List of islands of Iceland explained

This is a list of islands of Iceland. It includes all islands larger than 1 km2, as well as a number of smaller islands that are considered significant either because they are or used to be inhabited, or for specific historical, geographical or geological reasons. Thousands of other small islands and skerries are found along the coast, especially in Breiðafjörður.[1]

The areas of some of these islands may vary comparatively rapidly due to volcanic activity and subsequent action by the sea. In the case of the groups of islands in Breiðafjörður, no area is listed. This is because measurement of the smaller islands is made difficult by a large tidal range of up to six metres.[2]

List

width=500Islanddata-sort-type="number" Area (km2)PopulationMunicipality
Akurey0.070Reykjavíkurborg
Álsey0.250Vestmannaeyjabær
Bjarnarey0.40Vestmannaeyjabær
Borgarey0.50Súðavíkurhreppur
Brandur0.10Vestmannaeyjabær
Brimilsnes, in Álftafjörður in the Eastfjords0.60Múlaþing
Brokey, the largest of many islands in Breiðafjörður (West), located a short distance from land; Iceland's sixth largest island by area3.70Dalabyggð
Drangey0.20Skagafjörður
Eldey0.02[3] 0Reykjanesbær
Eldeyjarboði<0.010Reykjanesbær
Elliðaey0.450Vestmannaeyjabær
Engey0.40Reykjavíkurborg
Flatey “in Breiðafjörður” (West)0.5<10 (2018)Reykhólahreppur
Flatey “in Skjálfandi” (North)2.8[4] 0Þingeyjarsveit
Geirfuglasker (a skerry off Reykjanes with the same name disappeared in the 18th century)0.020Vestmannaeyjabær
Geldungur0.020Vestmannaeyjabær
Grímsey, situated on the Arctic Circle, off the north coast of Iceland5.357 (2021)Akureyri
Grimsey, in Húnaflói0.430Kaldrananeshreppur
Heimaey, Iceland's second largest island by area, the largest after the main island;[5] main island of the Westman Islands13.44,347 (2021)Vestmannaeyjabær
Hellisey0.10Vestmannaeyjabær
Hergilsey0.20Reykhólahreppur
Hjörsey, Iceland's fourth largest island by area, located in Faxaflói bay (West)5.50Borgarbyggð
Hrappsey1.7[6] 0Dalabyggð
Hrísey, Iceland's third largest island by area, located in Eyjafjörður fjord (North)8.0162 (2021)Akureyri
Húsey, the largest of a group of about 20 islands and skerries referred to as “Hvalseyjar”, located in Faxaflói bay (West)0.060Borgarbyggð
Hvalbakur, Iceland's easternmost point0.010Múlaþing
Iceland, the nation's largest island by both area and population103,125362,000numerous
Jólnir, created in an eruption in 1966, now eroded0.00Vestmannaeyjabær
Kolbeinsey, former island, Iceland's northernmost point; mostly eroded but still visible (2020) at low tide as two separate skerries[7] >0.000Akureyri
Langey, “Long Island”, one of several islands with this name in Breiðafjörður (West)1.10Reykhólahreppur
Lundey near Reykjavík (Southwest)0.030Reykjavíkurborg
Lundey in Skagafjörður (Northwest)0.060Skagafjörður
Lundey in Skjálfandi (Northeast)0.020Norðurþing
Málmey2.4[8] 0Skagafjörður
Mánáreyjar, two small islands (Háey and Lágey) near Tjörnes (North)0.08[9] 0Tjörneshreppur
Melrakkaey0.730Grundarfjörður
Nesbjörg, in Álftafjörður in the Eastfjords0.380Múlaþing
Nýey, the name given to an island that formed in a volcanic eruption in 1783 but disappeared soon after that; the tiny skerry called Eldeyjarboði (see above) may be its remnants0.00Reykjanesbær
Papey2.0[10] 0Djúpavogshreppur
Rockalldrangur0.780disputed
Skáleyjar, a group of around 150 small islands in Breiðafjörður (West)0Reykhólahreppur
Suðurey0.20Vestmannaeyjabær
Súlnasker0.030Vestmannaeyjabær
Surtsey, the second largest of the Westman Islands and Iceland's southernmost point, formed in a volcanic eruption in 1963; coastal erosion has reduced its surface area from 2.7 km2 at the end of the eruption to 2.5 km2 in 1975 and only 1.2 km2 in 2018.[11] 1.20Vestmannaeyjabær
Svefneyjar, a group of 63 small islands in Breiðafjörður (West)0Reykhólahreppur
Sviðnur, a group of over 20 small islands in northern Breiðafjörður (West)0Reykhólahreppur
Viðey, the largest of five historic islands off the mainland coast near Reykjavík[12] (the others being Akurey, Engey, Lundey and Þerney)1.7[13] 0Reykjavíkurborg
Vigur0.4[14] <10 (2019)Súðavíkurhreppur
Þerney0.40Reykjavíkurborg
Æðey1.2[15] <10 (2019)Ísafjarðarbær

Formerly disputed islands

width=500Islanddata-sort-type="number" Area (km2)PopulationOther claimants
Jan Mayen[16] 3770 (up to 35 non-permanent residents) Norway
Greenland[17] 2.1 million56,653 Norway Denmark

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Islands of Iceland. Iceland Government. 17 May 2017.
  2. Web site: Tentative List. UNESCO.
  3. Web site: Eldey.
  4. Web site: Landshagir 2015 by Hagstofa Íslands - Issuu.
  5. Web site: Hver er stærsta eyjan við Ísland?.
  6. Web site: Hrappsey - NAT ferðavísir. 31 May 2020.
  7. Web site: Is Kolbeinsey Still There? YouTuber Tom Scott Takes Flight to Find Out. 18 August 2020.
  8. Web site: Landshagir 2015 by Hagstofa Íslands - Issuu.
  9. Web site: Mánáreyjar.
  10. Web site: Landshagir 2015 by Hagstofa Íslands - Issuu.
  11. Web site: Surtsey 55 ára.
  12. Web site: Engey, Akurey, Þerney og Lundey. 20 November 2013.
  13. Web site: Landshagir 2015 by Hagstofa Íslands - Issuu.
  14. Web site: Vigur.
  15. Web site: Æðey.
  16. Web site: The Jan Mayen dispute between Iceland and Norway, 1979-1981. Guðni Th. Jóhannesson. 24 January 2013.
  17. Web site: Grænlandsdraumurinn: Hugmyndir um tilkall Íslendinga til Grænlands á 20. öld. Skemman. May 2019.