ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

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Vestfirðir () is one of the eight Icelandic regions in the north-west of the country. It is located mainly on the peninsula of the same name, in the Arctic Ocean. Its main locations are the capital, Isafjörður, and Bílidudalur.

Population and territory

It has an area of 9,409 square kilometres, so in terms of extension it is comparable to Cyprus. It has a population of 7,374 (2008), corresponding to less than 3 per cent of the total population of Iceland and a population density of 0.784 residents per square mile (0.784 / km ²).

The low population is due to the fact that Vestfirðir is a relatively isolated rural place from urban sites and the decline in labour demand in agriculture and the fishing industry, the main sources of income for the region.

Cats
These five counties are located in this region:

Austur-Barðastrandarsýsla
Norður-Ísafjarðarsýsla
Strandasýsla
Vestur-Barðastrandarsýsla
Vestur-Ísafjarðarsýsla

Municipalities
Vestfirðir comprises the following ten municipalities:
Arneshreppur
Bæjarhreppur
Bolungarvík
Ísafjarðarbær
Kaldraneshreppur
Reykhólahreppur
Súðavíkurhreppur
Strandabygð
Tálknafjarðarhreppur
Vesturbyggð

Transport

It has three airports: the one in Bílidudalur, the one in Isafjörður and the one in Gjögur, in the localities of the same name.

The roads are still scarce and inaccessible (especially in winter) today, so it is relatively difficult to connect with the rest of the island. Many roads are gravel only. And the frequency of rains or storms hinders air transport.

Many people are moving to the capital region or migrate to other countries, as was the case after an avalanche in 1995.

Tourism

In the meantime, it is planned to place a greater emphasis on tourism, as the beauty of the fjords form a very attractive landscape. This activity is still little exploited in the area near Dynjandi (also Fjallfoss), it has a hundred-meter waterfalls.