Reykjavík is the capital and largest city of
IcelandThe Republic of Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, whose surrounding area is home to approximately two thirds of the national population...
. Its
latitudeLatitude, usually denoted by the Greek letter phi gives the location of a place on Earth north or south of the equator. Lines of Latitude are the imaginary horizontal lines shown running east-to-west on maps that run either north or south of the equator...
at 64°08' N makes it
the world's most northernThis is a list of various northernmost things on earth.- Cities and settlements :-Geography:-Animals:-General:-Shrubs:-Trees:-Culture and music:-Sport :- Religion :-Science:-Gardens, zoos and aquaria:-General:...
capitalCapital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of
FaxaflóiFaxaflói is a bay in Southwest-Iceland between the peninsulas of Snæfellsnes and Reykjanes.The capital of the island, Reykjavík, is situated on its southern shore. From Reykjavik it is possible to see the peninsula of Akranes in the north-east and even the Snæfellsjökull at a distance of about 120...
Bay. With a population of around 120,000 (and over 200,000 in the
Greater Reykjavík AreaThe Greater Reykjavík area is the metropolitan area of the Icelandic capital Reykjavík, with a population of 202,000 inhabitants, about 64% of Iceland's population...
) it is the heart of Iceland's economic and
governmentA government is the body within a community, political entity or organization which has the authority to make and enforce rules, laws and regulations.....
al activity.
Reykjavík is believed to be the location of the first permanent settlement in Iceland, which
Ingólfur ArnarsonIngólfr Arnarson is recognized as the first permanent Nordic settler of Iceland. According to Landnáma he built his homestead in Reykjavík in 874...
is said to have established around
870-Europe:* Prague Castle is founded.* The Great Summer Army invades England and conquers East Anglia; the buildings destroyed by the Danish invaders include the abbey of Ely and the monastery of Peterborough....
. Until the
18th centuryThe 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini/Common Era numbering system.However, Western historians sometimes specifically define the 18th century otherwise for the purposes of their work...
, there was no urban development in the city location. The city was founded in 1786 as an official trading town and grew steadily over the next decades, as it transformed into a
regionRegion is most commonly a geographical term that is used in various ways among the different branches of geography. In general, a region is a medium-scale area of land or water, smaller than the whole areas of interest , and larger than a specific site...
al and later
nationalIn geography, a country is a geographical region. The term is often applied to a political division or the territory of a state, or to a smaller, or former, political division of a geographical region...
centre of
commerceCommerce is a division of trade or production which deals with the exchange of goods and services from producer to final consumer. It comprises the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information, or money between two or more entities...
,
populationIn biology, a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular species; in sociology, a collection of human beings. Individuals within a population share a factor may be reduced by statistical means, but such a generalization may be too vague to imply anything...
and
governmentA government is the body within a community, political entity or organization which has the authority to make and enforce rules, laws and regulations.....
al activities.
Today, Reykjavík is the centre of the
Greater Reykjavík AreaThe Greater Reykjavík area is the metropolitan area of the Icelandic capital Reykjavík, with a population of 202,000 inhabitants, about 64% of Iceland's population...
which, with a population of 202,000, is the only
metropolitan areaA metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence, or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central cities and their zone of influence...
in Iceland. As a highly modernized capital of one of the most developed countries in the world, its inhabitants enjoy a first-class welfare system and city
infrastructureCritical infrastructure is a term used by governments to describe assets that are essential for the functioning of a society and economy. Most commonly associated with the term are facilities for:*electricity generation, transmission and distribution;...
. Its location, only slightly south of the
Arctic CircleThe Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. In , it is the parallel of latitude that runs approximately 66° 33′ 39″ north of the Equator. The region north of this circle is known as the Arctic, and the zone just to the south is called the Northern...
, receives only four hours of
daylightDaylight or the light of day is the combination of all direct and indirect sunlight outdoors during the daytime . This includes direct sunlight, diffuse sky radiation, and both of these reflected from the Earth and terrestrial objects...
on the shortest day in the depth of winter; during the summer the nights are almost as bright as the days. It has continued to see population growth in past years as well as growth in areas of commerce and
industryAn industry is the manufacturing of a good or service within a category. Although industry is a broad term for any kind of economic production, in economics and urban planning industry is a synonym for the secondary sector, which is a type of economic activity involved in the manufacturing of raw...
.
Reykjavík was ranked first on
Grist Magazine'sGrist is a free American non-profit online magazine that publishes environmental news and opinion articles...
"15 Greenest Cities" list.
Geography
Reykjavík is located in southwest
IcelandThe Republic of Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, whose surrounding area is home to approximately two thirds of the national population...
. The Reykjavík area coastline is characterized by peninsulas, coves, straits, and islands.
During the
Ice AgeThe general term "ice age" or, more precisely, "glacial age" denotes a geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in an expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Within a long-term ice age, individual...
(up to 10,000 years ago) a large glacier covered parts of the city area, reaching as far out as
ÁlftanesÁlftanes is a low-lying peninsula which extrudes from the eastern part of Reykjanes, located in Iceland's Greater Reykjavík Area. Álftanes has a population of 2,455 as of July 1, 2008 census....
. Other parts of the city area were covered by sea water. In the warm periods and at the end of the Ice Age, some hills like Öskjuhlíð were islands. The former sea level is indicated by sediments (with clams) reaching (at Öskjuhlíð, for example) as far as 43 m above the current sea level. The hills of Öskjuhlíð and Skólavörðuholt appear to be the remains of former shield volcanoes which were active during the warm periods of the Ice Age.
After the Ice Age, the land rose as the heavy load of the glaciers fell away, and began to look as it does today.
But the capital city area continued to be shaped by
earthquakeAn earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes are recorded with a seismometer, also known as a seismograph...
s and
volcanic eruptions3. Conduit
4. Base
5. Sill
6. Dike
7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano
8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano
10. Throat
11. Parasitic cone
12. Lava flow
13. Vent
14. Crater
15...
, like the one 4500 years ago in the mountain range
Bláfjöll, when the lava coming down the Elliðaá valley reached the sea at the bay of Elliðavogur.
The largest river to run through Reykjavík is the
ElliðaáThe river Elliðaá is situated in the Reykjavík area in the south-west of Iceland. Two small rivers have their source in the volcanic mountain range of Bláfjöll and stream down to the lake Elliðavatn in the eastern suburban border of the city, its outlet forming the river...
River, which is non-navigable. It is one of the best
salmonSalmon is the common name for several species of fish of the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the family are called trout; the difference is often attributed to the migratory life of the salmon as compared to the residential behaviour of trout, a distinction that holds true for the Salmo...
fishing rivers in the country. Mt.
EsjaThe mountain Esja most often called Esjan is situated in the south-west of Iceland, about 10 km to the north of Iceland's capital city Reykjavík. Esja is not a single mountain, but a volcanic mountain range, made from basalt and tuff-stone.-Formation:Esja was built up at the end of the...
, at 914 m, is the highest mountain in the vicinity of Reykjavík.
