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Grímsey
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Grímsey
Grímsey (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈkrimsˌeiː] ⓘ) is a small Icelandic island, 40 kilometres (20 nautical miles) off the north coast of the main island of Iceland, where it straddles the Arctic Circle. Grímsey is also known for the puffins and other sea birds which visit the island for breeding.
The island is administratively part of the municipality of Akureyri on the mainland; before 2009 it constituted the rural municipality of Grímseyjarhreppur [ˈkrimsˌeiːjar̥ˌr̥ɛhpʏr̥]. The island's only settlement is Sandvík [ˈsantˌviːk]. In 2021 Grímsey had 57 inhabitants. The island is accessible by regular ferry and air passenger service.
Grímsey is the northernmost inhabited Icelandic territory; the rapidly disappearing islet of Kolbeinsey lies some 60 km (30 nmi) farther north, but has never been habitable. The closest land is the coastal island of Flatey, Skjálfandi, 39.4 km (21.3 nmi) to the south.
There are steep cliffs all along the coastline except on the southwestern shore. Grímsey has an area of 5.3 square kilometres (2.0 sq mi), and a maximum elevation of 105 metres (344 ft).
The Arctic Circle runs through the island, which attracts many of the island's visitors, as it is the only accessible location in Iceland that far north. However, due to long-term oscillations in the Earth's axis, the Arctic Circle is shifting northward by about 14.5 metres (48 ft) per year (varying substantially from year to year due to the complexity of the movement). As of 2020, the place where the line crosses the island is close to the northern tip and by the middle of the 21st century it will pass north of Grimsey altogether.
There are four permanent markers for historical positions of the Arctic Circle, placed in 1717, 1817, and 1917. In 2017, a movable monument – an eight-tonne stone sphere dubbed "Orbis et Globus" – was placed on the circle, and is periodically moved to the corrected location. The Arctic Circle has crossed Grímsey since 1750, but will move northward from the island around the year 2047. For this moment it is planned to roll the sphere "Orbis et Globus" into the ocean.
Despite the northerly latitude, the climate is generally mild because of the North Atlantic Current, which brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico. The maximum daily mean temperature in any month falls short of 10 °C, so it is within a tundra (ET) climate. The record high temperature of Brú is 22.2 °C (72.0 °F) registered on July 25, 1955.
Though treeless, the island's vegetation cover is rich, consisting of marshland, grass, and moss, and the island is home to many birds, especially auks. Gulls and arctic terns also inhabit the island. The island has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports large seabird breeding colonies of black-legged kittiwakes, Atlantic puffins, razorbills and common murres.
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Grímsey
Grímsey (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈkrimsˌeiː] ⓘ) is a small Icelandic island, 40 kilometres (20 nautical miles) off the north coast of the main island of Iceland, where it straddles the Arctic Circle. Grímsey is also known for the puffins and other sea birds which visit the island for breeding.
The island is administratively part of the municipality of Akureyri on the mainland; before 2009 it constituted the rural municipality of Grímseyjarhreppur [ˈkrimsˌeiːjar̥ˌr̥ɛhpʏr̥]. The island's only settlement is Sandvík [ˈsantˌviːk]. In 2021 Grímsey had 57 inhabitants. The island is accessible by regular ferry and air passenger service.
Grímsey is the northernmost inhabited Icelandic territory; the rapidly disappearing islet of Kolbeinsey lies some 60 km (30 nmi) farther north, but has never been habitable. The closest land is the coastal island of Flatey, Skjálfandi, 39.4 km (21.3 nmi) to the south.
There are steep cliffs all along the coastline except on the southwestern shore. Grímsey has an area of 5.3 square kilometres (2.0 sq mi), and a maximum elevation of 105 metres (344 ft).
The Arctic Circle runs through the island, which attracts many of the island's visitors, as it is the only accessible location in Iceland that far north. However, due to long-term oscillations in the Earth's axis, the Arctic Circle is shifting northward by about 14.5 metres (48 ft) per year (varying substantially from year to year due to the complexity of the movement). As of 2020, the place where the line crosses the island is close to the northern tip and by the middle of the 21st century it will pass north of Grimsey altogether.
There are four permanent markers for historical positions of the Arctic Circle, placed in 1717, 1817, and 1917. In 2017, a movable monument – an eight-tonne stone sphere dubbed "Orbis et Globus" – was placed on the circle, and is periodically moved to the corrected location. The Arctic Circle has crossed Grímsey since 1750, but will move northward from the island around the year 2047. For this moment it is planned to roll the sphere "Orbis et Globus" into the ocean.
Despite the northerly latitude, the climate is generally mild because of the North Atlantic Current, which brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico. The maximum daily mean temperature in any month falls short of 10 °C, so it is within a tundra (ET) climate. The record high temperature of Brú is 22.2 °C (72.0 °F) registered on July 25, 1955.
Though treeless, the island's vegetation cover is rich, consisting of marshland, grass, and moss, and the island is home to many birds, especially auks. Gulls and arctic terns also inhabit the island. The island has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports large seabird breeding colonies of black-legged kittiwakes, Atlantic puffins, razorbills and common murres.
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