Landshlutar

Landshlutar is a term used to describe large regional divisions within a country, typically based on geography, climate, culture, history, or administrative practice. The concept helps organize information, planning, statistics, and identity around broad areas rather than on a local municipality level. Boundaries can be formal, defined by law or policy in some contexts, or informal, reflecting traditional understandings of region.

In Iceland, landshlutar refer to traditional geographic regions that group neighboring municipalities by shared characteristics. Commonly cited regions include Austurland (East), Norðurland eystra (Northeast), Norðurland vestra (Northwest), Vesturland (West), Suðurland (South), and Suðvesturland (Southwest), with the Höfuðborgarsvæðið (Capital Region) often treated as a separate urban zone. The exact delineations vary by source and purpose, and landshlutar are not formal political units; Iceland relies on municipalities (sveitarfélög) for local government, while regional planning and statistics use broader regional concepts.

Beyond Iceland, the term landshlutur appears in other Nordic languages with a similar meaning—referring to major parts of a country or landscape used in geography, history, or administration. The usage remains pragmatic: to describe large, coherent areas that share physical features, cultural ties, or administrative functions, while recognizing that boundaries can differ depending on the context and data source. Etymologically, landshluti combines land (land, country) with hluti (part or section).