The city of Reykjavík is mostly located on the Seltjarnarnes peninsula, but the suburbs reach far out to the south and east. Reykjavík is a spread-out city; most of its urban area is in the form of low-density suburbs, and houses are usually widely spaced. The outer residential neighbourhoods are also widely spaced from each other; in between them run the main traffic arteries and a lot of empty space.
Climate
Despite its extreme north Atlantic location, Reykjavík is much warmer than most locations at a similar latitude. The average mid-winter temperatures are not significantly lower than those in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States, and the center of the New York metropolitan area, which is among the most populous urban areas in the world. A leading global city, New York exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment...
, with average temperature in January of 0°C, but temperatures very rarely drop below -10°C (14°F) in the winter. This is because the Icelandic coastal weather in winter is moderated by the warm waters of the
Gulf StreamThe Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico, exits through the Strait of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland...
. The climate is subpolar oceanic, and the city is on the northern edge of the temperate zone. The city's coastal location does make it prone to wind, however, and gales are common in winter. Summers are cool, with temperature fluctuating between 10–15°C, sometimes exceeding 20°C (68°F). Reykjavík is not a particularly wet city, but it nevertheless averages 213 days with measurable precipitation every year. Droughts are not common although they occur in some summers. In the summer of 2007 not a single drop of rain was measured for a one month. Spring tends to be the sunniest season,
MayMay is the fifth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. It is also a month within the northern season of spring....
particularly. Annual sunshine hours in Reykjavik are around 1,300, which is comparable with other places in Northern and North-Eastern Europe. The highest ever recorded temperature in Reykjavik was 26.2°C (79°F), recorded on July 30, 2008, while the lowest ever recorded temperature was -24.5°C (-12°F), recorded on January 21, 1918. The temperature has not dropped to below -20 C° (-4 F°) since January 30, 1971.
Cityscape
History
The first permanent settlement in Iceland by
NordicThe Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories which include the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
people is believed to have been established in Reykjavík by the Norseman
Ingólfur ArnarsonIngólfr Arnarson is recognized as the first permanent Nordic settler of Iceland. According to Landnáma he built his homestead in Reykjavík in 874...
around AD 870; this is described in
LandnámabókLandnámabók is a medieval Icelandic manuscript describing in considerable detail the settlement of Iceland by the Norse in the 9th and 10th century A.D. It begins with Ingólfur Arnarson's original settlement in Reykjavík and his claims on land to the north, west, east and south...
, or the Book of Settlement. Ingólfur Arnarson is said to have decided the location of his settlement using a traditional Viking method; by dumping his high seat pillars,
ÖndvegissúlurÖndvegissúlur, or "high-seat pillars", were a pair of wooden poles placed on each side of the seat of a Viking chieftain. They often had cut-out images of Æsir and may have held a reference to the tree of life, called Yggdrasil....
, in the ocean when he saw the coastline and then settled where the pillars came to shore. Steam from hot springs in the region is supposed to have inspired Reykjavík's name, as Reykjavík loosely translates to "Bay of Smokes".
Reykjavík is not mentioned in any medieval sources except as a regular farm land but the 18th century saw the beginning of urban concentration there. The
Danish rulersDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
of Iceland backed the idea of domestic industry in Iceland that would help to stimulate much-needed progress on the island. In 1752, the
King of Denmark donated the estate of Reykjavík to the Innréttingar Corporation; the name comes from
DanishDanish is one of the North Germanic languages , a sub-group of the Germanic branch of the Indo-European languages. It is spoken by around 6 million people, mainly in Denmark; the language is also used by the 50,000 Danes in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein in Germany where it holds the...
"indretninger", meaning enterprise. The leader of this movement was Skúli Magnússon. In the 1750s several houses were constructed to house the
woolWool is a fibrous protein derived from the specialized skin cells called follicles. The wool is taken from animals in the Caprinae family, principally sheep, but the hair of certain species of other mammals including: goats, llamas, and rabbits may also be called wool...
industry that was to be Reykjavík's most important employer for a few decades and the original reason for its existence. Other crafts were also practised by the Innréttingar, such as
fisheriesFishing is the activity of catching fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
,
sulphur miningSulfur or sulphur is the chemical element that has the atomic number 16. It is denoted with the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Sulfur, in its native form, is a yellow crystalline solid. In nature, it can be found as the pure element and as sulfide and sulfate minerals...
,
agricultureAgriculture is the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and...
, and
shipA ship is a large vessel that floats on water. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and passenger capacity. Ships may be found on lakes, seas, and rivers and they allow for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing, entertainment, public...
building.
The Danish Crown abolished
monopolyIn economics, a monopoly exists when a specific individual or an enterprise has sufficient control over a particular product or service to determine significantly the terms on which other individuals shall have access to it...
trading in 1786 and granted six communities around the country an exclusive trading charter, Reykjavík was one of them and the only one to hold on to the charter permanently. 1786 is regarded as the date of the city's founding; its 200th anniversary was celebrated in 1986. Trading rights were still limited to the subjects of the Danish Crown however, and Danish traders continued to dominate trade in Iceland. Over the following decades, their business in Iceland expanded. After 1880,
free tradeFree trade is a type of trade policy that allows traders to act and transact without interference from government. According to the law of comparative advantage the policy permits trading partners mutual gains from trade of goods and services....
was expanded to all
nationalitiesNationality is the relationship between a person and their state of origin, culture, association, affiliation and/or loyalty. Nationality affords the state jurisdiction over the person and affords the person the protection of the state....
and the influence of Icelandic merchants started to grow.
Rise of Nationalism
NationalistNationalism is an ideology, a sentiment, a form of culture, or a social movement that focuses on the nation. It is a type of collectivism emphasizing the collective of a specific nation...
sentiment gained influence in the 19th century and ideas of Icelandic independence became widespread. Reykjavík, as Iceland's only city, was the melting pot of such ideas. Advocates of an independent Iceland realized that a strong Reykjavík was fundamental to that objective. All the important years in the history of the independence struggle are important for Reykjavík as well. In 1845, Alþingi, or the general assembly that Icelanders formed in 930, was re-established in Reykjavík; it had been suspended a few decades earlier when it was located at
Thingvellir, is a place in Bláskógarbyggð in southwestern Iceland, near the peninsula of Reykjanes and the Hengill volcanic area. Þingvellir is a site of historical, cultural, and geological importance and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland...
. At the time it only functioned as an advisory assembly with the function of advising the King about Icelandic affairs. The location of Alþingi in Reykjavík effectively established the city as the capital of Iceland. In 1874 Iceland was given a
constitutionA constitution is a set of rules for government—often codified as a written document—that establishes principles of an autonomous political entity. In the case of countries, this term refers specifically to a national constitution defining the fundamental political principles, and establishing the...
and with it, Alþingi gained some limited legislative powers and in essence became the institution that it is today. The next step was to move most of the
executive}}In the study of political science the executive branch of government has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the democratic idea of the separation of powers .In many...
power to Iceland and that was done by Home Rule in 1904 when the office of minister for Iceland was established in Reykjavík. The biggest step towards an independent Iceland was taken December 1,1918 when Iceland became a sovereign country under the
Crown of Denmark, the
Kingdom of IcelandThe Kingdom of Iceland was a constitutional monarchy lasting from 1 December 1918 until 17 June 1944, when it became an independent republic.- Origins in Danish rule :...
