Reykjanesbær
Municipality
Aerial view of Reykjanesbær
Aerial view of Reykjanesbær
Coat of arms of Reykjanesbær
Coat of arms
Location of Reykjanesbær
CountryIceland
RegionSouthern Peninsula
ConstituencySouthwest Constituency
Government
 • MayorKjartan Már Kjartansson
Area
 • Total145 km2 (56 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[1]
 • Total19,724
 • Density130.49/km2 (338.0/sq mi)
Postal code(s)
230, 232, 233, 235, 260
Municipal number2000
Websitereykjanesbaer.is

Reykjanesbær (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈreiːcaˌnɛsˌpaiːr̥] ⓘ) is a municipality on the Southern Peninsula (Suðurnes) in Iceland, though the name is also used by locals to refer to the suburban region of Keflavík and Njarðvík which have grown together over the years. The municipality is made up of the towns Keflavík, Njarðvík and the village of Hafnir. The municipality was created in 1994 when the inhabitants of the three towns voted to merge them into one. Reykjanesbær is the fourth largest municipality in Iceland, with 19,676 citizens (2021).[1][2][3]

Overview

Of the three towns which make up the municipality, Keflavík is the largest, while Hafnir is the smallest and some 10 kilometers distant. Keflavík and Njarðvík were originally distinct towns but gradually grew together over the course of the latter half of the 20th century, until the only thing separating them was a single street. The northern side of the street belonged to Keflavík and the southern side to Njarðvík. Since May 2009 the township of Njarðvík has been the location of the Viking World museum (Víkingaheimar).[4]

In 2006, when the United States Navy closed Naval Air Station Keflavik, the site was taken over by the development agency Kadeco, and renamed Ásbrú. A university, Keilir, was founded and now Ásbrú houses the campuses of various educational institutions and also businesses, both newly founded and relocated to the site of the air base.[5][6]

Demographics

Residents by citizenship
(1 January 2018)[7]
NationalityPopulation
 Iceland14,163 (79.55%)
 Poland2,526 (14.19%)
 Lithuania 208 (1.17%)
Other countries/territories
 Latvia96
 Denmark82
 Croatia49
 Romania43
 Philippines40
 United Kingdom35
 Greece33
 United States32
 Bulgaria30
 Portugal30
 Sweden28
 Spain27
 Iraq24
 Thailand20
Other Europe169
Africa62
Other Asia60
Other Americas31
Oceania7
Stateless 10

Reykjanesbær is the most populous municipality in the Suðurnes region, the fourth most populous in Iceland, and the most populous outside of the Greater Reykjavík area. The municipality had a population of 18,920 on 1 January 2019; that is about 5.3% of the country's population. The Suðurnes region, which includes Reykjanesbær and five neighbouring municipalities, was home to 27,113 people; that is about 7.6% of the country's population.[1]

On 1 January 2018, of the town's population of 17,805, immigrants of the first and second generation numbered 4,352 (24.4%).[8][9] The most common foreign citizens were Poles, Lithuanians, and Latvians.[7]

Points of interest

Twin towns – sister cities

Reykjanesbær is twinned with:[10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Population by municipalities, sex and age 1 January 1998-2019 - Current municipalities". www.hagstofa.is. Statistics Iceland. 1 January 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  2. ↑ "Reykjanesbær municipality". reykjanesbaer.is. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Suðurnes". citypopulation.de/. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  4. ↑ "Víkingaheimar". Lonely Planet. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Keflavik Air Base, Iceland". navytimes.com. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Keilir Educational Institution". keilir.net. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  7. 1 2 "Population by sex, municipality and citizenship 1 January 1998-2018". www.hagstofa.is. Statistics Iceland. 1 January 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  8. ↑ "Population by municipalities, sex and age 1 January 1998-2019 - Current municipalities". www.hagstofa.is. Statistics Iceland. 1 January 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  9. ↑ "Immigrants by sex and municipality 1 January 1996-2018". www.hagstofa.is. Statistics Iceland. 1 January 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2019.
  10. ↑ "Vinabæir". reykjanesbaer.is (in Icelandic). Reykjanesbær. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
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