East of Iceland

 

The east of Iceland is made up of 8 municipalities and 10.800 people. The municipalities the area is made up of and their population in the end of 2008 where are shown in the table. The area is quite large or 15.700km2 and is therefore very dense with only 0,7 person per km2. The east of Iceland is the part of Iceland farthest from city noise, closest to Europe, and a gem of natural wonders and history.

 

 

The main focus areas in the RTS project are the two biggest municipalities in the area Fjardabyggd and Fljotsdalsherad. Over the last 10 years there has been 20% increase in population in those two municipalities while in most other places in the area the population has been decreasing. The municipality Fjardabyggd is made up of six towns in five fjords in the east fjords; Neskaupsstadur (known by locals as Nordfjordur), Eskifjordur, Reydarfjordur, Faskrudsfjordur, Stodvarfjordur and Mjoifjordur. In Mjoifordur there live approximately 30 people, during the winter the road to it is closed and inhabitants have to rely on a ferry to Nordfjord that runs twice a week. In Fljotsdalsherad Egilsstadir is the main service centre. Public transportation between these major towns is going to be the main focal point for the Icelandic part of the RTS project, although the rest of the area is going to be taken into considerations.

---

There have been some great changes in the area over the last years. In the east of Iceland the biggest hydropower plant in Iceland, Karahnjukavirkjun was built starting in 2002 and was the electricity; 690MW, meant for aluminium smelter that Alcoa had planned to build in the area. Alcoa built its smelter in Reydarfjordur at the same time as the dam was being built. Those projects have influenced the area in a larger scale and brought with it more employment and better service to the area as a side product. Despite this the area keeps its regional specialities such as the easy access to beautiful and pure nature, good hunting lands and small fishing villages. The nature in extraordinary in the east of Iceland, being the only area in Iceland inhabited by reindeers it also is the home of a large number of bird species and is world known for its special geological qualities and history.

---

The Development Centre of East Iceland was founded in 1983. Its main role is to work towards positive business and community development in the Eastern regions of Iceland. Its main office is in Egilsstadir but recently a second office opened in Reydarfjordur. The main activities of the Development Centre of East-Iceland are, among others, policy formulation, population development and advancement of employment. The Development Centre offers manifold projects support to innovators and SMBs in growth as well as being concerned with motivating East-Icelandic society and competitiveness with assignments in population development.

---