Vestmannaeyjar

Iceland

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July 14, 2026

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The Vestmanna Islands are a group of 14 small, rocky, and barren islands located off Iceland's southern coast. The largest and only inhabited island is Heimaey, home to the town of Vestmannaeyjar.1

These islands are volcanic in origin. In 1963-1967, the volcanic island of Surtsey emerged nearby, covering the Vestmanna Islands with ash. A significant eruption on Heimaey in 1973 destroyed about one-third of Vestmannaeyjar town, though the harbor remained intact. Fishing and some farming are the main economic activities.12

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Vestmanna Islands
…on which the town of Vestmannaeyjar is located. Fishing and some limited farming are the chief economic activities. The fiery emergence in 1963–67 of the volcanic isle of Surtsey, 14 miles (23 km) southwest, covered the island group with a layer of ash. In January 1973 a volcanic eruption broke…
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…on which the town of Vestmannaeyjar is located. Fishing and some limited farming are the chief economic activities. The fiery emergence in 1963–67 of the volcanic isle of Surtsey, 14 miles (23 km) southwest, covered the island group with a layer of ash. In January 1973 a volcanic eruption broke…
Read More

Iceland
Land
…lava into the town of Vestmannaeyjar, an important fishing centre. Most of the more than 5,000 residents had to be evacuated, and—although the harbour remained intact—about one-third of the town was destroyed. Continuous eruptions took place in the Krafla area in the northeast in 1975–84, damaging a geothermal generating project…
Read More
…lava into the town of Vestmannaeyjar, an important fishing centre. Most of the more than 5,000 residents had to be evacuated, and—although the harbour remained intact—about one-third of the town was destroyed. Continuous eruptions took place in the Krafla area in the northeast in 1975–84, damaging a geothermal generating project…
Read More