This is a list of islands of Iceland. It includes all islands larger than 1 km2, as well as a number of smaller islands that are considered significant either because they are or used to be inhabited, or for specific historical, geographical or geological reasons. Thousands of other small islands and skerries are found along the coast, especially in Breiðafjörður.[1]
The areas of some of these islands may vary comparatively rapidly due to volcanic activity and subsequent action by the sea. In the case of the groups of islands in Breiðafjörður, no area is listed. This is because measurement of the smaller islands is made difficult by a large tidal range of up to six metres.[2]
List
edit| Island | Area (km2) | Population | Municipality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akurey | 0.07 | 0 | Reykjavíkurborg |
| Álsey | 0.25 | 0 | Vestmannaeyjabær |
| Bjarnarey | 0.4 | 0 | Vestmannaeyjabær |
| Borgarey | 0.5 | 0 | Súðavíkurhreppur |
| Brandur | 0.1 | 0 | Vestmannaeyjabær |
| Brimilsnes, in Álftafjörður in the Eastfjords | 0.6 | 0 | Múlaþing |
| Brokey, the largest of many islands in Breiðafjörður (West), located a short distance from land; Iceland's sixth largest island by area | 3.7 | 0 | Dalabyggð |
| Drangey | 0.2 | 0 | Skagafjörður |
| Eldey | 0.02[3] | 0 | Reykjanesbær |
| Eldeyjarboði | <0.01 | 0 | Reykjanesbær |
| Elliðaey | 0.45 | 0 | Vestmannaeyjabær |
| Engey | 0.4 | 0 | Reykjavíkurborg |
| Flatey “in Breiðafjörður” (West) | 0.5 | <10 (2018) | Reykhólahreppur |
| Flatey “in Skjálfandi” (North) | 2.8[4] | 0 | Þingeyjarsveit |
| Geirfuglasker (a skerry off Reykjanes with the same name disappeared in the 18th century) | 0.02 | 0 | Vestmannaeyjabær |
| Geldungur | 0.02 | 0 | Vestmannaeyjabær |
| Grímsey, situated on the Arctic Circle, off the north coast of Iceland | 5.3 | 57 (2021) | Akureyri |
| Grimsey, in Húnaflói | 0.43 | 0 | Kaldrananeshreppur |
| Heimaey, Iceland's second largest island by area, the largest after the main island;[5] main island of the Westman Islands | 13.4 | 4,347 (2021) | Vestmannaeyjabær |
| Hellisey | 0.1 | 0 | Vestmannaeyjabær |
| Hergilsey | 0.2 | 0 | Reykhólahreppur |
| Hjörsey, Iceland's fourth largest island by area, located in Faxaflói bay (West) | 5.5 | 0 | Borgarbyggð |
| Hrappsey | 1.7[6] | 0 | Dalabyggð |
| Hrísey, Iceland's third largest island by area, located in Eyjafjörður fjord (North) | 8.0 | 162 (2021) | Akureyri |
| Húsey, the largest of a group of about 20 islands and skerries referred to as “Hvalseyjar”, located in Faxaflói bay (West) | 0.06 | 0 | Borgarbyggð |
| Hvalbakur, Iceland's easternmost point | 0.01 | 0 | Múlaþing |
| Iceland, the nation's largest island by both area and population | 103,125 | 362,000 | numerous |
| Jólnir, created in an eruption in 1966, now eroded | 0.0 | 0 | Vestmannaeyjabær |
| Kolbeinsey, former island, Iceland's northernmost point; mostly eroded but still visible (2020) at low tide as two separate skerries[7] | >0.00 | 0 | Akureyri |
| Langey, “Long Island”, one of several islands with this name in Breiðafjörður (West) | 1.1 | 0 | Reykhólahreppur |
| Lundey near Reykjavík (Southwest) | 0.03 | 0 | Reykjavíkurborg |
| Lundey in Skagafjörður (Northwest) | 0.06 | 0 | Skagafjörður |
| Lundey in Skjálfandi (Northeast) | 0.02 | 0 | Norðurþing |
| Málmey | 2.4[8] | 0 | Skagafjörður |
| Mánáreyjar, two small islands (Háey and Lágey) near Tjörnes (North) | 0.08[9] | 0 | Tjörneshreppur |
| Melrakkaey | 0.73 | 0 | Grundarfjörður |
| Nesbjörg, in Álftafjörður in the Eastfjords | 0.38 | 0 | Múlaþing |
| Nýey, the name given to an island that formed in a volcanic eruption in 1783 but disappeared soon after that; the tiny skerry called Eldeyjarboði (see above) may be its remnants | 0.0 | 0 | Reykjanesbær |
| Papey | 2.0[10] | 0 | Djúpavogshreppur |
| Rockalldrangur | 0.78 | 0 | disputed |
| Skáleyjar, a group of around 150 small islands in Breiðafjörður (West) | — | 0 | Reykhólahreppur |
| Suðurey | 0.2 | 0 | Vestmannaeyjabær |
| Súlnasker | 0.03 | 0 | Vestmannaeyjabær |
| Surtsey, the second largest of the Westman Islands and Iceland's southernmost point, formed in a volcanic eruption in 1963; coastal erosion has reduced its surface area from 2.7 km2 at the end of the eruption to 2.5 km2 in 1975 and only 1.2 km2 in 2018.[11] | 1.2 | 0 | Vestmannaeyjabær |
| Svefneyjar, a group of 63 small islands in Breiðafjörður (West) | — | 0 | Reykhólahreppur |
| Sviðnur, a group of over 20 small islands in northern Breiðafjörður (West) | — | 0 | Reykhólahreppur |
| Viðey, the largest of five historic islands off the mainland coast near Reykjavík[12] (the others being Akurey, Engey, Lundey and Þerney) | 1.7[13] | 0 | Reykjavíkurborg |
| Vigur | 0.4[14] | <10 (2019) | Súðavíkurhreppur |
| Þerney | 0.4 | 0 | Reykjavíkurborg |
| Æðey | 1.2[15] | <10 (2019) | Ísafjarðarbær |
Formerly disputed islands
edit| Island | Area (km2) | Population | Other claimants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan Mayen[16] | 377 | 0 (up to 35 non-permanent residents) | |
| Greenland[17] | 2.1 million | 56,653 |
See also
editWikimedia Commons has media related to Islands of Iceland.
References
edit- ^ "Islands of Iceland". Iceland Government. 17 May 2017.
- ^ "Tentative List". UNESCO.
- ^ "Eldey".
- ^ "Landshagir 2015 by Hagstofa Íslands - Issuu". December 2015.
- ^ "Hver er stærsta eyjan við Ísland?".
- ^ "Hrappsey - NAT ferðavísir". 31 May 2020.
- ^ "Is Kolbeinsey Still There? YouTuber Tom Scott Takes Flight to Find Out". 18 August 2020.
- ^ "Landshagir 2015 by Hagstofa Íslands - Issuu". December 2015.
- ^ "Mánáreyjar".
- ^ "Landshagir 2015 by Hagstofa Íslands - Issuu". December 2015.
- ^ "Surtsey 55 ára".
- ^ "Engey, Akurey, Þerney og Lundey". 20 November 2013.
- ^ "Landshagir 2015 by Hagstofa Íslands - Issuu". December 2015.
- ^ "Vigur".
- ^ "Æðey".
- ^ "The Jan Mayen dispute between Iceland and Norway, 1979-1981". Guðni Th. Jóhannesson. 24 January 2013.
- ^ "Grænlandsdraumurinn: Hugmyndir um tilkall Íslendinga til Grænlands á 20. öld" (PDF). Skemman. May 2019.