Flatey in Skjálfandi
Encyclopedia
Flatey is an island in Skjálfandi
bay located about 8.7 kilometers from Húsavík
, in northern Iceland
. Its name in Icelandic
means "flat island"; its highest point is only about twenty two meters above mean sea level, hence its name. It is two and a half kilometers long and 1.7 kilometers wide. It is the fifth largest island around Iceland. Also, the Flateyjardalur valley is named after Flatey.
There are only a few buildings in the island. The most important of them are: a schoolhouse built in 1929, an ancient church shut down in 1884, a lighthouse built in 1913 and rebuilt in 1963 and a radiotelegraph made in 1931. The old church was replaced by a new one in 1960. The new church was actually the church of Brettingsstaðir in Flateyjardalur
valley, which was taken apart and moved out to Flatey.
and lumpfish, so it is from the sea that most inhabitants take their living. The soil is very fertile, so they also practice agriculture. The inhabitants are completely autonomous, and almost all they do is for their own consumption. Every house had a cow for milking and some sheep and hens.
One of the things that attract the most tourists is the great number of bird species living there. Thirty of the thirty-seven species of bird in Iceland are found there during the breeding season - puffin
s, tern
s, whimbrel
s, and plover
s are examples of birds found there.
Skjálfandi
Skjálfandi, geologically more a bay than a fjord, is located in the North of Iceland. The word Skjálfandi literally translates to "trembling" which might refer to earthquakes which do occur quite frequently...
bay located about 8.7 kilometers from Húsavík
Húsavík
Húsavík is a town in Norðurþing municipality on the north coast of Iceland on the shores of Skjálfandi bay with 2,237 inhabitants.-Overview:The income of the inhabitants is derived from tourism and fishing, as well as retail and small industry...
, in northern Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
. Its name in Icelandic
Icelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
means "flat island"; its highest point is only about twenty two meters above mean sea level, hence its name. It is two and a half kilometers long and 1.7 kilometers wide. It is the fifth largest island around Iceland. Also, the Flateyjardalur valley is named after Flatey.
History
People first settled in Flatey in early historic times, but it never had a great population. The highest number of inhabitants was reached in 1942, when there were 120 people. As other villages and cities nearby grew, it was very difficult for Flatey to compete with them, and people started to leave the island and, in 1967, there were no inhabitants left. Now it is only inhabited seasonally, during summer, and many tourists visit the island in this time.There are only a few buildings in the island. The most important of them are: a schoolhouse built in 1929, an ancient church shut down in 1884, a lighthouse built in 1913 and rebuilt in 1963 and a radiotelegraph made in 1931. The old church was replaced by a new one in 1960. The new church was actually the church of Brettingsstaðir in Flateyjardalur
Flateyjardalur
Flateyjardalur is a deserted valley in northern Iceland, on the Flateyjarskagi peninsula. The valley stretches north from the Fnjóskadalur valley all the way north to Skjálfandi bay. Flateyjardalur is named after the island of Flatey, which lies just off the shore. Finnboga saga ramma, one of the...
valley, which was taken apart and moved out to Flatey.
Enviroment
Skjálfandi bay is an excellent place for fishing (especially codCod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
and lumpfish, so it is from the sea that most inhabitants take their living. The soil is very fertile, so they also practice agriculture. The inhabitants are completely autonomous, and almost all they do is for their own consumption. Every house had a cow for milking and some sheep and hens.
One of the things that attract the most tourists is the great number of bird species living there. Thirty of the thirty-seven species of bird in Iceland are found there during the breeding season - puffin
Puffin
Puffins are any of three small species of auk in the bird genus Fratercula with a brightly coloured beak during the breeding season. These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crevices among...
s, tern
Tern
Terns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily of the gull family Laridae . They form a lineage with the gulls and skimmers which in turn is related to skuas and auks...
s, whimbrel
Whimbrel
The Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus, is a wader in the large family Scolopacidae. It is one of the mostwidespread of the curlews, breeding across much of subarctic North America, Europe and Asia as far south as Scotland....
s, and plover
Plover
Plovers are a widely distributed group of wading birds belonging to the subfamily Charadriinae. There are about 40 species in the subfamily, most of them called "plover" or "dotterel". The closely related lapwing subfamily, Vanellinae, comprises another 20-odd species.Plovers are found throughout...
s are examples of birds found there.