.
In the 1920s and 1930s most of the growing Icelandic fishing trawler fleet sailed from Reykjavík and salt-cod production was the main industry but the
Great DepressionThe Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
hit Reykjavík hard with unemployment and labour union struggles that sometimes became violent.
World War 2
In the morning of May 10, 1940, following the German occupation of Denmark on April 9, four warships approached Reykjavík and anchored in the harbour. Many citizens were relieved to find that they were
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
rather than
GermanNazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany between 1933 and 1945, while it was led by Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Worker's Party . The name Third Reich refers to the state as the successor to the Holy Roman Empire of the Middle Ages and the German...
. In a few hours, the
alliedThe Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . The involvement of the Allies in World War II was either natural and inevitable they were invaded or under the direct threat of invasion by the Axis or compelled by concerns that the Axis powers...
occupation of ReykjavíkThe invasion of Iceland, codenamed Operation Fork, was a British military operation conducted by the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines during World War II....
was complete. There was no armed resistance and taxi and truck drivers even assisted the invasion force which had no motor vehicles initially. The Icelandic government had received many requests from the British government to consent to the occupation, but they always declined on the basis of the
Neutrality PolicyA neutral power in a particular war is a sovereign state which declares itself to be neutral towards the belligerents. A non-belligerent state does not need to be neutral. The rights and duties of a neutral power are defined in Sections 5 and 13 of the Hague Convention of 1907...
. For the remaining years of
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, British and later
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soldiers built bases in Reykjavík; the number of foreign soldiers in Reykjavík became about the same as the local population of the city.
The economic effects of the occupation were quite positive for Reykjavík: the unemployment of the depression years vanished and a lot of construction work was done. The British built Reykjavík Airport, which is still in service today, mostly serving domestic flights; the Americans built
KeflavíkKeflavík is a town in the Reykjanes region in southwest Iceland.In 1995 it merged with Njarðvík and Hafnir to form a municipality called Reykjanesbær with a population of 14,000 .- History :...
Airport that later became Iceland's primary international airport, situated 50 km from Reykjavík. In 1944 the Republic of Iceland was founded and a president elected in popular elections replaced the King; the office of the president was placed in Reykjavík.
Post-war development
In the post-war years, the growth of Reykjavík accelerated. A mass exodus from the rural countryside began, largely due to improved technology in
agricultureAgriculture is the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and...
that reduced the need for manpower, and because of the population boom resulting from better living conditions in the country. Young people in the prime of their lives were the largest group to move to the capital to live the "Reykjavík Dream", and the city became a city of children. A once primitive village was rapidly transformed into a modern city. Private cars became common and modern apartment complexes rose in the expanding suburbs. Much of Reykjavík lost its village feel. In 1972, Reykjavík hosted the world chess championship between
Bobby FischerRobert James "Bobby" Fischer was an American chess Grandmaster, and the eleventh World Chess Champion. He is widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. Later in life he renounced his US citizenship and became an Icelandic citizen.Fischer's achievements are legendary...
and
Boris SpasskyBoris Vasilievich Spassky is a Russian-French chess grandmaster. He was the tenth World Chess Champion, holding the title from 1969 to 1972....
.
Reykjavík has in the last two decades become a significant player in the global community. The 1986
Reykjavík SummitThe Reykjavik Summit was a summit meeting between U.S. president Ronald Reagan and Secretary-General of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, held in the famous house of Höfði in Reykjavík, the capital city of Iceland, on 11 October-12, 1986...
between
Ronald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States and the 33rd Governor of California .Born in Tampico, Illinois, Reagan moved to Los Angeles, California in the 1930s...
and
Mikhail GorbachevMikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev was the second-to-last General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, serving from 1985 until 1991, and the last head of state of the USSR, serving from 1988 until its collapse in 1991...
underlined Reykjavík's new-found international status.
DeregulationDeregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or...
in the financial sector and the computer revolution of the 1990s have transformed Reykjavík yet again. The financial sector and
information technologyInformation technology , as defined by the Information Technology Association of America , is "the study, design, development, implementation, support or management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware." IT deals with the use of electronic...
are now significant employers in the city. The city has fostered some world famous talents in recent years, such as
BjörkBjörk Guðmundsdóttir is a critically acclaimed Icelandic avant-garde singer-songwriter, composer, actress and music producer, whose work includes seven solo albums and two film soundtracks....
and bands
Múmmúm are an experimental Icelandic musical group whose music is characterized by soft vocals, electronic glitch beats and effects, and a variety of traditional and unconventional instruments....
and
Sigur RósSigur Rós is an Icelandic post-rock band with melodic, classical, and minimalist elements. The band is known for its ethereal sound and lead singer Jónsi Birgisson's falsetto voice.-Von and Von brigði :...
.
City Administration
The
City CouncilA city council is the legislative body that governs a city, municipality or local government area.-Australia:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council may vary slightly...
governs the city of Reykjavík according to law number 45/1998 and is directly elected by those aged over 18 domiciled in the city. The council has 15 members who are elected for 4 year terms.
The council selects members of boards, and each board controls a different field under the city council's authority. The most important board is the City Board that wields the executive rights along with the City Mayor. The City Mayor is the senior public official and also the director of city operations. Other public officials control city institutions under the mayor's authority.Thus the administration consists of two different parts:
- The political power of City Council cascading down to other boards
- Public officials under the authority of the city mayor who administer and manage implementation of policy
Political control
The
Independence PartyThe Independence Party is a centre-right political party in Iceland. It was formed in 1929 through a merger of the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party. The party supports Icelandic membership of NATO but is opposed to the idea of joining the European Union. The party's position on EU...
had overall control of the city council from the party's establishment in 1929 until 1978, when they narrowly lost their overall majority. From 1978 to 1982 the
People's AllianceThe People's Alliance was an electoral alliance in Iceland from 1956 to 1968 and a political party from 1968 to 1998.In 1916 the Social Democratic Party was formed in Iceland. In 1930 a split surged, thus forming the Communist Party of Iceland , recognised as the Icelandic section of the...
, the
Social Democratic PartyAlþýðuflokkurinn was an Icelandic Political Party based on social democratic ideas. It was founded in 1916 as the political field of the labour unions of Iceland....
and the
Progressive PartyThe party had been in a government coalition partner to the conservative Independence Party in the period 1995-2007. From 1995 to 2004, it participated in the coalition as the junior partner under the premiership of Independence Party leader Davíð Oddsson, but the two parties agreed after the 2003...
formed the majority of the council.
