Akureyri
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| Akureyri, Iceland |
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| Nickname: "Höfuðstaður Norðurlands (Capital of North Iceland)" | ||
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| Coordinates: | ||
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| Constituency | Northeast | |
| Area | ||
| - City | 125 km² (48.26 sq mi) | |
| Population | ||
| - City (2004) | 16,475 | |
| - Density | 128.7/km² | |
| Postal Codes: 600-603 | ||
| Website: http://www.akureyri.is/ | ||
Akureyri (ˈaːkʰʏrˌeiːrɪ ) is a town located in the northern part of Iceland; it is the second largest urban center after the Reykjavík area. As of the 2004 census, the town had a total population of 16,475 [1].
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[edit] History
The Norse Viking settler Helgi magri Eyvindarson originally settled the area in the 9th century AD. The first mention of Akureyri dates back to 1562 when a woman was sentenced there for adultery. In the 17th century Danish merchants based their camps on the actual Akureyri which was one of the numerous spits of land in Pollurinn. The reasons for choosing this exact spot for the trading operations were mainly the outstanding natural harbor and the fact that Akureyri is surrounded by a very productive agriculture area. The Danish merchants did not live at Akureyri the whole year though, in winters the houses were locked up and the merchants went home. Permanent settlement at Akureyri started in 1778 and the town was granted its municipal charter by the king of Denmark (and at the time Iceland also) eight years later in 1786 along with five other towns around Iceland. The king hoped to improve the living conditions of Icelanders by this action because at the time, urban centers were virtually non-existent in Iceland and had never existed. As far as Akureyri is concerned the king was unsuccessful, Akureyri did not grow from its population of 12. In 1836 Akureyri lost its municipal status but gained it back in 1862. From that point, Akureyri started to grow because of the excellent port conditions and perhaps more because of the productive agricultural region around it. Industries processing agricultural products became the backbone of the city and spurred its further growth. The 20th century in Iceland became the scene of a mass exodus from the countryside to the cities and Akureyri had its share in that. Commerce and service industries grew to be the primary employers in Akureyri as the manufacturing industries started to decline in the 1990s.
In the last ten years, fishing industries have become more important in Akureyri as two of the major fishing companies of Iceland has become a more important source of revenue and is expected to grow further in coming years. The University of Akureyri was founded in 1987 and is growing rapidly.
[edit] Law and government
Akureyri is governed by the town council, directly elected by anyone over 18 and registered with domicile in the town. The council has 11 members that are elected for 4 year terms. The mayor is appointed by the council; usually one of the council members is chosen but they may also hire a mayor that is not a member of the council.
[edit] Current Town Council party division
Last elections to the town council were held May 27, 2006. The results were as follows.
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Following the elections the Independence Party and the Alliance formed a coalition government in the council. According to the coalition agreement, the mayor will come from the Independence Party the first three years of the four-year term but from the Alliance in the last year of the term.
[edit] Mayor or City Executive
The current mayor is Kristján Þór Júlíusson, member of the Independence Party
[edit] Timeline of mayors
- 1919-1934 - Jón Sveinsson
- 1934-1958 - Steinn Steinsen
- 1958-1967 - Magnús Guðjónsson
- 1967-1976 - Bjarni Einarsson
- 1976-1986 - Helgi M. Bergs
- 1986-1990 - Sigfús Jónsson
- 1990-1994 - Halldór Jónsson
- 1994-1998 - Jakob Björnsson
- 1998- Kristján Þór Júlíusson
[edit] Geography
Akureyri is located at . Positioned at the bottom-west side of the fjord Eyjafjörður. It is surrounded by mountains, the highest being Súlur 1213 meters (3980 feet) and Hlíðarfjall 1116 meters (3661 feet). The coast in the area is a narrow strip of flat land before a steep but low hill. In earlier times a few spits of land (Icelandic: eyri, thus Akur-eyri) jutted from the narrow coast but a lot of land has since been claimed from the sea so that today the coastline is more even except for the largest spit of land (eyri), Oddeyri, which was formed by the river Glerá that runs through the town. The body of sea between Oddeyri and the fjord's bottom is known as Pollurinn and is known for calm winds and a good natural harbor. The center of Akureyri today is at Ráðhústorg square near the northwest corner of Pollurinn. The neighborhoods of Akureyri are: Innbær, the oldest part of town on the land strip between the hill and Pollurinn south of the center area; Brekkan, on top of the hill; Oddeyri on the peninsula with the same name and Glerárhverfi on the north bank of Glerá river(also referred to as Þorpið which is more of a slang version, in English: the Village). Because of the town's position at the bottom of a long fjord surrounded by high mountains, the climate is actually more inland than coastal meaning greater variants in temperature (warmer summers, colder winters) than in many other parts of Iceland. The surrounding mountains also shield the town from blowing winds.
