- Þingeyri
Þingeyri is a settlement in the municipality of
Ísafjarðarbær ,Iceland . It is located inDýrafjörður fjord in the mountainousWestfjords peninsula. It has a population of approximately 320.Continually inhabited since 1787,"Íslenska alfræðiorðabókin", p. 563.] Þingeyri is one of the oldest settlements in the WestfjordsLeffman, p. 207.] and the first trading post established there.Simmonds, p. 243.] Harding, p. 160.] It is believed to derive its name from a medieval assembly ("
þing ") and has ruins of a medieval booth believed to have been used by visitors to the assembly.Thanks to its sheltered location Þingeyri developed into a significant fishing center. In the 19th century the French applied for permission to establish a base there to support their fishing operations in the area but were turned down. In the years 1884-1898 the town served as the base for American halibut fishing in the region. In 1909 a hospital was founded in the village and in 1910-1911 a church was established. In 1957 an airport for medical transport, with a runway of 300×20 meters, was taken into use. ["Sjúkraflugvöllur tekinn í notkun á Þingeyri", "
Morgunblaðið ", November 12, 1957, p. 20.]In 1995, the inhabitants of Þingeyri voted in favor of a merger with
Ísafjörður ,Suðureyri ,Mýrahreppur ,Mosvallahreppur andFlateyri to form the new municipality ofÍsafjarðarbær . Of the six municipalities involved, Þingeyri had the lowest rate of approval for the merger with 130 voting in favor and 71 voting against. ["Morgunblaðið ", December 5, 1995, [http://myndir.timarit.is/400862/djvu/400862_0208_434008_0019.djvu pp. 36-37.] ]The nearby mountain of Sandfell, accessed by driving or hiking, is a tourist destination known for its scenic view.
Notes
References
* Dóra Hafsteinsdóttir and Sigríður Harðardóttir (eds.) (1990). "Íslenska alfræðiorðabókin P-Ö. 1990." Reykjavík: Örn og Örlygur hf.
* Guðrún Edda Gunnarsdóttir. " [http://www.thingeyri.is/include/detail.asp?ID=43 Þingeyrarkirkja] ". From the Þingeyri official website. Last accessed October 12, 2007.
* Harding, Paul (2004). "Iceland". ISBN 1741040760
* Leffman, David and James Proctor (2004). "The Rough Guide to Iceland". ISBN 1843532891
* Simmonds, Jane (1999). "Iceland". ISBN 0887291767External links
* [http://www.thingeyri.is/thingeyri/default.asp Þingeyri official website]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
