Grímsey
Encyclopedia
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...
, 40 kilometres (25 mi) off the north coast of the main island of Iceland
Geography of Iceland
Iceland is a medium-sized island in the North Atlantic ocean. The island is located east of Greenland and immediately south of the Arctic Circle, atop the divergent boundary of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the North Atlantic Ocean. It lies about from New York City and from Scotland...
and straddling the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
. In January 2011 it had 86 inhabitants.
Until a vote in 2009 to amalgamate with Akureyri
Akureyri
Akureyri is a town in northern Iceland. It is Iceland's second largest urban area and fourth largest municipality ....
, it constituted the hreppur
Municipalities of Iceland
The municipalities of Iceland are local administrative areas in Iceland 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...
(municipality) of Grímseyjarhreppur, part of the county
Counties of Iceland
Iceland is traditionally divided into 23 counties, sýslur, and 25 independent towns, kaupstaðir. Today this division is no longer significant as far as administration is concerned...
of Eyjafjarðarsýsla. The population is approximately 65; the only settlement is Sandvík.
Geography
Grímsey is the northernmost inhabited Icelandic territory; the islet of KolbeinseyKolbeinsey
Kolbeinsey is a small island off the northern coast of Iceland, north-northwest of the island of Grímsey. The island is the northernmost point of Iceland and lies north of the Arctic Circle...
lies further north, but is uninhabited. The closest land is the island of Flatey, Skjálfandi, 39.4 kilometres (24.5 mi) to the south. The Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
runs through the island, while the entirety of mainland Iceland lies south of the Arctic Circle. There are steep cliffs everywhere except on the southern shoreline. Grímsey has an area of 5.3 square kilometre, and a maximum elevation of 105 metres (344 ft).
Climate
Despite the northerly latitude, the climate is generally mild, because of the North Atlantic CurrentNorth Atlantic Current
The North Atlantic Current is a powerful warm ocean current that continues the Gulf Stream northeast. West of Ireland it splits in two; one branch, the Canary Current, goes south, while the other continues north along the coast of northwestern Europe...
, which brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. A maximum temperature of 26°C (79°F) has been recorded, which equals that of the much more southerly capital Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
. Though treeless, the island's vegetation cover is rich, consisting of marshland, grass, and moss, and the island is home to many birds, especially auk
Auk
An auk is a bird of the family Alcidae in the order Charadriiformes. Auks are superficially similar to penguins due to their black-and-white colours, their upright posture and some of their habits...
s.
Economy and society
The principal industrial activity is commercial fishingCommercial fishing
Commercial fishing is the activity of catching fish and other seafood for commercial profit, mostly from wild fisheries. It provides a large quantity of food to many countries around the world, but those who practice it as an industry must often pursue fish far into the ocean under adverse conditions...
. Agriculture and collecting seabirds' eggs are also common. Grímsey is also a popular tourist destination for visitors who wish to experience the Arctic Circle. The island is served by regular ferry and aircraft passenger services from the mainland.
The church on Grímsey was built from driftwood in 1867 and renovated in 1956. It is within the parish of Akureyri
Akureyri
Akureyri is a town in northern Iceland. It is Iceland's second largest urban area and fourth largest municipality ....
. The island also features a community center and a school from kindergarten to Grade 8. Beyond this age, students travel to Akureyri for further education.
The island has acquired a long-standing reputation for being a bastion of chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
-playing. On learning this, the American scholar and keen chess player Willard Fiske
Willard Fiske
Daniel Willard Fiske was an American librarian and scholar, born on November 11, 1831, at Ellisburg, New York.Fiske studied at Cazenovia Seminary and started his collegiate studies at Hamilton College in 1847. He joined the Psi Upsilon but was suspended for a student prank at the end of his...
took a protective interest in Grímsey in the 1870s, sending supplies, supporting the economy and leaving money in his will, though he never once visited.
However, the circle shifts northward by about 14.5 metres per year.
Transport
The island is served by Grímsey AirportGrímsey Airport
Grímsey Airport is an airport serving Grímsey, a small island 40 kilometres north of Iceland....
. A ferry connects the island three days a week with the mainland.