ÁSAHREPPUR

Ásahreppur is a community on the western edge of Rangárvallasýsla and takes its name from  “the ásar”, natural ridges in the area. On the Ring Road the community has its limits from the bridge of Þjórsá river in the west and to the east the boundary is about 500 m from Landvegamót. There has been a bridge across Þjórsá since 1895. Ásahreppur has about 170 inhabitants who have agriculture and service as their main employment. The nature varies between grassy swamps, reclaimable land, farm areas, hills and ridges. The biggest nesting place of the grey lag goose is in the swampy desolated area of Frakkavatn. The structure of habitation is mostly clusters of farms  around the ridges, Vetleifsholtscluster, Áscluster, Ásmundarstaðircluster, Hamracluster, Sumaliðabæjarcluster, and Kálfholtscluster. In the area of Ásahreppur there are many artificial caves, used as animal houses up to the 20th century, but in the first centuries after the settlement of Iclenad it is said they were used for human habitation. Schools and other basic service for the inhabitants of Ásahreppur are kept up in good co-operation with their neighbouring communitys in Rangárvallasýsla, Skaftárhreppur and Mýrdalshreppur.