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Breiðafjörður

Iceland (Europe and North America)

Date of Submission: 18/12/2001
Criteria:
Category: Mixed
Submission prepared by:
Menntamalaraduneytid. Ministry of Education, Science and Culture
Coordinates:
65°15' N 23°00' W
Ref.: 1604

Description

Breiðafjörður, located in the west, is a large shallow bay, about 50 km wide and 125 km long, encircled by mountains, including the glacier Snaefelisjokull, on the Snaefelisnes peninsula on the south side, and the Western Fjords to the north. The coast is a fairly narrow strip interspersed with farms and small urban areas. The spectacular land and seascape consists of shallow seas, small fjords and bays and the inner part of extensive intertidal areas dotted with about 3,000 islands, islets and skerries. The area has diverse flora and fauna, substantial portions of the Icelandic population of a number of bird and mammal species, and an intertidal zone high in biodiversity and productivity with extensive algal "forests" and other important habitats for invertebrates and fish, essential in the food chain. The island village forms a unit of houses that are architecturally unique in Iceland. The oldest house was built in 1840 and most of the houses are built at the turn of the last century, and in the first years of that century. In the Breiðafjörður area, are numerous archaeological remains that give valuable information on past ways of life, e.g. seafaring and other activities including farming. In many places we find remains of stone walls, ports, landing places and fishermen's huts in numerous islands and reefs. There are also remains of vegetable gardens or indications of their existence.



The village in Flatey was one of the cradles of culture in Iceland, a monastery was built there in 1172, it was also an important trading centre from the Middle Ages onwards, and in 1 770 it became an authorised trade post. Iceland's oldest library was built there in 1864. The well-known medieval manuscript Flateyjarb6k is named after the Island where it was preserved for a while.