The Independence Party regained overall control in the 1982 elections, and held it until 1994. At that election its opponents had formed an alliance, called Reykjavíkurlistinn, or the R-list. That alliance had overall control until 2006. In the May 2006 elections the electorate could choose between five different parties, three of which had formed the R-list. The Independence Party obtained 7 members of the council, and thus failed to gain overall control, but together with the Progressive Party, and its one council member, they were able to form a new majority in the council which took over in June 2006. In October 2007 a new majority was formed on the council, consisting of members of the Progressive Party (1), the Social Democratic Alliance (4), the Left-Greens (2) and the F-list (1) (liberals and independents), after controversy regarding REI, a subsidiary of OR, the city's energy company. However three months later the leader of the F-list formed a new majority together with the Independence Party.
Ólafur F. MagnússonÓlafur F. Magnússon was the mayor of Reykjavík, Iceland from January 24, 2008 to August 21, 2008. He was originally expected to step down in March 2009, when a representative from the Independence Party was to assume the office of the mayor, as agreed upon in the coalition agreement between Ólafur...
, the leader of the F-list, was elected mayor on 24 January 2008, and in March 2009 the Independence Party was due to appoint a new mayor. This changed once again on 14 August 2008 when the fourth majority of the season was formed, when the Independence Party and the Progressive party took over again, with
Hanna Birna KristjánsdóttirHanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir is the current mayor of Reykjavik, Iceland. She is a representative for the independece party , a right wing party....
becoming mayor.
The Mayor
The mayor is appointed by the city council; usually one of the council members is chosen but they may also appoint a mayor who is not a member of the council.
The office of mayor was introduced from 1907, and in 1908 applications for that position were requested. Two applications were received, from Páll Einarsson, sheriff and town mayor of
HafnarfjörðurHafnarfjörður or Hafnarfjordur is a port town located on the south-west coast of Iceland, about 10 km south of Reykjavík. It is the third most populous city in Iceland, after Reykjavík and Kópavogur, with a population of 26,003...
and from Knud Zimsem, town councillor in Reykjavík. Páll was appointed on 7 May and was mayor for six years. At that time the city mayor received a salary of 4500IKR per year and 1500IKR for office expenses.
Timeline of mayors
| Mayor | From | To |
|---|
| Páll Einarsson |
1908 |
1914 |
| Knud Zimsen |
1914 |
1932 |
Jón ÞorlákssonJón Þorláksson was Prime Minister of Iceland from 8 July, 1926 to 28 August, 1927. He was the only leader of the Conservative Party which merged with the Liberal Party to form the Independence Party in 1929, and the Mayor of Reykjavík from 1933 to his death.-Career:Jón Þorláksson was a farmer’s...
|
1932 |
1935 |
| Pétur Halldórsson |
1935 |
1940 |
Bjarni BenediktssonBjarni Benediktsson was Prime Minister of Iceland from 14 November 1963 to 10 July 1970. His father, Benedikt Sveinsson , was a leader in the independence movement in Iceland and a member of Althingi from 1908 to 1931....
|
8 October 1940 |
4 February 1947 |
| Gunnar Thoroddsen Gunnar Thoroddsen was Prime Minister of Iceland from 8 February 1980 to 26 May 1983. Thoroddsen is the youngest man ever elected to the Althing, Iceland's Parliament. He was 23 years old when he was elected as MP in 1934. He served as an Ambassador of Iceland in Denmark from 1965 to 1969 when he...
|
4 February 1947 |
6 October 1960 |
Auður Auðuns and
Geir HallgrímssonGeir Hallgrímsson was the 16th Prime Minister of Iceland for the Independence Party from 28 August 1974 to 1 September 1978. Geir was mayor of Reykjavík from 1959 to 1972. During his term as mayor he greatly expanded the city and improved the inner structure...
|
19 November 1959 |
6 October 1960 |
| Geir Hallgrímsson Geir Hallgrímsson was the 16th Prime Minister of Iceland for the Independence Party from 28 August 1974 to 1 September 1978. Geir was mayor of Reykjavík from 1959 to 1972. During his term as mayor he greatly expanded the city and improved the inner structure...
|
6 October 1960 |
1 December 1972 |
| Birgir Ísleifur Gunnarsson |
1 December 1972 |
15 August 1978 |
| Egill Skúli Ingibergsson |
15 August 1978 |
27 May 1982 |
| Davíð Oddsson Davíð Oddsson is an Icelandic politician and the longest-serving Prime Minister of Iceland, holding office from 1991 to 2004. He also served as Foreign Minister from 2004 to 2005. Previously, he was Mayor of Reykjavík from 1982 to 1991, and he chaired the board of governors of the Central Bank of...
|
27 May 1982 |
16 July 1991 |
| Markús Örn Antonsson Markús Örn Antonsson was the Mayor of Reykjavík from 1991 to 1994.-Education and journalism career:Markús Örn graduated from Reykjavík Junior College in 1965 and was an exchange student in the United States...
|
16 July 1991 |
17 March 1994 |
| Árni Sigfússon Árni Sigfússon is the former mayor of Reykjavík, Iceland's capital and is the current mayor of the town of Reykjanesbær, Iceland.He stepped in as a mayor in Reykjavík for a few months for his party in 1994. He was on the board of Heimdallur from 1976 to 1979 and was its chairman from 1981 to 1983...
|
17 March 1994 |
13 June 1994 |
| Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir was an Icelandic politician from the Social Democratic Alliance, formerly Minister for Foreign Affairs 2007-2009 and leader of the Alliance 2005-2009.-Education:...
|
13 June 1994 |
1 February 2003 |
| Þórólfur Árnason Þórólfur Árnason took over as the mayor of Reykjavík on February 1, 2003 after the Left Greens and the Progressive Party had demanded that Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir, which was mayor next before Þórólfur, would either resign, or decide not to pursue a career in national politics.His appointment...
|
1 February 2003 |
30 November 2004 |
| Steinunn Valdís Óskarsdóttir Steinunn Valdís Óskarsdóttir is an Icelandic politician, and a former mayor of Reykjavík. She was the mayor from November 30, 2004 to June 13, 2006; took over after Þórólfur Árnason's resignation. Steinunn is a member of The Social Democratic Alliance....
|
30 November |
13 June 2006 |
Vilhjálmur Þ. VilhjálmssonVilhjálmur Þ. Vilhjálmsson was mayor of Reykjavík 2006-2007 and is currently the chairman of the executive committee of the City Council of Reykjavik. He has been a member of Reykjavik's City Council since 1982. He was born on April 26, 1946....
|
13 June 2006 |
16 October 2007 |
Dagur B. EggertssonDagur Bergþóruson Eggertsson M.D. is an Icelandic politician who became the mayor of Reykjavík in 2007. He is the current vice-chairman of the Social Democratic Party. He was first elected to the city council of Reykjavík in a 2002 election and became the mayor on October 16, 2007...
|
16 October 2007 |
24 January 2008 |
| Ólafur F. Magnússon Ólafur F. Magnússon was the mayor of Reykjavík, Iceland from January 24, 2008 to August 21, 2008. He was originally expected to step down in March 2009, when a representative from the Independence Party was to assume the office of the mayor, as agreed upon in the coalition agreement between Ólafur...
