Reykjavik

Reykjavik
/ray"kyeuh veek', -vik/, n.
a seaport in and the capital of Iceland, in the SW part. 84,856.

* * *

City (pop., 1999 est.: 109,152), capital of Iceland.

According to tradition, it was founded in 874 by the Norseman Ingólfur Arnarson. Until the 20th century it was a small fishing village at the southeastern corner of Faxa Bay, ruled and largely inhabited by Danes. It became the capital of a self-governing Iceland under the Danish king in 1918 and of the independent Republic of Iceland in 1944. During World War II it was a U.S. naval and air base. In 1986 arms-control talks between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. were held there. It is the commercial, industrial, and cultural centre of the island, its major fishing port, and the site of nearly half of the nation's industries.

* * *

      capital and largest town of Iceland. It is located on the Seltjarnar Peninsula, at the southeastern corner of Faxa Bay, in southwestern Iceland.

 According to tradition, Reykjavík (“Bay of Smokes”) was founded in 874 by the Norseman Ingólfur Arnarson. Until the 20th century it was a small fishing village and trading post. It was granted municipal powers and was designated the administrative centre of the Danish-ruled island on Aug. 18, 1786. The seat of the Althingi (parliament) since 1843, it became the capital of a self-governing Iceland under the Danish king in 1918 and of the independent Republic of Iceland in 1944.

 Reykjavík is the commercial, industrial, and cultural centre of the island. It is a major fishing port and the site of nearly half of the nation's industries. An international airport is at Keflavík, 20 miles (32 km) west-southwest. Reykjavík's manufactures include processed fish and food products, machinery, and metal products. Strikingly modern and clean in appearance, the town is largely built of concrete and is heated by hot water piped from nearby hot springs. Its many public outdoor swimming pools are also geothermal. Buildings of note include the Parliament Building (1881) and the Church of Hallgrímur (1986). Among the town's cultural highlights are the National and University Library of Iceland (1994; a merging of the National Library [1818] and the University Library [1940]), the University of Iceland (founded 1911), the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, and the National Gallery of Iceland. The Árni Magnússon Institute in Iceland is a department within the University of Iceland and is based on the manuscript collection of Árni Magnússon (Magnússon, Árni) (long held by the University of Copenhagen). The Reykjavík Art Museum, consisting of three buildings, and the Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum are among the town's many museums and galleries. Bessastadhir, the residence of the president of Iceland, is outside the town. Pop. (2006 est.) town, 116,446; urban agglom., 191,431.
 

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Reykjavik — Reykjavik …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Reykjavik — Reykjavík (Reykjavíkurborg) Basisdaten Staat: Island Region: Höfuðborgarsvæðið …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Reykjavík — (Reykjavíkurborg) Basisdaten Staat: Island Region: Höfuðborgarsvæðið …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • REYKJAVIK — Capitale et seule grande ville de l’Islande, Reykjavik est située dans le sud ouest de l’île à l’endroit où abordèrent vers 870 les Vikings, colonisateurs de l’île. Les nouveaux quartiers témoignent de la croissance rapide de la ville qui est… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Reykjavik — (indbyggertal 113.387, 2003 folketælling, omkring 170.000 med forstæder) er hovedstaden i og den største by på Island og befinder sig på øens sydvestlige side. Byen har Islands universitet, Háskóli Íslands, der er grundlagt i 1911. Reykjavik er… …   Danske encyklopædi

  • Reykjavík — Rotterdam est un film islandais de Óskar Jónasson sorti en 2008. Les acteurs principaux sont Baltasar Kormákur et Ingvar E. Sigurðsson. Portail du cinéma Catégories : Film islandaisFilm sorti en 2008 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Reykjavik — (Reikiavík), Hauptstadt der dän. Insel Island, auf der Südwestküste derselben gelegen, hat außer der Domkirche und einigen andern öffentlichen Gebäuden fast nur kleine hölzerne Häuser, ist Sitz des Ministers, des Althings, des Obergerichts, eines …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Reykjavík — Reykjavík, Hauptstadt der dän. Insel Island [Karte: Schweden etc. I, 6, bei Skandinavien], auf der Südwestküste, am Kollafjord, (1901) 6682 E.; Unterrichtsanstalt für Ärzte, Landesbibliothek, Hafen …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Reykjavík — (en islandés, bahía humeante, se pronuncia reykiavik ) es la capital de Islandia y debido a su posición es también la capital más septentrional del mundo. Durante el invierno sólo recibe cuatro horas de luz solar y durante el verano las noches… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Reykjavik — (izg. Rȅjkjavik) m glavni grad i luka Islanda …   Veliki rječnik hrvatskoga jezika

  • Reykjavik — capital of Iceland, lit. bay of smoke, from O.N. reykja to smoke (see REEK (Cf. reek)) + vik bay (see VIKING (Cf. viking)). So called from the natural hot springs there. Settlement said to date from 9c., but not established as a town until 1786 …   Etymology dictionary

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”