (Puffin Island). The bay is l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Skagafjörður (municipality)
Skagafjörður () is a municipality that covers most of the land area of the region around the fjord with the same name (see Skagafjörður for details on the region) in northern Iceland. Overview The municipality was created in 1998 when 11 out of the 12 municipalities in Skagafjörður held votes on whether they should merge or not. The merge was approved in all the municipalities that held the vote. Akrahreppur was the only municipality in Skagafjörður that did not participate. In February 2022, residents of Akrahreppur and Skagafjörður voted to merge into a single municipality; the merger will be formalized in the spring of 2022. The merge joined the town of Sauðárkrókur, the villages of Hofsós and Varmahlíð and several rural districts. It also includes the historic cathedral site of Hólar which is the site of a growing university today. Localities * Ábær * Hofsós * Hólar * Keta * Miklibær * Reynistaður * Sauðárkrókur * Silfrastaðir * Varmah ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ísafjörður
Ísafjörður (pronounced , meaning ''ice fjord'', literally ''fjord of ices'') is a town in the northwest of Iceland. The oldest part of Ísafjörður with the town centre is located on a spit of sand, or ''eyri'', in Skutulsfjörður, a fjord which meets the waters of the larger fjord Ísafjarðardjúp. With a population of about 2,600, Ísafjörður is the largest settlement in the peninsula of Vestfirðir (Westfjords) and the administration centre of the Ísafjarðarbær municipality, which includes—besides Ísafjörður—the nearby villages of Hnífsdalur, Flateyri, Suðureyri, and Þingeyri. History According to the Landnámabók (the book of settlement), Skutulsfjörður was first settled by Helgi Magri Hrólfsson in the 9th century. In the 16th century, the town grew as it became a trading post for foreign merchants. Witch trials were common around the same time throughout the Westfjords, and many people were banished to the nearby peninsula of Hornstrandir, now a nat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
