Kópavogur

Kópavogur (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈkʰoːupavɔɣʏr̥]) is Iceland's seicont lairgest municipality, wi a population o 30,180. It lies immediately sooth o Reykjavík an is pairt o the Greater Reykjavík aurie. The name leeterally means seal pup bay. The toun seal contains the profile o the kirk Kópavogskirkja wi a seal pup unnerneath.

Kópavogur
Ceety an Municipality
Seal
Motto(s):  Það er gott að búa í Kópavogi. It's guid tae live in Kópavogur. (unoffeecial)
Location o the Municipality o Kópavogur
Kópavogur Location of Kópavogur town in Iceland
Coordinates: 64°06′40″N 21°54′20″W
Kintra	Iceland
Constituency	Suðvesturkjördæmi
Region	Höfuðborgarsvæði
Municipality	Kópavogur
Govrenment
• Mayor	Guðrún Pálsdóttir
Area
• Total	83.72 km2 (32.32 sq mi)
Population  (2011)
• Total	30,779
• Density	340.0/km2 (881/sq mi)
Website	Offeecial wabsteid
Postal Codes: 200-203

Kópavogur is lairgely made up o residential auries, but haes commercial auries an a lot o industrial activity as well. Kópavogur's main sports clubs are Gerpla, Breiðablik UBK an HK. The tawest biggin in Iceland, the Smáratorg tower, is locatit in dountoun Kópavogur.

History

Kópavogur is historically significant as the steid o the 1662 Kópavogur meetin. This event merked the tot incorporation o Iceland intae Denmark-Norawa as bishop Brynjólfur Sveinsson an lawyer Árni Oddsson on behauf o the Icelandic fowk signed a document confirmin that the introduction o absolute monarchy bi the Keeng an aa appleed tae Iceland. An independent tounship, Kópavogur is adjacent tae Reykjavík.

The modren dome o Kópavogur Kirk–the toun’s emblem–dominates the skyline tae the sooth o Reykjavík. On the same hilltop is Gerðarsafn, Kópavogur Airt Museum, an elegant, spacious museum biggit in 1985 tae show the wirks o modren sculptur pioneer an gless airtist Gerður Helgadóttir, who made the stained gless windaes for the kirk. Anither collection in the museum features wirks bi painter/sculptor Magnús Árnason an his Inglis-born wife Barbara, an illustrator an graphics airtist. Selectit exhibitions frae thir collections are arranged at intervals, but the museum’s main activity is exhibitions bi modren Icelandic airtists, held approximately ivery month. An aa on the hilltop steid is the new complex Kópavogur Cultural Centre. It hooses amang ither things Iceland‘s first an anerlie custom biggit concert haw, Salurinn, Kópavogur Concert Hall, which opened in 1999. Regular concerts an recitals are held at the centre, featurin baith celebratit Icelandic performers an visitin internaitional muisickers.

Ane o Iceland‘s finest collections o molluscs an crustaceans are on display at the naitural Science Centre in Kópavogur‘s toun centre. The Cultural Centre an aa hooses impressive collections o rocks an birds, an haes fower tanks wi live fish an marine life.

Athletic facilities are amangst the best in the kintray. A new open-air geothermally heatit soummin puil, the lairgest in Iceland, is amang the mony excellent sports an leisur facilities in Kópavogur, which an aa can boast o the biggest indoor tennis court in the kintra.

In the hert o Kópavogur a massive shoppin aurie haes been developed aroond Smaralind, the lairgest shoppin maw in Iceland.

Economy

Air Atlanta Icelandic haes its heid office in Kópavogur.

Notable fowk

The sangster Emilíana Torrini is frae Kópavogur.

The 2011 Reebok CrossFit Gemmes Weemen's Champion Anníe Mist Þórisdóttir is frae Kópavogur.

Internaitional relations

Relatit page: Leet o twin touns an sister ceeties in Iceland

Twin touns — Sister ceeties

Kópavogur is twinned wi:

Tasiilaq, Greenland Klaksvík, Faroe Islands Mariehamn, Åland (Finland) Norrköping, Swaden Odense, Denmark

Tampere, Finland Trondheim, Norawa (syne 1946) Nampa, Idaho, Unitit States Wuhan, Cheenae Riverton, Manitoba, Canadae

See an aw

• Iceland
• Smáralind
• Menntaskólinn í Kópavogi
• Breiðablik

References

Notes

Freemit airtins

• Kópavogur's official webpage (in Icelandic)
• Picture gallery from www.islandsmyndir.is