Grindavík

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Grindavíkurbær, Iceland
Location of Grindavík, Iceland (left/center)
Location of Grindavík, Iceland (left/center)
Coordinates: 63°50′N 22°26′W / 63.833, -22.433
Constituency South
Area
 - Total 425 km² (164.1 sq mi)
Population (April 1, 2008)
 - Total 2,817
 - Density 6.49/km² (16.8/sq mi)
Postal Code: 240
Website: http://www.grindavik.is/

Grindavík is a fishing town at the peninsula of Reykjanes at the south-western coast of Iceland. It is one of the few cities with a harbour at this coast. Most of the 3,000 inhabitants work in the fishing industry.

Contents

[edit] History

Landnáma or 'The Book of Settlements' mentions that around 934 two viking settlers, Molda-Gnúpur Hrólfsson and Þórir haustmyrkur Vígbjóðsson, arrived in the Reykjanes area. Þórir settled in Selvog and Krísuvík and Molda-Gnúpur in Grindavík.[1]

The sons of Moldar-Gnúpur established three settlements; Þórkötlustaðahverfi, Járngerðarstaðarhverfi and Staðarhverfi. The modern version of the town is situated mainly in Járngerðarstaðarhverfi.

The origins of the municipality can be traced to Einar Einarsson’s (who lived in Gardhusum) decision to build and run a shop in 1897 which was located in Járngerðarstaðarhverfi but during that time the town population was only around 360. Fishing had for centuries been a crucial element in the survival of Grindavik’s population. But fishing trips were often extremely dangerous. Men were frequently lost at sea and the catch not always stable. However when a safer access point to land was dug into Hópið in 1939 fishing conditions changed massively and from 1950 serious development in the fishing industry begun to take place. Grindavik was declared a municipality in 1974.

[edit] Activities

A short distance to the north, there is the Blue Lagoon (Icelandic: Bláa Lónið), a geothermal spa using hot and mineralized waters from the near-by Svartsengi power station.

UMFG is the town's sport club.

The Leif the Lucky Bridge spans the Álfagjá rift valley (60 feet wide and 20 feet deep) that marks the boundary of the Eurasian and North American continental tectonic plates. It was built in 2002 and named in honor of Icelandic explorer Leif Eriksson who travelled from Europe to America 500 years before Columbus.

[edit] Notable residents

The Icelandic writer Guðbergur Bergsson was born here, and Kalli Bjarni, the first winner of the Icelandic version of Pop Idol, lives in the town.

[edit] Naval Communication Facility

At Grindavik, there is a radio station of the US Navy, which is active on 37.5 kHz under the callsign TFK. It uses as antenna two guyed masts of different height, situated at 63°51'3"N 22°27'6"W and at 63°51'1"N 22°28'0"W.

[edit] Twin Towns

[edit] See also

[edit] External links


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Twenty largest municipalities of Iceland
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Coordinates: 63°50′N, 22°26′W