|
24 January 2008 |
21 August 2008 |
Hanna Birna KristjánsdóttirHanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir is the current mayor of Reykjavik, Iceland. She is a representative for the independece party , a right wing party....
|
21 August 2008 |
Incumbent |
Demographics
The population of Reykjavík in July 2008 was 119,900, the combined population of the
Greater Reykjavík AreaThe Greater Reykjavík area is the metropolitan area of the Icelandic capital Reykjavík, with a population of 202,000 inhabitants, about 64% of Iceland's population...
being about 200,969. Six of the
municipalities of Iceland||The municipalities of Iceland are local administrative areas that provide a number of services to their inhabitants such as kindergartens, elementary schools, waste management, social services, public housing, public transportation, services to senior citizens and handicapped people...
are in the capital city area, those are as listed below:
- Álftanes
Álftanes is a low-lying peninsula which extrudes from the eastern part of Reykjanes, located in Iceland's Greater Reykjavík Area. Álftanes has a population of 2,455 as of July 1, 2008 census....
: 2,455
- Garðabær
Garðabær is a municipality in the Greater Reykjavík area of Iceland. As of 2008, its population was 10,272.The municipality is the location of a 5067 m² TV studio, where the LazyTown children series is recorded. It contains one of the most advanced HDTV facilities in Europe, with LazyTown being...
: 10,272
- Hafnarfjörður
Hafnarfjörður or Hafnarfjordur is a port town located on the south-west coast of Iceland, about 10 km south of Reykjavík. It is the third most populous city in Iceland, after Reykjavík and Kópavogur, with a population of 26,003...
: 25,434
- Kópavogur
Kópavogur is Iceland's second largest municipality, with a population of 30,180. It lies immediately south of Reykjavík and is part of the Greater Reykjavík Area. The name literally means seal pup bay. The town seal contains the profile of the church Kópavogskirkja with a seal pup underneath...
: 29,795
- Mosfellsbær
Mosfellsbær is a town in western Iceland, situated some 10.6 miles north of the country's capital, Reykjavík. It has a total area of 76.1 square miles and its population as of July 1, 2008 was 8,479....
: 8,479
- Seltjarnarnes
Seltjarnarnes is an Icelandic township located within the Greater Reykjavík area. It took on its current political form shortly after the Second World War and was formally created as a township in 1947. It is the smallest Icelandic township by land . There are two schools in Seltjarnarnes,...
: 4,445
Historical population of Reykjavík.
| Year | City | Metro |
|---|
| 1801 |
600 |
- |
| 1860 |
1,450 |
- |
| 1901 |
6,321 |
8,221 |
| 1910 |
11,449 |
14,534 |
| 1920 |
17,450 |
21,347 |
| 1930 |
28,052 |
33,867 |
| 1940 |
38,308 |
43,483 |
| 1950 |
55,980 |
64,813 |
| 1960 |
72,407 |
88,315 |
| 1970 |
81,693 |
106,152 |
| 1980 |
83,766 |
121,698 |
| 1985 |
89,868 |
-- |
| 1990 |
97,569 |
145,980 |
| 1995 |
104,258 |
-- |
| 2000 |
110,852 |
175,000 |
| 2005 |
114,800 |
187,105 |
| 2006 |
115,420 |
191,612 |
| 2007 |
117,721 |
196,161 |
| 2008 |
119,848 |
201,585 |
Economy
BorgartúnBorgartún is a street in Reykjavík, Iceland that has in the recent years become the city's financial district. Although relatively small, Iceland has become a major European financial centre hosting at least 4 large investment banks and numerous smaller banks.3 of these four largest Icelandic...
is the financial centre of Reykjavík, hosting a large number of companies and three investment banks.
Major companies
- Íslandsbanki
Íslandsbanki is an Icelandic bank created on 20th February 2009 out of Nýi Glitnir. The change in name reflects the bank's former moniker, used from its foundation in 1904...
- Bank
- Síminn - Telecoms
- Baugur Group
Baugur Group was an Icelandic investment company. The group applied for bankruptcy protection in February 2009, after placing its UK arm in administration.- History :...
- Investments
- Eimskip
Eimskip is an Icelandic sea transportation company founded in 1914.Eimskip was acquired by The Avion Group from Björgólfur Thor Björgólfsson in 2005. Eimskip is Iceland's largest shipping company....
- Transport
- Nýherji
Nyherji is an Icelandic company that provides information technology services.-Profile:Nyherji has holdings in numerous subsidiaries: Applicon in Sweden, Denmark, UK and Iceland, ParX Business Consulting ehf., Dansupport in Denmark, Klak ehf., SimDex ehf. and Linkur ehf...
- Information Technology
- FRISK Software International
FRISK Software International , is an Icelandic software company that develops F-Prot antivirus and F-Prot AVES antivirus and antispam service. Its name is derived from the initial letters of the personal name and patronymic of Friðrik Skúlason, its founder...
- Antivirus
- HB Grandi
HB Grandi is an Icelandic fishing industry company, one of the largest in the country, based in Reykjavík. The company formed from the merger of Grandi from Reykjavík and Haraldur Böðvarsson from Akranes. on January 1, 2004. Later that year, the company merged with Tangi from Vopnafjörður and...
- Fisheries
- Stodir - Investments
- Glitnir
Glitnir was an Icelandic bank. It was created by the state-directed merger of the country's three privately held banks - Alþýðubanki , Verzlunarbanki and Iðnaðarbanki - and one failing publicly held bank - Útvegsbanki - to form Íslandsbanki in 1990...
- Bank
- Marel - High tech food processing products
- deCODE Genetics
deCODE genetics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company based in Reykjavík, Iceland. The company was founded in 1996 to identify human genes associated with common diseases using population studies, and apply the knowledge gained to guide the development of candidate drugs...
- Kaupthing Bank
Kaupthing Bank is an Icelandic bank, headquartered in Reykjavík, Iceland. It was formed by the merger of Kaupthing and Búnaðarbanki Íslands in 2003 and is the largest bank in Iceland....
- Landsbanki
Landsbanki, officially ' , also commonly known as Landsbankinn in Iceland, is an Icelandic bank. On October 7, 2008 the Icelandic Financial Supervisory Authority took control of Landsbanki....
- Bank
- Vodafone Iceland
Vodafone Iceland is an Icelandic telecommunications company and is part of the Icelandic IT company Teymi. Although the company carries the Vodafone brand and trademark, Vodafone Group owns no interest in the company, but rather franchises the brand and associated advertising styles to Teymi, the...
- Telecoms
- Orkuveita Reykjavíkur
Orkuveita Reykjavíkur is an Icelandic utility company that provides electricity, geothermal water for heating, and cold water for consumption and fire fighting. It also operates a data-utility network and waste-treatment facilities. The company's service area extends to 20 communities in the...
