Transport in Iceland
The modes of transport in
Rail
Iceland has no public railways, although proposals to build a passenger line between Keflavík and Reykjavík have been made as well as proposals to build a light rail system in Reykjavík.[3]
In the past, locomotive-powered and hand-operated rails have been temporarily set up during certain construction projects, and have long since been dismantled.[4] Some artifacts from their existence remains in museums and as static exhibits.[5]
Road
Iceland has 12,869 kilometres (7,996 mi) of publicly administered roads, 5,040 kilometres (3,130 mi) of which are paved.
Sea
The major
- Akureyri
- Hornafjördur
- Ísafjörður
- Keflavík
- Raufarhöfn
- Reykjavík
- Seyðisfjörður
- Straumsvík
- Vestmannaeyjar
Merchant marine:
total:
3 ships (with a tonnage of 1,000gt or over) totaling 13,085gt/16,938 tonnes deadweight (DWT)
ships by type:
chemical tanker 1, container ship 1, petroleum tanker 1 (1999 est.)
Transport ferries: The only habitable islands around Iceland are supplied and infrastructurally connected with the mainland via
- Vestmannaeyjar The largest and most populated island.
- Hrísey In the middle of Eyjafjörður in northern Iceland.
- Grímsey An island in the far-north, the northernmost part of Iceland.
Those
- There is also a car ferry between West Fjords peninsula, stopping at the Flateyisland.
- There is one international ferry between Seyðisfjörður on the east coast, going to the Faroe Islands and Denmark.
Air
As of 2010,[8] there are 99 airports in Iceland:
Length | Paved | Unpaved | Totals |
---|---|---|---|
over 3,047 m | 1 | 0 | 1 |
1,524 to 2,437 m | 3 | 3 | 6 |
914 to 1,523 m | 2 | 27 | 29 |
under 914 m | 0 | 63 | 63 |
Total | 6 | 93 | 99 |
Public transport
Public transport systems in Iceland are relatively underdeveloped and many areas are poorly served by public transport.[9]
Limited services are provided in major urban areas, for example
Automobile ownership is also relatively high—the country has one of the highest rates in the world—with 580 cars per 1000 people (as of 2000), a figure similar to the United States.[11] Unusually, this does not cause as much traffic congestion as one might imagine, as the urban area of Reykjavík is relatively spread out in comparison to its population.[citation needed] Therefore, demand for public transport services is low and has not developed as much as it has in countries with similar levels of economic development.
In recent years[
The country is served by some sea services. For example, ferries are available from the Faroe Islands and Denmark notable operators include Smyril Line amongst others. Ferry services also operate between Þorlákshöfn and the Westman Islands, operated by Eimskip.[14]
See also
- H-dagurinn
- Rail transport in Iceland
- Road signs in Iceland
- Tunnels in Iceland
- Vegagerðin
References
- ^ "Three major projects (EUR1 billion) at Keflavik Airport in next 12 years – right choice? Part one". CAPA - Centre for Aviation. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
- ^ "Population by municipality, age and sex 1998-2022 - Division into municipalites as of 1 January 2023". PX-Web. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
- ^ "MPs Propose Trains in Iceland". Iceland Review. 2008-02-20. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
- ^ Kirk, N. P. (1902). "Map of Reykjavík Harbour Railway". Minjasafnið.
- ^ "Minjasafn Reykjavík" (PDF). minjasafnreykjavikur.is/. 1982.
- Alþingi (Icelandic parliament). Retrieved 2010-04-25.
- ^ "Eurostat - Modal split of passenger transport". ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
- ^ "CIA World Factbook". CIA.
- .
- ^ "Should You Rent a Car or Use Public Transportation in Iceland?". gocarrental.is. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
- ^ "ICELAND WORLDWIDE – Practical information". Archived from the original on 2007-08-16. Retrieved 2008-05-24.
- ^ "Iceland Review—Reykjavík City Wants Feasibility Study on Trains". Retrieved 2008-05-24.
- ^ "Iceland Review—MPs Propose Trains in Iceland". Retrieved 2008-05-24.
- ^ "Eimskip – Forsíða". Archived from the original on 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2008-05-24.