Ivittuut
Encyclopedia
Ivittuut, was a municipality
(from 1951 until 2008), located on the coast of Arsuk fjord in southern Greenland
. With an area of just 100 km² (600 km² according to other sources), 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
. It has been integrated into the new Sermersooq
municipality. Due its small size, the land of the municipality is all ice free, as it does not extend inward to the ice sheet
of Greenland.
The town of Ivittuut
is abandoned, and the only settlement of the municipality is the naval base Kangilinnguit
(Grønnedal) which is to stay. The municipality only exists de jure
and may be absorbed by Narsaq
in the future.
Kangilinnguit is the Danish
naval
headquarters of Greenland. The base was originally established to protect the important cryolite
mine
of Ivittuut.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
(from 1951 until 2008), located on the coast of Arsuk fjord in southern 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...
. With an area of just 100 km² (600 km² according to other sources), it was the smallest municipality of Greenland, bordering on the former Narsaq
Narsaq
Narsaq is a town in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. The name Narsaq is Greenlandic for "plain", referring to the beautiful plain on the shore of Tunulliarfik Fjord where the town is located.- History :...
municipality in the north, east, and south, and on the west by the Labrador Sea
Labrador 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...
. It has been integrated into the new Sermersooq
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. Due its small size, the land of the municipality is all ice free, as it does not extend inward to the ice sheet
Greenland ice sheet
The Greenland ice sheet is a vast body of ice covering , roughly 80% of the surface of Greenland. It is the second largest ice body in the world, after the Antarctic Ice Sheet. The ice sheet is almost long in a north-south direction, and its greatest width is at a latitude of 77°N, near its...
of Greenland.
The town of 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...
is abandoned, and the only settlement of the municipality is the naval base Kangilinnguit
Kangilinnguit
Kangilinnguit is a settlement and a naval base in the Sermersooq municipality, located at the mouth of Arsuk Fjord in southwestern Greenland. The settlement had 160 inhabitants in 2010, most of whom are Danish Navy personnel, attached to Island Command Greenland headquarters...
(Grønnedal) which is to stay. The municipality only exists de jure
De jure
De jure is an expression that means "concerning law", as contrasted with de facto, which means "concerning fact".De jure = 'Legally', De facto = 'In fact'....
and may be absorbed by Narsaq
Narsaq
Narsaq is a town in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. The name Narsaq is Greenlandic for "plain", referring to the beautiful plain on the shore of Tunulliarfik Fjord where the town is located.- History :...
in the future.
Kangilinnguit is the Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
naval
Navy
A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...
headquarters of Greenland. The base was originally established to protect the important cryolite
Cryolite
Cryolite is an uncommon mineral identified with the once large deposit at Ivigtût on the west coast of Greenland, depleted by 1987....
mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
of Ivittuut.
External links
- www.arsukfjorden.gl Local web site with maps and other information.