- Reykjavík Energy
- SPRON
Icebank is a commercial bank, focusing on wholesale and investment banking services to savings banks, Icelandic and foreign financial institutions and other large customers...
- Bank
- Össur hf
- Icelandair Group
Icelandair Group is an Icelandic travel industry corporation, the owner of the airline Icelandair and numerous other travel industry companies...
(IcelandairIcelandair is the flag carrier airline of Iceland, based in Reykjavík. It is part of the Icelandair Group and operates services to 25 cities in 12 countries on both sides of the Atlantic. Its main base is Keflavík International Airport..- History :...
and Air IcelandAir Iceland is a regional airline based in Reykjavík, Iceland. It operates scheduled services to domestic destinations and to Greenland and the Faroe Islands. Its main bases are Reykjavík Airport and Akureyri Airport...
) - Airline
- Iceland Express
Iceland Express is a low-fare airline headquartered in Reykjavík, Iceland. It operates services to 17 destinations in Europe using leased aircraft...
- Airline
- Crowd Control Productions
CCP hf is a video game developer based in Reykjavík, Iceland. CCP Games also has subsidiary offices in Slough , Newcastle, United Kingdom; Atlanta, USA; and Shanghai, China.- History :...
(CCP) - Makers of the EVE OnlineEve Online is a video game by CCP Games. It is a player-driven persistent-world massively multiplayer online role-playing game set in a science fiction space setting. Players pilot customizable ships through a universe comprising over 7,500 star systems...
computer game
- Birtíngur - Major magazine publishing company
- Iceland Refund - Tax Free Shopping
Roads
Per capita
carAn automobile, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
ownership in Iceland is among the highest in the world at roughly 522 vehicles per 1,000 residents, though Reykjavík is not severely affected by
congestionCongestion may refer to:try checking out congestion charges.* Network congestion, an occurrence in data networking* Traffic congestion, an occurrence on roadways* Nasal congestion, the blockage of nasal passages due to swollen membranes...
. Wide multi-lane highways run all over the city connecting the different neighbourhoods and suburbs. Parking spaces are also plentiful in most areas. Public transportation consists only of a bus system (called
Strætó bsStrætó bs is a public transport company which operates city buses in the Icelandic capital, Reykjavík and surrounding satellite towns and suburbs. The buses are bright yellow and are commonly called 'Strætó' by the locals. It is a shortened nickname for "strætisvagn", "street carriage"...
) and is not very popular in this car-friendly city.
Route 1Route 1 or the Ring Road is a main road in Iceland that runs around the island and connects all habitable parts of the country . The total length of the road is ....
(the Ring Road) runs by the city outskirts and connects it to the rest of Iceland.
Airports and seaports
Reykjavík AirportReykjavík Airport Reykjavík Airport Reykjavík Airport (Icelandic: Reykjavíkurflugvöllur, is the chiefly domestic airport serving Reykjavík, Iceland. The airport lies within a five-minute walk of Reykjavík's city centre...
, the second largest
airportAn airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
in the country (after
Keflavík International AirportKeflavík International Airport , also known as Reykjavík-Keflavík Airport, is the largest airport in Iceland and the country’s main hub for international transportation. It is situated west of Keflavík, about from Reykjavík. The airport has two runways and the airport area is about...
), is positioned inside the city, just south of the city centre. It is mainly used for domestic flights as well as flights to
GreenlandGreenland is an autonomous constituent country within the Kingdom of Denmark located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago...
and the
Faroe IslandsThe Faroe Islands, sometimes Faeroe Islands, Faroe, or Faeroes are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland...
. It was built there by the
BritishThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
occupation force during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when it was on the outskirts of the then much smaller Reykjavík. In recent years there has been some controversy regarding the location of the airport, since it takes up a lot of valuable space in central Reykjavík.
Reykjavík has two seaports, the old harbour near the city centre which is mainly used by fishermen and
Cruise shipA cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience. Cruising has become a major part of the tourism industry, with millions of passengers each year...
s and
Sundahöfn in the east city which is the largest
cargoCargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.- Marine Cargo Types :...
port in the country.
Railways
There are no public railways in Iceland, due to its terrain, but the locomotives used to build the docks are on display.
Districts/Suburbs
Heating
Abundant water and volcanic activity in
IcelandThe Republic of Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, whose surrounding area is home to approximately two thirds of the national population...
have provided Reykjavík with a unique opportunity. Most houses in Reykjavík use the
geothermal heatingGeothermal heating is the direct use of geothermal power for heating applications. Humans have taken advantage of geothermal heat this way since the paleolithic era. Approximately seventy countries made direct use of a total of 270 PJ of geothermal heating in 2004...
system. It is the largest system of this kind in the world.
Cultural heritage
The "Culture House" was opened in 1909 and has a number of important exhibits. Originally the National Museum and Natural History Museum, in 2000 it was re-modelled to promote the Icelandic national heritage. Many of Iceland's national treasures are on display, such as the Poetic Edda, and the Sagas, in their original manuscripts. There are also changing exhibitions on various topics.
Nightlife
Reykjavík is often dubbed "the nightlife capital of the north". It is famous for its nightlife during the weekends. Icelanders tend to go out late so
barA bar is an establishment that serves drinks, especially alcoholic beverages such as beer, liquor, and cocktails, for consumption on the premises....
s that look rather quiet can fill up suddenly—usually after midnight on a weekend.
One of the main causes for this is that
alcoholAn alcoholic beverage is a drink that contains ethanol . Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits....
is relatively expensive at bars. People tend to drink at home before going out.
BeerBeer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cereal grains—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize , and rice are widely...
was
bannedProhibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is a sumptuary law which prohibits alcohol. Typically, the manufacture, transportation, import, export, and sale of alcoholic beverages is restricted or illegal. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries...
in Iceland until 1 March 1989, but has since become popular among many Icelanders as their alcoholic drink of choice. Beer, however, is expensive: a
pintThe pint is an English unit of volume or capacity in the imperial system and United States customary units. The imperial version is 20 imperial fluid ounces and is equivalent to 568.26 mL, while the U.S. version is 16 U.S. fluid ounces and is equivalent to 473 mL...
(actually a half
litreThe litre or liter is a unit of volume. There are two official symbols: the Latin letter L in lower and upper case . The lower case L is also often written as a cursive ℓ, though this symbol has no official approval by any international bureau...
) of beer in an Icelandic bar can cost between 600 and 850
krónurThe króna is the currency of Iceland. The króna is technically subdivided into 100 aurar , but in practice this subdivision is no longer used....
(approx. US$5–7, €3–5, or £3–4 ). Consequently, revelers will often leave home late and are already inebriated when they arrive at the bars in the city centre.
There are over 100 different bars and clubs in Reykjavík; most of them are located on
LaugavegurLaugavegur is one of the oldest shopping streets of central Reykjavík, Iceland. The name means Pool Road, as it used to lead to the hot springs in Laugardalur where in olden times the women of Reykjavík took their laundry....
and its side streets. It is very common for an establishment that is a
caféA café , also spelled cafe, is an informal restaurant offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches. This differs from a coffee house, which is a limited-menu establishment which focuses on coffee sales. Depending on the jurisdiction, a café may be licensed to serve alcohol. The term...
before dinner to turn into a bar in the evening. Closing time is usually around 6 am at weekends and 1 am during the week.
