Reykjavik - City of Iceland

Reykjavík is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay.

Reykjavík is believed to be the location of the first permanent settlement in Iceland, which Ingólfur Arnarson is said to have established around 870. Until the 18th century, there was no urban development in the city location. The city was founded in 1786 as an official trading town and grew steadily over the next decades, as it transformed into a regional and later national centre of commerce, population and governmental activities.

Today, Reykjavík is the centre of the Greater Reykjavík Area which, with a population of 195,000, is the only metropolitan area in Iceland. As a highly modernized capital of one of the most developed countries in the world, its inhabitants enjoy a first-class welfare system and city infrastructure. Its location, only slightly south of the Arctic Circle, receives only four hours of daylight on the shortest day in the depth of winter; during the summer the nights are almost as bright as the days. It has continued to see population growth in past years as well as growth in areas of commerce and industry.

Reykjavík was ranked first on Grist Magazine's "15 Greenest Cities" list.

Population of Reykjavík is around 120,000

Reykjavík is much warmer than most locations at a similar latitude despite its extreme north Atlantic location. The climate is subpolar oceanic, and the city is on the northern edge of the temperate zone. The city's coastal location does make it prone to wind, however, and gales are common in winter. The average mid-winter temperatures are not significantly lower than those in New York City. This is because the Icelandic coastal weather in winter is moderated by the warm waters of the Gulf Stream.

Secondary schools
Menntaskólinn við Hamrahlíð
Menntaskólinn í Reykjavík
Verzlunarskóli Íslands
Menntaskólinn við Sund
Borgarholtsskóli
Fjölbrautaskólinn við Ármúla
Iðnskólinn í Reykjavík
Menntaskólinn Hraðbraut
Kvennaskólinn í Reykjavík
Fjölbrautaskólinn Breiðholti
Fjöltækniskóli Íslands

Universities
The University of Iceland
Reykjavík University
Iceland University of Education
Iceland Academy of the Arts


The first permanent settlement in Iceland by Nordic people is believed to have been established in Reykjavík by the Norseman Ingólfur Arnarson around AD 870; this is described in Landnámabók, or the Book of Settlement. Ingólfur Arnarson is said to have decided the location of his settlement using a traditional Viking method; by dumping his high seat pillars, Öndvegissúlur, in the ocean when he saw the coastline and then settled where the pillars came to shore. Steam from hot springs in the region is supposed to have inspired Reykjavík's name, as Reykjavík loosely translates to "Smokey Bay".

Reykjavík has in the last two decades become a significant player in the global community. The 1986 Reykjavík Summit between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev underlined Reykjavík's new-found international status. Deregulation in the financial sector and the computer revolution of the 1990s have transformed Reykjavík yet again. The financial sector and information technology are now significant employers in the city. The city has fostered some world famous talents in recent years, such as singers like Björk and Oddur Sigurjónsson and bands Múm and Sigur Rós.

Reykjavík is often dubbed "the nightlife capital of the north" . It is famous for its nightlife during the weekends. Icelanders tend to go out late so bars that look rather quiet can fill up suddenly - usually around midnight on a weekend.

The arrival of the new year is a particular cause for celebration to the people of Reykjavík. Icelandic law states that anyone may purchase and use fireworks during a certain period around New Year's Eve. Most places that sell fireworks in Iceland make their own rules about age of buyers; usually it is around 16. The people of Reykjavík spend enormous sums of money on fireworks, most of which are fired as midnight approaches on December 31. As a result, every New Year's Eve the city is lit up with fireworks displays.