Arsuk
Encyclopedia
Arsuk is a village in the Sermersooq
municipality in southwestern Greenland
. It had 156 inhabitants in 2010. The name of the settlement means the beloved place in the Greenlandic language. The village is served by the communal all-purpose Pilersuisoq
store.
near the mouth of the Arsuk Fjord in the southeast. The coastline of southwestern Greenland turns to the east approximately 30 km (18.6 mi) to the south of the settlement, at the wide mouth of Alanngorsuaq Fjord
. The 1418 m (4,652.2 ft) Kuunnaat mountain rises on the mainland directly to the north of the village.
The region was first settled by people of the Saqqaq culture
arriving from the north. The area was resettled by the Norse
between the 10th century and the 14th century. Thule people
were the second southbound Inuit
migration, to arrive in the region in the 15th century, with the area permanently settled since then.
The discovery of cryolite
in Ivittuut
in the inner parts of Arsuk Fjord attracted the interest of the Danes during the colonial era, leading to the formal foundation of the settlement in 1805. The timber Lutheran
church was built in 1830.
The mines closed in 1987, with the Ivittuut settlement abandoned soon thereafter, leaving Arsuk on the economic periphery despite its tourism potential.
coastal ship, linking the village with Paamiut
in the north (6.5 hours), and Qaqortoq
in the southeast (9.5 hours), both towns serviced by Air Greenland
.
, which lost more than two thirds of the population and is headed for abandonment − and that of Kangerluarsoruseq
in the same municipality, which has already been abandoned in 2009.
Sermersooq
Sermersooq is a new municipality in Greenland, operational from 1 January 2009. It is home to Nuuk , the capital of Greenland, and is the most populous municipality in the country, with 21,232 inhabitants as of January 2010...
municipality in southwestern Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
. It had 156 inhabitants in 2010. The name of the settlement means the beloved place in the Greenlandic language. The village is served by the communal all-purpose Pilersuisoq
Pilersuisoq
Pilersuisoq A/S is a state-owned chain of all-purpose general stores in Greenland. Based in Sisimiut, it is a subsidiary of KNI, the largest commerce company in the country...
store.
Geography
Arsuk is located at the southern end of the Sermersooq municipality, on the coast of Labrador SeaLabrador Sea
The Labrador Sea is an arm of the North Atlantic Ocean between the Labrador Peninsula and Greenland. The sea is flanked by continental shelves to the southwest, northwest, and northeast. It connects to the north with Baffin Bay through the Davis Strait...
near the mouth of the Arsuk Fjord in the southeast. The coastline of southwestern Greenland turns to the east approximately 30 km (18.6 mi) to the south of the settlement, at the wide mouth of Alanngorsuaq Fjord
Alanngorsuaq Fjord
Alanngorsuaq Fjord is a fjord in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. At the mouth of the fjord the coastline of southwestern Greenland turns to the east towards Qaqortoq.- Geography :...
. The 1418 m (4,652.2 ft) Kuunnaat mountain rises on the mainland directly to the north of the village.
History
Saqqaq culture
The Saqqaq culture was a Paleo-Eskimo culture in Greenland.-Timeframe:...
arriving from the north. The area was resettled by the Norse
Norsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
between the 10th century and the 14th century. Thule people
Thule people
The Thule or proto-Inuit were the ancestors of all modern Inuit. They developed in coastal Alaska by AD 1000 and expanded eastwards across Canada, reaching Greenland by the 13th century. In the process, they replaced people of the earlier Dorset culture that had previously inhabited the region...
were the second southbound Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
migration, to arrive in the region in the 15th century, with the area permanently settled since then.
The discovery of cryolite
Cryolite
Cryolite is an uncommon mineral identified with the once large deposit at Ivigtût on the west coast of Greenland, depleted by 1987....
in Ivittuut
Ivittuut
Ivittuut, was a municipality , located on the coast of Arsuk fjord in southern Greenland. With an area of just 100 km² , it was the smallest municipality of Greenland, bordering on the former Narsaq municipality in the north, east, and south, and on the west by the Labrador Sea...
in the inner parts of Arsuk Fjord attracted the interest of the Danes during the colonial era, leading to the formal foundation of the settlement in 1805. The timber Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
church was built in 1830.
The mines closed in 1987, with the Ivittuut settlement abandoned soon thereafter, leaving Arsuk on the economic periphery despite its tourism potential.
Transport
Arsuk is a port of call for the Arctic Umiaq LineArctic Umiaq Line
Arctic Umiaq Line A/S or Arctic Umiaq is a passenger and freight line in Greenland. Its name derives from the Greenlandic word for a traditional Inuit boat, the umiaq. The sea connection provided by Arctic Umiaq is a lifeline for the entire western and southwestern Greenland...
coastal ship, linking the village with Paamiut
Paamiut
Paamiut is a town in the Sermersooq municipality in southwestern Greenland. The name of the town means "they who reside by the mouth" in Greenlandic.- Geography :...
in the north (6.5 hours), and Qaqortoq
Qaqortoq
Qaqortoq is a town in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. With a population of 3,230 as of 2011, it is the most populous town in southern Greenland, and the fourth-largest town in the country. The name is western Greenlandic and means "[the] white [one]".- History :The area around...
in the southeast (9.5 hours), both towns serviced by Air Greenland
Air Greenland
Air Greenland A/S is the flag carrier airline of Greenland, jointly owned by the government of Greenland, the SAS Group, and the government of Denmark...
.
Population
Arsuk has been losing population for almost every year in the last two decades. It lost more than half of its population relative to the 1990 levels, over 10% relative to the 2000 levels. The sharp decline in the 1990s was due to the mine closure and loss of employment. The weak growth in the late 2000s and stablization of the population level prevented Arsuk from sharing the fate of QassimiutQassimiut
Qassimiut is a settlement in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. The settlement was founded in 1835 as a trading station...
, which lost more than two thirds of the population and is headed for abandonment − and that of Kangerluarsoruseq
Kangerluarsoruseq
Kangerluarsoruseq is a former settlement in the Sermersooq municipality in southwestern Greenland.- History :...
in the same municipality, which has already been abandoned in 2009.