Description : Akranes is a port town and municipality on the west coast of Iceland, around 50 km (31 mi)north of the capital Reykjavík. The area where Akranes is located was settled in the 9th century, but did not receive a municipal charter until 1942. Akranes was settled in the 9th century by the brothers Þormóður and Ketill, sons of Bresi. They came from Ireland. The town started to form in the mid-17th century as a fishing village. In 1942, it was formally chartered, and in the following years it had the biggest surge in population in its history.
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