Skagafjörður (municipality)

65.746111111111 - 19.639444444444Koordinaten: 65 ° 45 'N, 19 ° 38 ' W

The community Skagafjordur ( Isl Sveitarfélagið Skagafjordur ) is a municipality in the north of Iceland in the region Norðurland vestra. On 1 January 2009 the municipality had 4078 inhabitants. The largest settlements are Sauðárkrókur with 2601 inhabitants, Hofsós with 185 inhabitants, Varmahlíð with 138 inhabitants and the bishop's seat Hólar with 110 inhabitants.

  • 6.1 Sons and daughters of the town

Geography

The municipality is situated on the same fjord. In the area there is the extinct central volcano Tinna.

North of Hofsós lies about 10 km ² lake Höfðavatn. The river flows into the Héraðsvötn Skagafjordur; it flows east to Varmahlíð and location Sauðárkrókur ( with the Miklavatn ) over. In the south of the municipality extends to the Hofsjökull.

History

The area of Skagafjordur has been inhabited since the Conquest. A special role is played by the Skagafjordur during the time of Sturlungar in the 12th and 13th centuries. Especially during the Civil War in the 13th century some decisive battles took place here such as Flugumýrarbrenna.

The municipality was formed on 6 June 1998 by the merger of the city Sauðárkrókur ( Sauðárkrókskaupstaður ) with ten rural communities:

  • Rural community Skefilsstaðahreppur
  • Rural community Skarðshreppur
  • Rural community Staðarhreppur
  • Rural community Seyluhreppur
  • Rural community Lýtingsstaðahreppur
  • Rural community Ríp ( Rípurhreppur )
  • Rural community Viðvík ( Viðvíkurhreppur )
  • Rural community Hólar ( Hólahreppur )
  • Rural community yard ( Hofshreppur ) with several incorporated on 10 June 1990 Country communities Hofsós ( Hofsóshreppur ) and Fell ( Fellshreppur )
  • Rural community Fljót ( Fljótahreppur ), formed April 1, 1988 from the rural communities Haganes ( Haganeshreppur ) and Holt ( Holtshreppur )

Economy

Plays an important role of tourism, such as the open-air museum of Glaumbær.

Famous is the area for its horse breeding. Many traditional and important stud farms are found in the area such as Flugumýri, Ytra - Skörðugil, Vatnsleysa, Miðsitja, Syðra - Skörðugil and Hjaltastaðir. In addition, the statewide annual horse show Landsmót is often held at Varmahlíð on a slope Vindheimamelar.

Villages in Skagafjordur

Sauðárkrókur

The city Sauðárkrókur is the largest settlement of the greater community Skagafjordur and the largest city in northwestern Iceland.

Hólar

Hólar was from 1106 to 1801 as the second, founded by Bishop Jón Ögmundsson seat next Skálholt an important place in Iceland.

There lived and worked example In the 16th century the Bishop Jón Arason, made famous as the last Catholic bishop of Iceland, which made ​​bitter resistance of the Reformation and was beheaded in Skálholt finally in 1550 by his adversaries.

Today there is a college for horses and fish farming as well as for tourism.

Hofsós and Gröf

Hofsós is a village on the east side of Skagafjordur in which is located the Pakkhúsið one of the oldest houses in the country. There is a museum on the history of emigration of Icelanders to Canada and the United States. In the courtyard Gröf is a turf church.

Víðimýri

Víðimýri is a farm with a turf church, the Víðimýrarkirkja.

Varmahlíð

Varmahlíð is a place and road junction on the ring road ( Hringvegur ) in a thermal area.

Population Development

As in the meantime only a few areas of Iceland except the Southwest and around the capital Reykjavík is in Skagafjordur population growth declined (1997 to 2005: -5.7 %).

Personalities

Sons and daughters of the town

  • Konrad Gíslason (* July 3, 1808 at Skagafjordur; † 4 January 1891 in Copenhagen), linguist
  • Gudrun frá Lundi ( born June 3, 1887 Court Lundi í Stíflu in the village Fljótum ), poet

Twinning

Constituencies of Iceland Drangey Sturlungar family clan Route 1 (Iceland) Akrahreppur
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