Regions of Iceland
Encyclopedia
|
There are eight regions of Iceland
, mainly used for statistical purposes. The district court jurisdictions also follow this division. The postal code system follows the regions as well with a few exceptions. Before 2003 the regions were also used as constituencies for elections to Alþingi. These usages (except for the statistical ones) are however based upon an older version of the regions where Reykjavík proper was a special region and the surrounding municipalities in the current Capital region were a part of the Reykjanes region, currently known as Suðurnes.
These regions are not defined by law and have no official standing or administrative function.
(English)
* Note: Reykjavík
, although it is part of Capital region, has the ISO code IS-0.
There are eight regions of Iceland
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...
, mainly used for statistical purposes. The district court jurisdictions also follow this division. The postal code system follows the regions as well with a few exceptions. Before 2003 the regions were also used as constituencies for elections to Alþingi. These usages (except for the statistical ones) are however based upon an older version of the regions where Reykjavík proper was a special region and the surrounding municipalities in the current Capital region were a part of the Reykjanes region, currently known as Suðurnes.
These regions are not defined by law and have no official standing or administrative function.
Overview of the Regions
| Population2008-07-01 | Area(km²) | Pop./km² | ISO 3166 ISO 3166-2:IS ISO 3166-2:IS is the entry for Iceland in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1.Currently for Iceland, ISO 3166-2 codes are... |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Höfuðborgarsvæði | Capital Region | 200,969 | 1,062 | 167.61 | IS-1* |
| 2 | Suðurnes Suðurnes Suðurnes is a region in southwest Iceland. The region has a population of more than 20,000 and is one of the more densely populated parts of the island... (formerly Reykjanes Reykjanes Reykjanes or Reykjanesskagi is a peninsula and a volcanic system situated at the south-western end of Iceland, near the capital of Reykjavík.... ) |
Southern Peninsula | 21,431 | 829 | 20.18 | IS-2 |
| 3 | Vesturland Vesturland Vesturland is one of the traditional eight regions of Iceland, located on the western side of the island. The biggest town in the region is Akranes, with a population of 6300.... |
West | 15,601 | 9,554 | 1.51 | IS-3 |
| 4 | Vestfirðir | Westfjords | 7,279 | 9,409 | 0.85 | IS-4 |
| 5 | Norðurland vestra Norðurland vestra Norðurland vestra is one of the traditional eight regions of Iceland, located on the northern side of the island. The biggest town in the region is Sauðárkrókur, with a population of 3000.... |
Northwest | 7,392 | 12,737 | 0.73 | IS-5 |
| 6 | Norðurland eystra Norðurland eystra Norðurland eystra is one of the traditional eight regions of Iceland, located on the northern side of the island. The biggest town in the region is Akureyri, with a population of 17,300. The name "Norðurland Eystra" means "The North-East Region".... |
Northeast | 28,925 | 21,968 | 1.21 | IS-6 |
| 7 | Austurland Austurland Austurland is a region in eastern Iceland. Its area is 22,721 km² and its population is 15,300. The biggest town in the region is Egilsstaðir, with a population of 2300. The oldest municipality in the Eastfjords is Seydisfjörðr municipality established 1895, with population of 706 the year... |
East | 13,786 | 22,721 | 0.52 | IS-7 |
| 8 | Suðurland Suðurland Suðurland is a region of Iceland known as "South Iceland". The population of the region was 23,311 . The biggest town in the region is Selfoss, with a population of 6000 inhabitants.- External links :**... |
South | 23,972 | 24,526 | 0.87 | IS-8 |
| Ísland | Iceland | 319,355 | 102,928 | 3.1 |
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...
, although it is part of Capital region, has the ISO code IS-0.
See also
- Farthings of IcelandFarthings of IcelandHistorically, Iceland was divided into four landsfjórðungar or farthings, that were named after the Cardinal directions. These were administrative divisions established in 965 for the purpose of organising regional assemblies and for regional courts...
- Counties of IcelandCounties of IcelandIceland 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...
- Municipalities of IcelandMunicipalities of IcelandThe 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...
- Constituencies of IcelandConstituencies of IcelandIceland is divided into 6 constituencies for the purpose of selecting representatives to the Alþingi .-History:The current division was established by a 1999 constitution amendment and was an attempt to balance the weight of different districts of the country whereby voters in the rural districts...
- Subdivisions of Norden