324:
123:
102:
25:
452:
166:
90:
316:
156:
bird cliffs at the tip of the
Westfjords. Numerous smaller fjords extend inland from Breiðafjörður, the largest being Hvammsfjörður at its southeastern corner. An interesting feature of the bay is that the land to the north was formed about 15 million years ago, whereas the land to the south was
436:
in the
Westfjords, stopping at the island of Flatey on the way. It is also possible to circle around Breiðafjörður overland, by car. If the weather is fine, it is possible to see the coastline of the Westfjords from the Snæfellsnes peninsula, at a distance of up to 40 km (25 mi).
124:
349:
497:
410:
398:
433:
136:) is a large shallow bay, about 50 km (31 mi) wide and 125 km (78 mi) long, in the west of Iceland. It separates the region of the
54:
362:
489:
372:
474:
on the island of Flatey which formed an important centre of
Icelandic culture. The most extensive medieval manuscript, the
541:
335:
is inhabited year-round. Many islands are used for summer residences and for harvesting of natural resources such as
76:
47:
323:
332:
480:
was written there. Afterwards, the island was an important trading post and also home to a printing press.
173:
Breiðafjörður has a spectacular land and seascape consisting of shallow seas, small fjords and bays, and
181:. The area contains about half of Iceland's intertidal area and tides can be 6 m (20 ft). The
536:
446:
37:
41:
33:
58:
296:
261:
8:
205:
149:
101:
277:
245:
117:
451:
406:
429:
417:
331:
The islands in Breiðafjörður have an unbroken history of human use, but now only
292:
253:
233:
257:
201:
141:
530:
512:
499:
241:
229:
153:
468:
336:
300:
249:
221:
144:
peninsula to the south. Breiðafjörður is encircled by mountains, including
394:
367:
476:
460:
390:
304:
281:
273:
265:
237:
94:
174:
145:
137:
409:. The process was first used in this region in 1753 and was chosen by
377:
464:
357:
288:
402:
269:
209:
194:
190:
165:
182:
432:
on the Snæfellsnes peninsula, a ferry crosses Breiðafjörður to
344:
315:
178:
89:
225:
420:
for some of
Iceland's most important economic fish species.
471:
197:
186:
105:
Breiðafjörður from Brjánslækur as the ferry Baldur arrives.
169:
Intertidal zone in Skáleyjar islands at Breiðafjörður
177:areas, dotted with about 3,000 islands, islets and
93:Main bays and fjords of Iceland. Breiðafjörður and
236:and around 50 breeding bird species including the
228:forests and other important habitats for fish and
204:, creating a diverse landscape. There are several
528:
46:but its sources remain unclear because it lacks
463:, especially in the 12th century, there was a
200:that was deeply eroded by glaciers during the
393:are other major uses of the area. South of
130:
405:obtained by evaporation of seawater using
77:Learn how and when to remove this message
450:
322:
314:
164:
100:
88:
529:
455:Hvammsfjörður, an arm of Breiðafjörður
440:
384:
152:on the Snæfellsnes peninsula, and the
215:
157:formed less than half that time ago.
116:
413:when he established Norður in 2012.
327:The island Elliðaey in Breiðafjörður
193:period. The area consists mainly of
18:
232:. The area supports 230 species of
224:and productivity and has extensive
220:The big intertidal zone is high in
13:
14:
553:
483:
291:are commonly found including the
23:
339:. Some of the islands include:
397:, on a small island offshore,
1:
284:on the islands and skerries.
423:
208:sites, some visible only at
16:Large shallow bay in Iceland
7:
490:Marine Protected areas p.28
260:. The area is an important
118:[ˈpreiːðaˌfjœrðʏr̥]
10:
558:
444:
310:
447:List of fjords of Iceland
160:
542:Western Region (Iceland)
32:This article includes a
428:From the small port of
389:Fisheries, tourism and
319:Flatey in Breiðafjörður
61:more precise citations.
456:
328:
320:
189:volcanism in the late
170:
140:(Vestfirðir) from the
106:
98:
454:
416:Breiðafjörður is the
326:
318:
168:
104:
97:are the largest bays.
