Centuries ago, the land now known as Iceland was divided into administrative regions called sýslur. The word sýsla carries the meaning of a task or duty, highlighting the role these units played in carrying out official responsibilities. From the 13th century, as Iceland came under the rule of the Norwegian crown, the king appointed local representatives, or sýslumenn, to wield authority throughout these regions. The tradition of Icelanders being selected as sýslumenn, often drawn from established local families, was recorded in agreements dating back to the Old Covenant of 1262.
Initially, the size and borders of these regions fluctuated. Some covered vast parts of Iceland, even spanning multiple traditional quarters. Over time, the outline of the counties became clearer, shaped by logical boundaries like rivers and mountains, and influenced by earlier legal districts. By the 17th century, the structure settled into more recognisable divisions, with county names and centres stabilising.
By the time of the first Icelandic census in 1703, there were 23 counties across the island. Each one was under the oversight of a sýslumaður, tasked with both local policing and administration. Sýslumenn reported directly to the king and managed matters ranging from census-taking to legal oversight. With the restoration of Alþingi (parliament) in 1844, counties served as electoral districts, forming the foundation for Iceland’s first voting system outside of Reykjavík, which had its own arrangement.
Alongside these rural regions, the growth of towns gave rise to the designation of kaupstaðir, or independent towns, from the 18th century onward. These urban areas, separate from the surrounding counties, eventually numbered 23 by the 1980s. The last town to gain this independent status was Ólafsvík in 1983.
The changing face of local government
After reforms to municipal law, the distinction between rural and urban municipalities faded. Decisions affecting daily life, such as roads, education, and social welfare, gradually passed into the hands of elected local councils, reducing the direct power of the sýslumaður but not erasing the counties themselves. Sýslur, as practical government regions, gradually lost their administrative significance during the late 20th century, though the term continues in everyday conversation when referring to parts of the country.
Today, magistrates, 24 in total, retain some functions tied to the earlier county system. They oversee local policing (except in Reykjavík, where there is a separate police commissioner), as well as administrative duties like civil marriages and declarations of bankruptcy. The current districts often mirror the old county divisions but now typically bear the name of their county seat, rather than the historic sýsla name.
While the age of Iceland’s sýslur as official governmental units has passed, their legacy shapes the language and identity of regions across the country. References to them remain embedded in how Icelanders talk about localities, reflecting a system that once structured everything from justice to roads and social services.
Sources
- Wikipedia
- Wikipedia (Icelandic) in Icelandic