New Year's Eve
The arrival of the new year is a particular cause for celebration to the people of Reykjavík. Icelandic law states that anyone may purchase and use fireworks during a certain period around New Year's Eve. Most places that sell fireworks in Iceland make their own rules about age of buyers; usually it is around 16. The people of Reykjavík spend enormous sums of money on fireworks, most of which are fired as midnight approaches on December 31. As a result, every New Year's Eve the city is lit up with
fireworksA firework is a low explosive pyrotechnic device used primarily for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
displays.
Main sights
- Alþingishúsið
Alþingishúsið is a classical 19th century structure which stands by Austurvöllur in central Reykjavík, Iceland. It houses Alþingi, the Icelandic parliament...
— the Icelandic parliament
- The Culture House, National Centre for Cultural Heritage, Hversfigata 15, 101 Reykjavik. tel 545 1400 The Culture House
- Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur
Bæjarins beztu pylsur often shortened to simply "Bæjarins beztu", is a popular hot dog stand in central Reykjavík, Iceland. In August 2006, the British newspaper The Guardian selected Bæjarins beztu as the best hot dog stand in Europe.The majority of Icelanders have eaten at Bæjarins beztu...
— a small hotdog stand in central Reykjavík
- Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon geothermal spa is one of the most visited attractions in Iceland. The steamy waters are part of a lava formation....
— geothermal spa located near Reykjavík
- CIA.IS - Center for Icelandic Art — general information on Icelandic visual art
- Hallgrímskirkja
The Hallgrímskirkja is a Lutheran parish church in Reykjavík, Iceland. At 74.5 metres , it is the largest church in Iceland and the sixth tallest architectural structure in Iceland after Longwave radio mast Hellissandur, the radio masts of US Navy at Grindavik, Eiðar longwave transmitter and...
— the largest church in Iceland
- Heiðmörk — the largest forest and nature reserve in the area
- Höfði
right|thumb| Reagan Gorbachev plaqueHöfði is a house in Reykjavík, the capital city of Iceland, built in 1909. Höfði is located at Félagstúni. Initially, it was built for the French consul Jean Paul Brillouin in Iceland. Best known as the location for the 1986 Iceland Summit meeting of presidents ...
— the house in which Gorbachev and Reagan met in 1986 for the Iceland Summit
- Kringlan
Kringlan is the largest shopping mall in Reykjavík with over 170 shops, restaurants and services. Built in 1987, it contains everything from a library, theatre and cinema to a liquor store, candy stores and a pub. It has grown over the years, and is thought by many to be the biggest threat for the...
— the second largest mall in Iceland
- Laugardalslaug — Swimming pool
- Laugavegur
Laugavegur is one of the oldest shopping streets of central Reykjavík, Iceland. The name means Pool Road, as it used to lead to the hot springs in Laugardalur where in olden times the women of Reykjavík took their laundry....
— main shopping street
- Nauthólsvík
Nauthólsvík is the only beach in Iceland in which one can bathe. Its situated on the south coast of the capital, Reykjavík. This is a clean beach close to the city centre. The reason why people can bathe here, something not possible in the surrounding cold waters, is because here the ocean has been...
— a geothermally heated beach
- Perlan
Perlan is a landmark building in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. It is 25.7 metres high. It was originally designed by Ingimundur Sveinsson. Perlan is situated on the hill Öskjuhlíð where there had been hot water storage tanks for decades. In 1991 the tanks were updated and a hemispherical...
— a glass dome resting on five water tanks
- Rauðhólar
Rauðhólar - remnants of a cluster of pseudocraters in Elliðaárhraun lava fields on the south-eastern outskirts of Reykjavík, Iceland. Rauðhólar pseudocraters are part of Reykjavík´s nature reserve of Heiðmörk....
— a cluster of red volcanic craters
- Ráðhús Reykjavíkur
Ráðhús Reykjavíkur is situated by the Tjörnin in Reykjavík. It houses the offices of the mayor of Reykjavík, a café and a large 3D map of Iceland. It is sometimes used for art exhibitions....
— city hall
- Tjörnin
Tjörnin is a small lake in central Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland. Although it is not among the biggest lakes in the country, it is one of the best known....
— the pond
- National and University Library of Iceland
Landsbókasafn Íslands — Háskólabókasafn is the national library of Iceland which also functions as the university library of the University of Iceland. The library was established on December 1, 1994 in Reykjavík, Iceland, with the merger of the former national library, Landsbókasafn Íslands...
(Þjóðarbókhlaðan)
- National Museum of Iceland
The National Museum of Iceland was established on 24 February 1863, with Jón Árnason the first curator of the Icelandic collection, previously kept in Danish museums...
(Þjóðminjasafnið)
- University of Iceland
The University of Iceland is an Icelandic state university, founded in 1911. During its first year of operation 45 students were enrolled. Today, the university provides instruction for about 13,650 students studying in eleven faculties.-History:...
- Árbæjarsafn
Árbæjarsafn is the historical museum of the city of Reykjavík as well as an open air museum and a regional museum. Its purpose is to give the public an insight into the living conditions, work and recreational activities of the people of Reykjavík in earlier times.- History :Around the middle of...
(Reykjavík Open Air Museum) — Reykjavík's Municipal Museum
- Reykjavík 871±2
Reykjavík 871±2 is an exhibition on the settlement of Reykjavík, Iceland, created by the Reykjavik City Museum . The exhibition is based on the archaeological excavation of the ruin of one of the first houses in Iceland and findings from other excavations in the city centre...
— exhibition of an archaeological excavation of a Viking age longhouse, from about 930 AD
- Smáratorg Tower
Smáratorg Tower is an office and retail building in Iceland. It is the tallest building in Iceland, surpassing the Hallgrímskirkja in height, and is the fifth tallest architectural structure in the country after the Eiðar longwave transmitter, the masts of Naval Radio Transmitter Facility...
- 20 floor office tower that has restaurants, stores, gym and more.
Secondary schools
- Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík
Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík is the oldest gymnasium in Reykjavík, Iceland....
(MR)
- Menntaskólinn við Hamrahlíð
Menntaskólinn við Hamrahlíð or MH is a gymnasium in Reykjavík, Iceland, founded in 1966 by the Icelandic Ministry of Education; the first graduating class occurred in 1970...
(MH)
- Menntaskólinn við Sund
Menntaskólinn við Sund , a secondary school in Reykjavík, was founded in 1969. At the time, there were only 4 other such schools in Iceland. It was originally named Menntaskólinn við Tjörnina ....