92:
297:white-beaked dolphin
509: /
441:Culture and history
385:Economy and ecology
287:Several species of
457:
329:
321:
246:white-tailed eagle
216:Plants and animals
185:was formed during
171:
107:
99:
34:list of references
537:Fjords of Iceland
513:65.250°N 23.250°W
407:geothermal energy
87:
86:
79:
549:
524:
523:
521:
520:
519:
514:
510:
507:
506:
505:
502:
411:Soren Røsenkilde
391:algal harvesting
280:have their main
148:and the glacier
132:
128:
127:
126:
120:
115:
82:
75:
71:
68:
62:
57:this article by
48:inline citations
27:
26:
19:
557:
556:
552:
551:
550:
548:
547:
546:
527:
526:
518:65.250; -23.250
517:
515:
511:
508:
503:
500:
498:
496:
495:
486:
449:
443:
426:
418:spawning ground
401:. manufactures
399:Norður & Co
387:
382:
313:
293:common porpoise
254:black guillemot
234:vascular plants
218:
163:
122:
121:
113:
83:
72:
66:
63:
52:
38:related reading
28:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
555:
545:
544:
539:
493:
492:
485:
484:External links
482:
442:
439:
425:
422:
386:
383:
381:
380:
375:
370:
365:
360:
355:
352:
347:
341:
312:
309:
258:grey phalarope
217:
214:
202:quaternary age
162:
159:
150:Snæfellsjökull
85:
84:
42:external links
31:
29:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
554:
543:
540:
538:
535:
534:
532:
525:
522:
491:
488:
487:
481:
479:
478:
473:
470:
466:
462:
453:
448:
438:
435:
431:
430:Stykkishólmur
421:
419:
414:
412:
408:
404:
400:
396:
392:
379:
376:
374:
371:
369:
366:
364:
361:
359:
356:
353:
351:
348:
346:
343:
342:
340:
338:
334:
325:
317:
308:
306:
302:
298:
294:
290:
285:
283:
279:
275:
271:
267:
263:
259:
255:
251:
247:
243:
242:glaucous gull
239:
235:
231:
230:invertebrates
227:
223:
213:
211:
207:
203:
199:
196:
192:
188:
184:
180:
176:
167:
158:
155:
151:
147:
143:
139:
135:
125:
119:
111:
110:Breiðafjörður
103:
96:
91:
81:
78:
70:
60:
56:
50:
49:
43:
39:
35:
30:
21:
20:
494:
477:Flateyjarbók
475:
458:
427:
415:
388:
330:
301:killer whale
286:
262:staging area
250:common eider
222:biodiversity
219:
172:
133:
109:
108:
73:
67:January 2017
64:
53:Please help
45:
516: /
461:Middle Ages
459:During the
434:Brjánslækur
305:minke whale
274:common seal
266:brent goose
238:common shag
142:Snæfellsnes
59:introducing
531:Categories
445:See also:
373:Svefneyjar
206:geothermal
175:intertidal
154:Látrabjarg
146:Kirkjufell
138:Westfjords
134:wide fjord
114:Icelandic:
469:Augustine
465:monastery
424:Transport
395:Reykhólar
368:Skáleyjar
363:Hvallátur
358:Hergilsey
337:eiderdown
289:cetaceans
278:grey seal
403:sea salt
350:Elliðaey
282:haul-out
276:and the
270:red knot
210:low tide
195:basaltic
191:Tertiary
179:skerries
95:Faxaflói
504:23°15′W
501:65°15′N
378:Sviðnur
311:Islands
183:bedrock
55:improve
354:Flatey
345:Brokey
333:Flatey
272:. The
161:Nature
472:monks
226:algal
40:, or
303:and
268:and
264:for
256:and
198:lava
187:rift
131:lit.
467:of
533::
307:.
299:,
295:,
252:,
248:,
244:,
240:,
212:.
129:,
44:,
36:,
112:(
80:)
74:(
69:)
65:(
51:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.