Eiði Municipality (Faroese: Eiðis kommuna) is a municipality of the Faroe Islands. It is part of the Eysturoy region, and consists of a northwesterly part of the Eysturoy island. The municipality borders Runavík Municipality to the east and Sunda Municipality to the south and east. The population of the municipality is 777 ( Sep.2024). Since January 1st 2025 the Mayor of the municipality is Jógvan í Skorini, who was also the mayor in 2013-2020. The municipal council consists of seven members elected every four years.[2][1][3]
The municipality contains Lake Eiði, which is situated between Eiði and Ljósá on the northwest side of Eysturoy. The Breiðá River flows nearby. Eiði power plant, the largest hydroelectric power station in the Faroe Islands, lies on the lake. The power plant opened in 1987, and is owned by the power producer and distributor SEV. A 100 metres (330 ft) long pipe, capable of holding some 17,000,000 m³ of water, feeds the plant, running from a tunnel leading up a nearby mountain.[4]
Slættaratindur, the highest mountain in the Faroe Islands, with an elevation of 880 metres (2,890 ft) is located between the villages of Eiði, Gjógv, and Funningur.[5][6]
History
The village of Eiði is first mentioned in texts in the 14th century, but carbon dating suggests that Norsemen founded the settlement in the 10th century. The area of the modern Eiði Municipality came under Norðoya Prestagjalds Municipality in 1872 where the prestegjeld municipalities were founded. In 1879 the locals of Eiði showed interest in becoming an independent municipality, which happened in 1894. The first mayor of the new municipality became Grækaris Joensen. In 1943 the municipality was divided, with three of the municipality’s six villages forming their own municipality: Sunda Municipality. This officially went into effect on 1 January 1944. The borders of the new Eiði Municipality has remained unchanged since then.[7]
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