Akranes is town of 5,793 people (1. feb 2005) on the west coast of Iceland. The town started to form in the 19th century as a fishing village and in 1942 it was formally chartered and in the following years experienced the biggest surge in population in its history. The fishing industry remains the town’s most important source of employment but commerce is also a significant employer as Akranes acts as a service center for a large rural region surrounding it. Industry is a big and growing employer as well, a cement plant has been operated in the town since the 1950s and an aluminum smelting plant has been in operation near the town since 1998.