[edit] Economy
[edit] Major industries/products
- Samherji
- Norðurmjólk
- Brim hf
[edit] Transportation
Akureyri is a transport hub for the region, it is well connected by land, sea and air.
Route 1 (the Ring Road) runs through Akureyri and connects it with other parts of the country.
The town has an airport that is mostly used for domestic flights but occasionally international flights use the airport as well. Air Iceland flies many times each day to Reykjavik, but also there are flights to Grimsey, Vopnafjörður, Þórshöfn and Ísafjörður. Scheduled flights from Akureyri to Copenhagen began on May 30th 2006, operated by Iceland Express. A further regular service to London is due to begin in October 2006.
The port of Akureyri is a vital structure for the town which largely bases its livelihood on fisheries, it is the site of a few large fish processing plants and trawlers come there to unload. The port is also very important for tourism as many cruise ships stop in Akureyri during summers. The port is important as well for freight transporting.
[edit] Sites of interest
- Amtsbókasafnið á Akureyri: (Public Library) Brekkugata 17
- Minjasafnið á Akureyri: Villa Kirkjuhvoll (1934), Aðalstræti 58
- Nonnahús: Aðalstræti 54
- Náttúrufræðistofnun Norðurlands: (Nature Museum) Hafnarstræti 81
- Listasafnið á Akureyri: (Art Museum) Kaupvangsstræti 24
- Davíðshús: (Davids house) Bjarkarstíg 6
- Lystigarður Akureyrar (The Botanical Garden of Akureyri) Spítalavegur
- Sigurhæðir: Eyrarlandsvegur 3
- Akureyrarkirkja: (The church of akureyri) Eyrarlandsvegur
[edit] Gymnasia, colleges and universities
- Menntaskólinn á Akureyri
- Verkmenntaskólinn á Akureyri
- Háskólinn á Akureyri
[edit] Sports clubs
- K.A. (Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar) - soccer, volleyball, handball, judo
- S.A. (Skautafélag Akureyrar) - hockey
- S.K.A. (Skíðafélag Akureyrar) - skiing
- S.A. (Skákfélag Akureyrar) - chess
- Íþróttafélagið Þór - soccer, basketball, handball, tae kwon do
- Hamrarnir - soccer
- Skarfarnir - chess
[edit] Twin town
[edit] External links
- Akureyri Municipal Website (in Icelandic and English)
- Port of Akureyri
- Samherji Fishing Company
- University of Akureyri
- Knattspyrnufélagið Þór
- Knattspyrnufélag Akureyrar
- Skautafélag Akureyrar
- Skákfélag Akureyrar
- Skíðafélag Akureyrar
- Hamrarnir
- Golfklúbbur Akureyrar
| Twenty largest Municipalities of Iceland |  |
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Reykjavík | Kópavogur | Hafnarfjörður | Akureyri | Reykjanesbær | Garðabær | Mosfellsbær | Árborg | Akranes | Seltjarnarnes | Vestmannaeyjar | Skagafjörður | Ísafjörður | Fjarðabyggð | Borgarbyggð | Húsavík | Grindavík | Hornafjörður | Fljótsdalshérað | Dalvíkurbyggð | |
