Eyrarbakki
Encyclopedia
Eyrarbakki is a fishing
-town on the south-coast of Iceland with a population of about 570 people, not including inhabitants of the prison located there. The town is founded on the Great Þjórsá lava
.
In 985 C.E., Bjarni Herjólfsson
, a young merchant, sailed from Eyrarbakki headed for Greenland
, but instead reached as far as North America. Upon his arrival in Greenland, Bjarni told Leif Eriksson of his discovery and sold him his boat, which Eriksson used for his own journey to North America.
The oldest building in the village, Húsið ("The House"), is a Norwegian
kit home dating from 1765 and is the oldest preserved timber dwelling house in Iceland. It now houses the regional folk museum.
The church in Eyrarbakki was built in 1890; its altarpiece was painted by Queen Louise of Denmark, wife of King Christian IX, great-great-grandfather of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
and King Harald V of Norway
.
The primary school, established in 1852, is the oldest in the country.
and an aluminum frying-pan plant. However, the main fish factory
closed in the 1990s, and the frying-pan factory has closed as well.
The nearby prison, Litla-Hraun
,
the largest in Iceland, is one of the town's main employers.
In addition, there are a few small farms, with the traditional
Icelandic horse
breed. Tourism is another mainstay of the small economy.
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
-town on the south-coast of Iceland with a population of about 570 people, not including inhabitants of the prison located there. The town is founded on the Great Þjórsá lava
Þjórsá lava
The Great Þjórsá Lava is the largest lava flow in Iceland both according to area and volume and the largest lava that is known to have erupted in a single eruption in the Holocene time. It belongs to a group of lavas known as the Tungná lavas. It was erupted in the Veiðivötn region, Central...
.
History
For centuries, the harbour at Eyrarbakki was the main port in the south of the country, and Eyrarbakki was the trading centre for the whole of the southern region extending from Selvogur in the west to Lómagnúpur in the east. By about 1925, however, Eyrarbakki lost its importance as a trading centre. The latter part of the 19th century saw a great increase in the number of oared fishing boats. In fact, although trade and fishing were the main occupations in Eyrarbakki, the natural harbour conditions were not good, and after the bridging of the river Ölfusá near Eyrarbakki, the harbour fell into disuse.In 985 C.E., Bjarni Herjólfsson
Bjarni Herjólfsson
Bjarni Herjólfsson was a Norwegian explorer who is the first known European discoverer of the mainland of the Americas, which he sighted in 985 or 986.-Life:...
, a young merchant, sailed from Eyrarbakki headed for Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, but instead reached as far as North America. Upon his arrival in Greenland, Bjarni told Leif Eriksson of his discovery and sold him his boat, which Eriksson used for his own journey to North America.
The oldest building in the village, Húsið ("The House"), is a Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
kit home dating from 1765 and is the oldest preserved timber dwelling house in Iceland. It now houses the regional folk museum.
The church in Eyrarbakki was built in 1890; its altarpiece was painted by Queen Louise of Denmark, wife of King Christian IX, great-great-grandfather of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
and King Harald V of Norway
Harald V of Norway
Harald V is the king of Norway. He succeeded to the throne of Norway upon the death of his father Olav V on 17 January 1991...
.
The primary school, established in 1852, is the oldest in the country.
Economy
The most recent enterprises in Eyrarbakki have been a fish-processing plant,and an aluminum frying-pan plant. However, the main fish factory
closed in the 1990s, and the frying-pan factory has closed as well.
The nearby prison, Litla-Hraun
Litla-Hraun
Litla-Hraun is the largest prison in Iceland, as well the most notorious one. Located just outside Eyrarbakki, it consists of nine buildings inside a high-security fence....
,
the largest in Iceland, is one of the town's main employers.
In addition, there are a few small farms, with the traditional
Icelandic horse
Icelandic horse
The Icelandic horse is a breed of horse developed in Iceland. Although the horses are small, at times pony-sized, most registries for the Icelandic refer to it as a horse. Icelandic horses are long-lived and hardy. In their native country they have few diseases; Icelandic law prevents horses from...
breed. Tourism is another mainstay of the small economy.