# Bolungarvík

> town in Westfjords, Iceland

**Wikidata**: [Q891664](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q891664)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolungarvík)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/bolungarvik

## Summary
Bolungarvík is a town situated in the Westfjords region of Iceland, classified administratively as a city and located within the municipality of Bolungarvíkurkaupstaður. It covers an area of 108 square kilometers and has a recorded population of 995 as of January 1, 2025. The town is recognized internationally through various identifiers, including postal code 415 and coordinates 66.1575°N, 23.2508°W.

## Key Facts
- **Classification:** Town (city class) located in the Westfjords, Iceland.
- **Location:** Situated within the municipality of Bolungarvíkurkaupstaður; shares a border with Hnífsdalur.
- **Coordinates:** Latitude 66.1575, Longitude -23.250833333333333.
- **Area:** 108 square kilometres.
- **Timezone:** UTC±00:00.
- **Postal Code:** 415.
- **Population (2025):** 995 (recorded on January 1, 2025).
- **Website:** https://www.bolungarvik.is/ (available in Icelandic, English, and Polish).
- **Identifiers:** ISNI 0000000406437203; VIAF 151416182; GeoNames ID 3418112.

## FAQs
**What is the population trend of Bolungarvík?**
The population has fluctuated over the last century, peaking at 1,266 residents in 1980 before declining and stabilizing; recent data shows a slight increase from 877 in 2011 to 995 in 2025.

**Where is Bolungarvík located?**
It is located in the Westfjords region of Iceland, specifically within the Bolungarvíkurkaupstaður municipality, and operates under the UTC±00:00 timezone.

**What administrative codes are associated with the town?**
The town uses the postal code 415 and is cataloged under the Library of Congress Authority ID n92095288 and the National Library of Israel ID 987007530931805171.

**What resources are available on the official website?**
The official website provides information in three languages: Icelandic, English, and Polish.

## Why It Matters
Bolungarvík serves as a distinct demographic and geographic entity within the Westfjords of Iceland. Its significance is anchored in its persistent settlement history, with population records spanning from 1910 to 2025, demonstrating the town's resilience through demographic shifts, including a significant boom in the late 20th century. It maintains a robust digital and cultural footprint, evidenced by a Wikipedia presence in over 35 languages and an official website catering to international audiences (English and Polish) alongside Icelandic speakers.

## Notable For
- **Demographic Monitoring:** Features a highly detailed demographic record, with population data points available for almost every year from 1997 to 2025, as well as decadal data dating back to 1910.
- **Multilingual Accessibility:** Its official municipal website is uniquely tailored for three linguistic groups (Icelandic, English, Polish), reflecting specific community or tourism demographics.
- **Global Cataloging:** Possesses a wide array of international identifiers, including a Quora topic, Facebook location ID, and iNaturalist place ID, indicating a broad digital footprint.
- **Geographic Definition:** Defined by precise borders and a substantial land area of 108 square kilometers, distinguishing it from smaller settlements.

## Body

### Geography and Administration
Bolungarvík is situated in the Westfjords region of Iceland. It falls under the administrative jurisdiction of the municipality known as Bolungarvíkurkaupstaður. The town is geographically positioned at 66.1575° latitude and -23.250833333333333° longitude. It shares a political or geographic border with the entity Hnífsdalur. The town covers a total area of 108 square kilometers.

### Demographics (1910–2025)
The population of Bolungarvík has undergone significant changes over more than a century of recording.
- **Early 20th Century:** The population stood at 815 in 1910, dipping to a low of 649 in 1940.
- **Mid to Late 20th Century:** Growth resumed post-1940, reaching 704 in 1950 and 775 in 1960. The town saw a surge in the 1970s and 1980s, growing from 978 in 1970 to a historical peak of **1,266** in 1980.
- **Late 20th Century Decline:** By 1989, the population had dropped to 1,215, continuing to fall to 1,094 by 1997.
- **21st Century Fluctuations:** The early 2000s saw a gradual decline from 1,001 in 2000 to 902 in 2007. A temporary recovery occurred in 2009–2010 (reaching 970), followed by a dip to 874 in 2012.
- **Recent Trends:** Since 2012, the population has shown recovery and stability, rising from 906 in 2013 to **995** as of January 1, 2025 (the most recent preferred value).

### Digital and Cultural Presence
Bolungarvík maintains a notable presence across various digital and knowledge platforms:
- **Web:** The official website (https://www.bolungarvik.is/) supports Icelandic, English, and Polish.
- **Wikipedia:** The topic is covered in 37 site links across languages including English, German, French, Russian, Japanese, and others.
- **Academic and Library Codes:** The town is indexed under the Library of Congress Authority ID `n92095288`, the National Library of Israel ID `987007530931805171`, and the ISNI `0000000406437203`.
- **Social and Geo Apps:** It has assigned IDs for Facebook (`112344645447329`), Quora, Google Play Store, and OpenStreetMap (Relation ID `56180`).

### Visual and Media Records
The entity is visually documented through several media files. A locator map is available (`Bolungarvíkurkaupstaður_Loc.svg`), and photographic records include the file `Iceland_Bolungarvik_2.jpg`. The town also possesses a specific coat of arms image (`COA_Bolungarvik.png`). Wikimedia Commons hosts both a gallery and a category specifically for Bolungarvík, alongside a dedicated category for maps of the area.

## References

1. Open ISNI for Organizations
2. Virtual International Authority File
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
4. [Statistics Iceland](https://px.hagstofa.is/pxis/pxweb/is/Ibuar/Ibuar__mannfjoldi__2_byggdir__sveitarfelog/MAN02005.px/table/tableViewLayout2/)
5. Flickr Shapefiles Public Dataset 2.0
6. GeoNames
7. [Náttúrufræðistofnun](https://atlas.lmi.is/mapview/?application=markasja)
8. Quora
9. [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/places/inaturalist-places.csv.zip)
10. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File