Skútustaðir
| Basic data | |
|---|---|
| State : |
 Iceland
|
| Region: | Norðurland eystra |
| Constituency : | Norðausturkjördæmi |
| Sýsla : | Suður-Þingeyjarsýsla |
| Population: | 502 (January 1, 2019) |
| Surface: | 6036 km² |
| Population density: | 0.08 inhabitants / km² |
| Post Code: | 660 |
| politics | |
| Community number | 6607 |
| Contact | |
| Address of the municipal administration: | Hlíðavegi 6 660 Reykjahlíð |
| Website: | www.myv.is |
| map | |
Coordinates: 65 ° 34 ′ N , 17 ° 2 ′ W |
|
The rural community Skútustaðir [ ˈskuːtʏˌstaˑðɪr ] ( Icelandic Skútustaðahreppur ) is located in northeast Iceland in the region Norðurland eystra .
On January 1, 2019, the community had 502 inhabitants, 210 of whom lived in the main town of Reykjahlíð in the northeast of Lake Mývatn . The small town of Skútustaðir is located on the south shore of the lake, about 14 km southwest of Reykjahlíð.
geography
location
Skútustaðir is one of the few municipalities in Iceland that does not border the sea. Lake Mývatn forms the largest water surface with around 37 km².
The pseudocraters
The place is known for its pseudo craters called Skútustaðagígar . These emerged when lavas from the nearby Krafla volcano system streamed over the area 3,600 or 2,500 years ago and phreatic explosions were triggered due to the high water content of the swampy soil . The craters have no access to dykes or the magma reservoirs in the earth's interior.
Further surroundings
The largest part of the municipal area is occupied by a volcanic desert, the lava field Ódáðahraun (Eng. "Culprit desert"). This is the largest lava field discovered so far in Iceland with dimensions of at least 4,400 km².
In the south lies the Dyngjujökull , a marginal glacier of Vatnajökull . The river Jökulsá á Fjöllum forms the eastern border .
Well-known mountains are the table mountain Herðubreið (1682 m), the volcano Askja with one of the deepest lakes in Iceland, the Öskjuvatn , and the central volcano Krafla (818 m).
Population development
Like most areas of Iceland in the meantime, except for the southwest around the capital Reykjavík, Skútustaðir is affected by population decline (1997 to 2005: –13%).
| Year * | Residents |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 472 |
| 2003 | 440 |
| 2004 | 437 |
| 2005 | 428 |
| 2006 | 410 |
* on December 1st
Web links
- Local government website (Icelandic, English, German)
- General information
- Natural pool
- Umhverfisstofnun: Skútustaðagígar (map of the protected craters) (PDF; 147 kB)
- Pseudocrater at Skútustaðir
