The Westfjords or West Fjords (Icelandic: Vestfirðir, Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈvɛstˌfɪrðɪr̥] , ISO 3166-2:IS: IS-4) is a large peninsula in northwestern Iceland and an administrative region, the least populous in the country. It lies on the Denmark Strait, facing the east coast of Greenland. It is connected to the rest of Iceland by a seven-kilometre-wide isthmus between Gilsfjörður [ˈcɪlsˌfjœrðʏr̥] and Bitrufjörður [ˈpɪːtrʏˌfjœrðʏr̥]. The Westfjords are very mountainous; the coastline is heavily indented by dozens of fjords surrounded by steep hills. These indentations make roads very circuitous and communications by land difficult. In addition many of the roads are closed by ice and snow for several months of the year. The Vestfjarðagöng road tunnel from 1996 has improved that situation. The cliffs at Látrabjarg comprise the longest bird cliff in the northern Atlantic Ocean and are at the westernmost point in Iceland. The Drangajökull glacier is located in the north of the peninsula and is the fifth-largest of the country, but the only glacier of the region. Westfjords is certified by the EarthCheck Sustainable Destinations program.
Population
The lack of flat lowlands in the area limits the potential for agriculture, which is mostly restricted to low-intensity sheep grazing near the fjords. Good natural harbors in many of the fjords and their proximity to fishing areas are vital for the local economy. The Westfjords are very sparsely populated, even by Icelandic standards: the total population in 2020 was 7,115. The district capital and by far the largest settlement is Ísafjörður (population around 4,000).
Main settlements in the Westfjords
- Reykhólar
- Bolungarvík
- Brjánslækur [ˈprjaunsˌlaiːkʏr̥]
- Ísafjörður
- Tálknafjörður
- Flateyri
- Suðureyri
- Hnífsdalur
- Súðavík
- Bíldudalur
- Þingeyri
- Patreksfjörður
- Skálanes
- Hólmavík
- Drangsnes
Climate
The box is for Goltur [ˈkɔl̥tʏr̥], at the tip of the peninsula 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Ísafjörður. Westfjords is generally the coldest area at sea level in Iceland, because of the East Greenland Current.
Law
In 1615, 32 shipwrecked Basque whalers were killed by locals, after which the magistrate made it law that any Basque person seen in the region should be instantly killed. This law was repealed in May 2015.
Image gallery
See also
- Barðaströnd
- Bjarkalundur
- Westfjords Heritage Museum
- Regions of Iceland
- Tunnels in Iceland
- Basque–Icelandic pidgin
References
External links
- Westfjords Tourist Board
- Westfjords website
- Images from the Westfjords (English and German)
- Awarded "EDEN - European Destinations of Excellence" non traditional tourist destination 2010
- The Bestfjords blog
- Aurora Arktika
- Westfjords Tour