Kópasker

Kópasker (German skerry of seal pups ) is a town in the municipality Norðurþing in northeast Iceland. Economically Kópasker of Agriculture and Fisheries is marked. On 1 January 2011, the city had 121 inhabitants.

The village is supplied from the well Skógalón with thermal water.

Geography

Kópasker is located on the west of the Öxarfjörður Melrakkaslétta peninsula and thus geologically active area where the northeastern volcanic and rift zone intersects with a fracture zone. Therefore, the area is sometimes - most recently in 1976 - rocked by violent earthquakes.

In the district Röndin you can find sedimentary layers with shells from the Ice Age.

About 20 kilometers north of Kópasker the partially eroded volcano is Rauðinúpur (German Red mountain peak).

History

1880 was an international trading post here. A village was formed at the site but did not start until 1910 with the construction of warehouses of the trading company Kaupfélag Norður - Þingeyinga.

The north of the village lighthouse in Kópaskersviti was built in 1945.

On January 13, 1976 established a 6.2 magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale, whose epicenter was about 12 km south-west in Öxarfjörður, in place significant damage to, such as on water supply and to the harbor fortifications.

For a long time the port was not particularly well developed, this only happened after 1989. However, the fishing and fish processing in the last 50 years the main sources of income of the village were.

The place also serves as a service center for the local farmers with health center, shops and various education institutions (kindergarten and Grunnskóli ). Still on the expansion of the offers for tourists with various guest houses and restaurants.

As in many places outside the capital region can be felt even here the rural exodus, the site had 157 inhabitants in 1988 yet.

By 2006 Kópasker belonged as the capital for rural community Öxarfjörður ( Öxarfjarðarhreppur ), which was incorporated into Norðurþing.

Culture and sights

Designed by Guðjón Samúelsson Heritage Museum is located at the farm Snartastaðir near the county library and east of the lake Kotatjörn. It provides tools and many other everyday items.

Traffic

Kópasker is located on Norðausturvegur, road 85, and is 579 km from the capital Reykjavík and 99 km from Húsavík.

The commercial port is suitable for ocean-going vessels.