Reyðarfjörður
Encyclopedia
Reyðarfjörður is a town in Iceland
. It has a population of 1,102 and is one of the most populated villages that constitute the municipality of Fjarðabyggð
.
From the early 20th century, Reyðarfjörður was a trading port, as well as a fishing port. Due to its strategic location and good harbour conditions, it became the second largest of the Allied
bases in Iceland during World War II
. There is a World War II museum located at the old camp above the town.
Reyðarfjörður joined Eskifjörður and Neskaupstaður
in 1998 to form the new municipality of Fjarðabyggð ("fjords-settlement").
(662 inh.), Mjóifjörður
(35 inh.), Neskaupstaður
(1,437 inh.) and Stöðvarfjörður
(203 inh.).
decided to build an aluminium plant there. It was built between 2004 and 2007 by the contractor Bechtel
, requiring thousands of workers from various countries, most notably from Poland
. At one point, the town had the highest concentration of foreign residents of any community in the country, and the number of workers reached as high as 2800. By 2008, the construction workers had left, but townspeople have faith in the aluminium plant for the continuing prosperity of their old community, and surrounding communities.
The Fjardaál aluminium smelter reached full production capacity in April 2008. The facility contains a smelter, cast house, rod production and deep-water port
. The smelter employs 450 people and produces 940 tons of aluminium a day, with capacity of 346,000 metric tons of aluminium per year. Fjardaál means "Aluminium of the Fjords" in Icelandic
.
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...
. It has a population of 1,102 and is one of the most populated villages that constitute the municipality of Fjarðabyggð
Fjarðabyggð
Fjarðabyggð is a municipality located in eastern Iceland, in Austurland.As of January 2011, it had a total population of approximately 4,600, and is hence the 10th most populous municipality in Iceland.-History:...
.
History
The town is at the bottom of the eponymous largest fjord in the east coast of Iceland. Like most other towns in the East Fjords of Iceland, it is surrounded with beautiful mountains, of which the highest is about 972 metres (3,189 ft). Although the climate is particularly rainy and foggy, on clear summer days it often has the highest temperatures in Iceland.From the early 20th century, Reyðarfjörður was a trading port, as well as a fishing port. Due to its strategic location and good harbour conditions, it became the second largest of the Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
bases in Iceland during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. There is a World War II museum located at the old camp above the town.
Reyðarfjörður joined Eskifjörður and Neskaupstaður
Neskaupstaður
Neskaupstaður is a town located on the fjord Norðfjörður on the eastern side of Iceland. It is part of the municipality of Fjarðabyggð and, as of 2011, it has a population of 1,437.-History:...
in 1998 to form the new municipality of Fjarðabyggð ("fjords-settlement").
Geography
The other villages composing the municipality are: Eskifjörður (1,043 inh.), FáskrúðsfjörðurFáskrúðsfjörður
Fáskrúðsfjörður is a town in eastern Iceland.It has a population of 662 and constitutes one of the villages composing the municipality of Fjarðabyggð. Professional football player Hilmar Freyr Bjartþórsson is from Fáskrúðsfjörður...
(662 inh.), Mjóifjörður
Mjóifjörður
Mjóifjörður is a village of 35 people in East Iceland, sitting on a fjord of the same name . It is part of the municipality of Fjarðabyggð.-History:...
(35 inh.), Neskaupstaður
Neskaupstaður
Neskaupstaður is a town located on the fjord Norðfjörður on the eastern side of Iceland. It is part of the municipality of Fjarðabyggð and, as of 2011, it has a population of 1,437.-History:...
(1,437 inh.) and Stöðvarfjörður
Stöðvarfjörður
Stöðvarfjörður is a small village in east Iceland.It sits on a fjord of the same name. and is part of the municipality of Fjarðabyggð and has about 200 inhabitants.-Geography:...
(203 inh.).
Fjardaál aluminium smelter
Having mostly been a quiet fishing town since the war, Reyðarfjörður (and neighbouring communities) saw a revival in the early 2000s when AlcoaAlcoa
Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
decided to build an aluminium plant there. It was built between 2004 and 2007 by the contractor Bechtel
Bechtel
Bechtel Corporation is the largest engineering company in the United States, ranking as the 5th-largest privately owned company in the U.S...
, requiring thousands of workers from various countries, most notably from Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. At one point, the town had the highest concentration of foreign residents of any community in the country, and the number of workers reached as high as 2800. By 2008, the construction workers had left, but townspeople have faith in the aluminium plant for the continuing prosperity of their old community, and surrounding communities.
The Fjardaál aluminium smelter reached full production capacity in April 2008. The facility contains a smelter, cast house, rod production and deep-water port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
. The smelter employs 450 people and produces 940 tons of aluminium a day, with capacity of 346,000 metric tons of aluminium per year. Fjardaál means "Aluminium of the Fjords" in Icelandic
Icelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
.