(MS)
- Borgarholtsskóli (Borgó)
- Fjölbrautaskólinn við Ármúla (FÁ)
- Iðnskólinn í Reykjavík (IR)
- Menntaskólinn Hraðbraut
Menntaskólinn Hraðbraut, or, simply, Hraðbraut , is an Icelandic secondary school founded in 1996, but has only been in operation since 2003. The school awards a student degree after two years of study instead of the standard four, giving the school its name...
- Kvennaskólinn í Reykjavík (Kvennó)
- Fjölbrautaskólinn Breiðholti (FB)
- Fjöltækniskóli Íslands (FTI)
- Verzlunarskóli Íslands (Verzló)
Universities
- The University of Iceland
The University of Iceland is an Icelandic state university, founded in 1911. During its first year of operation 45 students were enrolled. Today, the university provides instruction for about 13,650 students studying in eleven faculties.-History:...
- Reykjavík University
Reykjavík University is a private university in Reykjavík, Iceland, which is chartered by the Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Icelandic Industries, and the Confederation of Icelandic Employers...
- Iceland Academy of the Arts
Sports teams
- Glímufélagið Ármann (Ármann)
- Ungmennafélagið Fjölnir
Ungmennafélagið Fjölnir is an association football club from Iceland. For the 2008 season the club plays in the Landsbankadeild following promotion from the 1. deild karla in 2007. The club was founded in 1988 and plays at the Fjölnisvöllur stadium which has a capacity of 1,000 spectators.- Current...
- Fylkir
Fylkir FC is an athletic club in Árbær, in the eastern part of Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland.Former players include Gylfi Einarsson, who played for Leeds United, and Ólafur Ingi Skúlason, formerly of Arsenal and currently playing for Helsingborgs IF. Ragnar Sigurðsson who is one of the best...
- Fram
Knattspyrnufélagið Fram is an Icelandic sports club, best known for its football division...
- Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur
Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, , for short KR or KR Reykjavík, is an Icelandic athletic club based in the capital, Reykjavík. KR is the oldest and most successful club in Icelandic football.-History:...
(K.R.)
- Víkingur
Víkingur can refer to:* The Icelandic word for Viking* Víkingur, Icelandic football club.* Víkingur Gøta, Faroese football club....
- Þróttur
- Knattspyrnufélagið Valur
Knattspyrnufélagið Valur is an Icelandic athletic club based in Reykjavík, Iceland.- History :The club was founded on 11 May 1911, as a subdivision of KFUM, the Icelandic YMCA. The name was later in the same year changed to Valur, which is an Icelandic word for gyrfalcon...
(Valur)
- Íþróttafélag fatlaðra í Reykjavík — for disabled people
- Íþróttafélag Reykjavíkur
Íþróttafélag Reykjavíkur is an Icelandic sport club, based in Reykjavík. It competes in the following:*dance*track and field*handball*bowling*basketball*football*skiing*taekwondo-Basketball honours:...
(Í.R.)
- Skotfélag Reykjavíkur
- Skautafélag Reykjavíkur
- Tennis- og badmintonfélag Reykjavíkur
- Skylmingafélag Reykjavíkur
- Leiknir
Leiknir is an Icelandic football club in the suburb of Breiðholt in Reykjavík. The male team is a member of Fyrsta Deild, the league below Landsbankadeildin, the top division in the Icelandic football ladder. The club runs a youth setup in its district for boys and girls aged 6–16, but does not...
In 1976 the winter friendship games were hosted in Reykjavík. These are in substitution of the Winter Olympics which were also hosted that year.
Town twinning
Reykjavík is
twinnedSister cities, also known as town twinning, is an agreement between towns, cities and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties...
with the following:
CaracasCaracas is the capital and largest city of Venezuela. It is located in the north of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range . The valley's temperatures are springlike. Terrain suitable for building lies between 760 and 910 m above...
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VenezuelaVenezuela , officially titled Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It is a continental mainland with numerous islands located off its coastline in the Caribbean Sea...
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CopenhagenCopenhagen ; ) is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban area with a population of 1,167,569 and a metropolitan area with a population of 1,875,179...
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DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
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MoscowMoscow is the capital and the largest city of Russia. It is also the largest metropolitan area in Europe, and ranks among the largest urban areas in the world. Moscow is a major political, economic, cultural, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the world, a...
,
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
HelsinkiHelsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the southern part of Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, by the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it the most populous municipality in Finland by a wide margin...
,
FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland
, is a Nordic country and democracy situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland...
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NuukNuuk, translated: "The Peninsula" is the capital and largest city of Greenland, and the seat of government for the Sermersooq municipality. It has a population of 17,834 , of whom 14,862 were born in Greenland...
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GreenlandGreenland is an autonomous constituent country within the Kingdom of Denmark located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago...
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Kingston upon HullKingston upon Hull , almost invariably referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is located 25 miles from the North Sea on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary...
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United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
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Oslois the capital and largest city in Norway. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the town was largely destroyed by a fire in 1624. The Danish–Norwegian king Christian IV rebuilt the city as Christiania . Oslo, then an alternative name, became official again in 1925...
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NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
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SeattleSeattle is located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Situated in the western part of Washington State on an isthmus between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, about south of the Canada – United States border, it is named after Chief Sealth, of the Duwamish and Suquamish tribes...
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United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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Stockholm' is the capital and largest city of Sweden. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the Riksdag , and the official residence of the Swedish Monarch as well as the prime minister. The Monarch resides at Drottningholm Palace outside of Stockholm since 1980 and uses the Royal Palace of...
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SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
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Saint PetersburgSaint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city's other names were Petrograd and Leningrad...
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RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
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TórshavnTórshavn is the capital and largest town of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the north west of the town lies the high mountain Húsareyn, and to the southwest, the high Kirkjubøreyn. The city itself has a population of 19,000...
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Faroe IslandsThe Faroe Islands, sometimes Faeroe Islands, Faroe, or Faeroes are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland...
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VilniusVilnius Vilnius Vilnius as of 2008. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the...
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LithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the southernmost of the three Baltic states. Situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, it shares borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the southeast, Poland, and the Russian exclave of...
. Winnipeg,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
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StrumicaStrumica is a town situated in the south-east of the Republic of Macedonia . The population is close to 55,000 with an absolute Macedonian majority . About 150,000 people live in the region surrounding the city. The city is named after the Strumica river which runs through it...
, Macedonia
See also
- Kringlan
Kringlan is the largest shopping mall in Reykjavík with over 170 shops, restaurants and services. Built in 1987, it contains everything from a library, theatre and cinema to a liquor store, candy stores and a pub. It has grown over the years, and is thought by many to be the biggest threat for the...
- Alþingi
- Menningarnótt
Menningarnótt or "cultural night" is a yearly event held in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland, usually on the first Saturday after the 18th of August...
- Rail transport in Iceland
Iceland does not have a public railway system and though there have been three small railways none has formed a part of the public transport network.- Reykjavík Harbour Railway :- The track network :...
- Beer Day (Iceland)
In Iceland, Beer Day is celebrated every year on March 1st, honoring the 74-year prohibition of beer ending that day in 1989.-Origin:...
External links