Selfoss, Iceland
| Selfoss | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
Night view in December
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 Location of the Municipality of Árborg |
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 Selfoss
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| Coordinates: 63°56′N 21°00′W / 63.933°N 21.000°WCoordinates: 63°56′N 21°00′W / 63.933°N 21.000°W | |
| Country |
 Iceland
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| Constituency | South Constituency |
| Region | Southern Region |
| Municipality | Árborg |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2 km2 (0.8 sq mi) |
| Population (2016) | |
| • Total | 6,934 |
| • Density | 3,137/km2 (8,120/sq mi) |
| Time zone | GMT (UTC+0) |
| Website | Official website |
Selfoss is a town in southern Iceland on the banks of the Ölfusá river.
It is a part of, and the seat, of the municipality of Árborg. The Icelandic Ring Road (Icelandic: Hringvegur) runs through the town on its way between Hveragerði and Hella. The town is a centre of commerce and small industries with a population of 6,934 (2016), making it the largest residential area in South Iceland.
The town is located about 11 km inland from the southwestern coast of Iceland, and 50 km from Reykjavík. It is the major town and the administrative seat of the Southern Region. The closest other towns are Eyrarbakki, Stokkseyri and Hveragerði.
Although "foss" means waterfall in Icelandic, there are no waterfalls in the town.
Selfoss was settled by Þórir Ásason sometime after 1000; however, the Icelandic sagas mention that Ingólfur Arnarson was here during the winter of 873-74 under the Ingólfsfjall mountain, which is west of the Ölfusá river.
In the summer of 1891, due to the lobbying of Tryggvi Gunnarsson, a member of the Alþing, the first suspension bridge was built over the Ölfusá. This was a major breakthrough in Icelandic infrastructure. The bridge made the town a logical centre for services for the surrounding agricultural region. The current bridge was built in 1945 after the original structure collapsed.
In 1900 the town was home to only 40 inhabitants, but by 2011 the population had climbed to 6,500.
In 1931 the dairy firm Mjólkurbú Flóamanna and general store Kaupfélag Árnesinga were established. These two companies were the main employers in the area for several decades. During World War II the British stationed troops at Selfoss to guard the strategic bridge.
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Wikipedia