Transport in Iceland
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...
are governed by the country’s rugged terrain
Terrain
Terrain, or land relief, is the vertical and horizontal dimension of land surface. When relief is described underwater, the term bathymetry is used...
and sparse population
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
. The principal mode of personal transport is the car
Čar
Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:...
. There are no public railways — although there are bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
services. Transport from one major town to another, for example 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...
to Akureyri
Akureyri
Akureyri is a town in northern Iceland. It is Iceland's second largest urban area and fourth largest municipality ....
, may be by aeroplane on a domestic flight. The only way of getting in and out of the country is by air and sea
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
. The country's population is largely concentrated in the southwestern corner of the country, the Greater Reykjavík Area
Greater Reykjavík Area
The Greater Reykjavík Area is a name used collectively for Reykjavík and seven municipalities around it.. The area is the largest urban area in Iceland. Each municipality has its independent elected council. With a population of 200,852, the Greater Reykjavík Area comprises over 60% of the...
is home to two thirds of the population, and so is much of the country's transport infrastructure.
Rail
Iceland has no public railwaysRail transport in Iceland
Iceland does not have a public railway system and though there have been three small railways none has formed a part of the public transport network.- Reykjavík Harbour Railway :- The track network :...
, although proposals to build a passenger line between Keflavík
Keflavík
Keflavík is a town in the Reykjanes region in southwest Iceland. In 2009 its population was of 8,169.In 1995 it merged with Njarðvík and Hafnir to form a municipality called Reykjanesbær with a population of 13,971 .- History :...
and 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...
have been made as well as proposals to build a light rail system in Reykjavík. Several former locomotive-powered and hand-operated railways have closed and been dismantled, although some evidence of their existence remains in museums and as static exhibits.
Road
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Vegagerðin
Vegagerðin , previously known as Vegagerð ríkisins for many decades, is a state run institution in Iceland whose purpose is to construct and maintain roads and infrastructure in rural areas and between urban areas...
(Icelandic Roads Administration) is the legal owner and constructor of the roads, and oversees and maintains them as well.
Sea
The major harbours in Iceland are:- AkureyriAkureyriAkureyri is a town in northern Iceland. It is Iceland's second largest urban area and fourth largest municipality ....
- HornafjördurHornafjördurHornafjördur is a small fjord in southeastern Iceland. The town Höfn is located on its shores....
- ÍsafjörðurÍsafjörðurÍsafjörður is a town in the north west of Iceland, seat of Ísafjarðarbær municipality.The town draws its name from the fjord and the fjord was given its name simultaneously to the island...
- KeflavíkKeflavíkKeflavík is a town in the Reykjanes region in southwest Iceland. In 2009 its population was of 8,169.In 1995 it merged with Njarðvík and Hafnir to form a municipality called Reykjanesbær with a population of 13,971 .- History :...
- RaufarhöfnRaufarhofnRaufarhöfn is a village located on the northeastern tip of the Melrakkaslétta peninsula in Iceland.As of January 2011, it has 194 inhabitants. It was a major fish processing station during the large herring catches in the mid 20th century.-External links:*...
- ReykjavíkReykjavíkReykjavík 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...
- SeyðisfjörðurSeyðisfjörðurSeyðisfjörður is a town and municipality in the Eastfjords of Iceland at the innermost point of the fjord of the same name.As of January 2011, the town has 668 inhabitants....
- Straumsvík
- Vestmannaeyjar
Merchant marine:
total:
3 ships (with a volume of or over) totaling /
ships by type:
chemical tanker
Chemical tanker
A chemical tanker is a type of tanker designed to transport chemicals in bulk.Ocean-going chemical tankers generally range from to in size, which is considerably smaller than the average size of other tanker types due to the specialised nature of their cargoes and the size restrictions of the...
1, container ship
Container ship
Container ships are cargo ships that carry all of their load in truck-size intermodal containers, in a technique called containerization. They form a common means of commercial intermodal freight transport.-History:...
1, petroleum tanker
Oil tanker
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a merchant ship designed for the bulk transport of oil. There are two basic types of oil tankers: the crude tanker and the product tanker. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries...
1 (1999 est.)
Transport ferries:
The only habitable islands around Iceland are supplied and infrastructurally connected with the mainland via ferries which run regularly. Those islands are:
- Vestmannaeyjar The largest and most populated island.
- HríseyHríseyHrísey is a small island off the north coast of Iceland, situated approximately 35 kilometres north of Akureyri, in Eyjafjörður, at .Since 2004, the island has been a part of the municipality of Akureyri, having previously been a municipality in its own right.Hrísey itself has a total land area of...
In the middle of EyjafjörðurEyjafjörðurEyjafjörður is the longest fjord in central northern Iceland. It is located in the second most populous region of Iceland.-Physical geography:...
in northern Iceland. - GrímseyGrímseyGrímsey is a small island in the country of Iceland, off the north coast of the main island of Iceland and straddling the Arctic Circle. In January 2011 it had 86 inhabitants....
An island in the far-north, the northernmost part of Iceland.
Those ferries are considered part of the infrastructure system such as roads, and are therefore run by Vegagerðin
Vegagerðin
Vegagerðin , previously known as Vegagerð ríkisins for many decades, is a state run institution in Iceland whose purpose is to construct and maintain roads and infrastructure in rural areas and between urban areas...
like the roads.
Air
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s in Iceland:
| Length | | Paved | | Unpaved | | Totals |
|---|---|---|---|
| over 3,047 m | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1,524 to 2,437 m | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| 914 to 1,523 m | 2 | 27 | 26 |
| under 914 m | 0 | 63 | 52 |
| Total | | 6 | | 93 | 99 |
Public transport
Strætó bsStrætó bs
Strætó bs is a public transport company which operates city buses in the Icelandic capital, Reykjavík and surrounding satellite towns and suburbs. The buses are bright yellow and are commonly called 'Strætó' by the locals. It is a shortened nickname for "strætisvagn", "street carriage"...
is a company which operates bus services in The Greater Reykjavík area
Greater Reykjavík Area
The Greater Reykjavík Area is a name used collectively for Reykjavík and seven municipalities around it.. The area is the largest urban area in Iceland. Each municipality has its independent elected council. With a population of 200,852, the Greater Reykjavík Area comprises over 60% of the...
and Strætisvagnar Akureyrar operates bus services in Akureyri
Akureyri
Akureyri is a town in northern Iceland. It is Iceland's second largest urban area and fourth largest municipality ....
.
External links
See also
- Rail transport in IcelandRail transport in IcelandIceland does not have a public railway system and though there have been three small railways none has formed a part of the public transport network.- Reykjavík Harbour Railway :- The track network :...
- Road signs in IcelandRoad signs in IcelandRoad signs in Iceland conform to the general pattern of those used in most other European countries, with certain design elements borrowed from British practice...
- Tunnels in IcelandTunnels in IcelandThere are eight open tunnels in Iceland, and three others currently under construction in the Icelandic road system. Tunnels in Iceland are usually built under mountains to prevent winter isolation of remote communities which would otherwise have to depend on high roads that often closed due to...
- VegagerðinVegagerðinVegagerðin , previously known as Vegagerð ríkisins for many decades, is a state run institution in Iceland whose purpose is to construct and maintain roads and infrastructure in rural areas and between urban areas...