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Reykjavik is the capitol of Iceland. It's a city with just over 100.000 people and is located in Southwest Iceland by Faxaflói, Iceland's biggest bay. The story of Reykjavik goes as far back as to the first settler Ingólfur Arnarson who came to Iceland in 874 and build himself a farm in Reykjavik. The name means "an inlet with smoke" or "Smoky Bay" and that may be one of the reasons he settled here. He saw steam coming from the ground and found natural hot springs that must have been very useful in those days. Nothing much is going on in Reykjavik until the 16th century when Reykjavik had become a trading place and by the time it was established as an independent town in 1876 it had some 170 inhabitants. By 1900 the numbers were almost 6.000 and 55.000 around 1950. It is a modern city where all the houses are heated by hot water. The staircases of apartment blocks are heated and even the parking lots and sidewalks in front of many homes and businesses have hot water flowing through to melt the snow during winter. Also very noticeable for foreign visitors are the colourful roofs and houses of the city. It is a cosmopolitan city with very active night life and many museums and art galleries. Reykjavik will be one of Europe's culture cities in the year 2000. List of photos below.
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