Editing Akureyri (section)

== History ==
[[File:Akureyri 19th century.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Akureyri in the late 19th century]]

The [[Norsemen|Norse]] Viking Helgi ''magri'' (the slim) Eyvindarson originally settled the area in the 9th century. The first mention of Akureyri is in court records from 1562, when a woman was sentenced there for adultery.<ref name="akureyi-history">{{cite web|url=http://www.akureyri.is/english/from-the-history-of-akureyri|title=From the history of Akureyri|access-date=2009-07-13|publisher=akureyri.is|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423083957/http://www.akureyri.is/english/from-the-history-of-akureyri|archive-date=2012-04-23|url-status=live}}</ref> In the 17th century, Danish merchants based their camps at the current site of Akureyri, which was one of the numerous [[spit (landform)|spits]] of land in [[Pollurinn]]. The main reasons for choosing this spot for trading operations were the outstanding natural harbour and the fertility of the area. The merchants did not live at Akureyri year-round, but returned home in the winter.<ref name=evans210/>

Permanent settlement at Akureyri started in 1778,<ref name="akureyi-history"/> and eight years later, the town was granted its municipal charter by the king, [[Christian VII of Denmark|Christian VII]], along with five other towns in Iceland. The king hoped to improve the living conditions of Icelanders by this action, because at the time, Iceland had never had urban areas. As far as the king was concerned, Akureyri was unsuccessful, because it did not grow from its population of 12. It lost its municipal status in 1836, regaining it only in 1862. From then on, Akureyri grew because of the excellent port conditions and perhaps more because of the productive agricultural region around it. Agricultural products became an important sector of the economy.<ref name="AR-business">{{cite web|url=http://www.afe.is/invest/index.php?pid=14 |title=Akureyri region: Iceland's fastest growing region, and a nice region to live in, too! |publisher=Akureyri Region Business Agency |access-date=2009-07-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704092141/http://www.afe.is/invest/index.php?pid=14 |archive-date=2010-07-04 }}</ref>

[[File:Akureyri, viewed from the eastern shore of Eyjafjörður.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Akureyri, with [[Hlíðarfjall]] behind, viewed from the eastern shore of [[Eyjafjörður]], morning November 2007]]

During World War II, Akureyri was one of three air bases used by the Norwegian-British [[No. 330 Squadron RNoAF]].<ref name="olsen">Olsen, Bjorn (1981). "Norwegian Northrop". In ''[[After the Battle]]'', No. 32, pages&nbsp;43–50.</ref> The squadron, which was formed on 25 April 1941, flew [[Northrop N-3PB]] bombers: 'A' flight was based at [[RAF Reykjavik]], 'B' flight at Akureyri and 'C' flight at Budareyri ([[Reyðarfjörður]] now).<ref name="olsen"/> On 1 December 1940, 'A' and 'B' flights ceased operating from Norwegian bases, but 'C' flight continued to fly Northrop N-3PBs from Akureyri until 5 April 1943.<ref name="olsen"/> No. 330 Squadron RNoAF also operated [[PBY Catalina|Catalina]] flying boats from Akureyri, which protected convoys between the United States, the United Kingdom, and [[Murmansk]] in northern Russia from attack by German submarines.<ref name="olsen"/><ref>Jefford, C.G. RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing, 2001. {{ISBN|1-84037-141-2}}.</ref> Under the German plan for invasion of Iceland, ''[[Operation Ikarus]]'', Akureyri was scheduled as one of two ports at which the Germans were to land.<ref name="Command Magazine 1993">{{cite news |last1=Schuster |first1=Carl O. |title=Operation Ikarus |url=https://archive.org/details/command-magazine-issue-22/page/n63/mode/2up?q=Operation+Ikarus+Iceland |access-date=26 April 2023 |work=Command Magazine |issue=22 |publisher=XTR Publishing |date=May–June 1993 |pages=62–63}}</ref>

In the 20th century, Iceland experienced an exodus from the countryside to the towns.<ref>{{Cite journal|first1=Hans |last1=Norman |first2=Harald |last2=Runblom |title=Migration patterns in the Nordic countries |url=http://www.stm.unipi.it/clioh/tabs/libri/1/10-norman(28).pdf |journal=Uppsala Universitet |access-date=2009-06-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718143614/http://www.stm.unipi.it/clioh/tabs/libri/1/10-norman%2828%29.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-18 }}</ref> Commerce and service industries grew to be the primary employers in Akureyri in the 1990s.<ref name="AR-business"/> [[Jón Sveinsson]], a popular author of children's books, grew up in Akureyri; [[Nonni's House|his childhood home]] is now a museum.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.nonni.is/?m=page&f=viewPage&id=8|title= Nýjustu fréttir|publisher= Nonnahús Akureyri|access-date= 2009-07-06|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090912195216/http://nonni.is/?m=page&f=viewPage&id=8|archive-date= 2009-09-12|url-status= live}}</ref>

In the early 21st century, fishing industries have become more important in Akureyri as two of the major fishing companies of Iceland have become a more important source of revenue and are expected to grow further in coming years. The [[University of Akureyri]] was founded in 1987 and is growing rapidly.

Since 2004, the former municipality of [[Hrísey]], an island {{convert|35|km|0|abbr=on}} to the north, has been a part of Akureyri.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.akureyri.is/stornkerfid/fundargerdir/hrisey/2004/nr/6004 |title=Hrísey 2004 |publisher=akureyri.is |access-date=2009-06-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716021843/http://www.akureyri.is/stornkerfid/fundargerdir/hrisey/2004/nr/6004 |archive-date=2011-07-16 }}</ref> Hrísey, which has a population of 210, is the second-largest island off Iceland and is a site for pet and livestock quarantine. The settlement was previously the site of fishing processing.<ref name=parnell220>{{Harvnb|Parnell|O'Carroll|2007|p=[{{Google books|plainurl=y|id=xu25x4WuFwIC|page=220|text=Akureyri}} 220]}}</ref> The town is located on the southern part of the island.<ref name=parnell220/> The northern part consists of privately owned land that requires passes to enter.<ref name=parnell220/>

[[File:Akureyri from the Sky.jpg|thumb|Aerial panorama of Akureyri, taken in June 2017]]