Nuuk
Encyclopedia
Nuuk, is the capital of Greenland
, the northernmost capital in North America
and the largest city in Greenland. Located in the Nuup Kangerlua
fjord
, the city lies on the eastern shore of the Labrador Sea
and on the west coast of Sermersooq
. Nuuk is the largest cultural and economic center in Greenland. Foreign cities closest to the capital are Iqaluit and St. John's
in Canada
and Reykjavik
in Iceland
.
Nuuk is the seat of government for the Sermersooq
municipality. It has a population of 15,469 (as of January 2010), making it one of the smallest capital cities in the world by population.
people of the Saqqaq culture
as far back as 2200 BC when they lived in the area around the now abandoned settlement of Qoornoq
. For a long time it was occupied by the Dorset culture
around the former settlement of Kangeq
but they disappeared from the Nuuk district before AD 1000. The Nuuk area was later inhabited by Viking explorers in the 10th century, and shortly thereafter by Inuit
peoples. Inuit and Norsemen both lived with little interaction in this area from about AD 1000 until around AD 1500, when Norse
settlement ended, probably due to changes in climate and vegetation.
The city proper, christened Godthåb (Good Hope), was founded in 1728 by the Danish-
Norwegian
missionary
Hans Egede
, who had arrived earlier in 1721. Hans Egede
arrived at a place close to an existing Inuit
population at Kangeq
. At that time, Greenland was formally still a Norwegian colony
under the Dano-Norwegian Crown, but the colony had not had any contact with Norway proper for almost three centuries. King Frederick IV
sent three frigates to Greenland soon after Egede re-established Godthåb, bringing personnel and materials to build a fort. Most of the personnel were convicts and prostitutes and most died within the first year of scurvy and other ailments. In 1733 to 1734 a smallpox
epidemic killed most of the native population as well as Hans Egede's wife. Hans Egede
went back to Denmark in 1736 after 15 years in Greenland, leaving his son Paul Egede
to continue his work. Moravian missionaries took over the area.
Around 1850, Greenland and especially the area around Nuuk were in crisis. The Europeans had brought diseases and a culture that conflicted with the ways of the native Greenlanders. Many Greenlanders were living in poverty. In 1853 Hinrich Johannes Rink
came to Greenland and perceived that the Greenlanders had lost much of their culture and identity under Danish influence. In response he started Greenland's first newspaper, Atuagagdliutt, in 1861, with a native Greenlander as editor. This newspaper based in Nuuk later became very significant for the Greenlandic identity.
During World War II
there was a reawakening to Greenlandic national identity. Greenlanders shared a written language and assembled a council under Eske Brun's leadership in Nuuk. In 1940 an American and a Canadian Consulate were established in Nuuk. Under new regulations in 1950, two councils amalgamated into one. This Countryside Council was abolished on May 1, 1979, when the city of Godthåb was renamed Nuuk by the Greenland Home Rule government. As in Greenland as a whole, Nuuk is populated today by both Inuit and Danes. Currently over a third of Greenland's total population lives in the Nuuk Greater Metropolitan area.
, some 10 km (6.2 mi) from the shores of Labrador Sea
on the southwestern coast of Greenland, and about 240 km (149.1 mi) south of the Arctic Circle
. Initially, the fjord flows to the northwest, to then turn southwest at 64°43′N 50°37′W, splitting into three arms in its lower run, with three big islands in between the arms: Sermitsiaq Island
, Qeqertarsuaq Island
, and Qoornuup Qeqertarsua. The fjord widens into a bay dotted with skerries
near its mouth, opening into Labrador Sea at approximately 64°03′N 51°58′W. The Sermitsiaq mountain looms over the city and can be seen almost everywhere in Nuuk. The mountain has given its name to the nationwide newspaper Sermitsiaq
.
(Köppen
ET) with cold, snowy winters and cool summers. In December, the sun rises at 10:00 and sets at 14:30. By contrast, from late May to early August the days are long. Temperatures average below freezing for 7 months of the year. The coldest month is March, at −8.0 °C, while the warmest is July, at 6.5 °C (43.7 °F), while the year averages out at −1.42 °C. Extremes have ranged from −29.5 °C to 24.2 °C (76 °F).
, it is the only town in the Sermersooq municipality exhibiting stable growth patterns over the last two decades. The population increased by over a quarter relative to the 1990 levels, and by nearly 16% relative to the 2000 levels.
from the Inuit Ataqatigiit
party.
The national parliament of Greenland, the Landsting
, is located in Nuuk. It currently has 31 seats and its members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms. All of Greenland's major political parties have their headquarters in Nuuk, including the Inuit Ataqatigiit
, Siumut
, Democrats
, Atassut
, Association of Candidates and the Women's Party
.
's municipalities, led by Enok Sandgreen. The aim of the organization is to facilitate cooperation between all four municipalities of Greenland: Kujalleq
, Qaasuitsup
, Qeqqata
, and Sermersooq
. The organization runs the municipal elections every four years, with the last election taking place in 2008. All municipal authorities in Greenland are currently members of the organization. The association is overseen by Maliina Abelsen
, the Minister for Social Affairs in the Government of Greenland.
. Minerals such as zinc
, gold
, etc. have contributed to the development of Nuuk's economy.
The city, like much of Greenland, is heavily dependent upon Danish investment and relies on Denmark for block funding.
by way of a 132 kV powerline crossing Ameralik fjord
on the world's longest span.
(Ilisimatusarfik), which is the only university in Greenland, is located in Nuuk. The university expanded in 2007 with the new building called Ilimmarfik which houses departments of journalism, management and economics, language, literature and media, cultural and social history, theology and religion and social work. Nuuk is also home to the Department of Learning (Ilinniarfissuaq), the oldest educational facility in Greenland, located in the old colonial part of Nuuk (Nuutoqaq: Old Nuuk). Other notable educational institutions include the Department of Nursing and Health Science, Nuuk Technical College and the Iron- & Metal School.
. The hospital not only serves as the main hospital for the municipality but is the central hospital in all of Greenland. The hospital has around 130 beds.
was built in 1992 to house the headquarters of the new National Tourist Board of Greenland. It was built not only to provide information to tourists but as an attraction, with a fake Christmas tree and an extremely large postal box.
, which is also headquartered in Nuuk, and operates its technical base at the airport.
which link the communities of the western coast.
. The majority of the 72 buses and 2,570 cars owned in Greenland (as of 2004) operate in Nuuk. Nuup Bussii
provides frequent bus services to the outlying districts of Nuussuaq
and Qinngorput
.
was established in 1849. The red building with a steeple is a prominent site on the landscape. The Herrnhut House was the centre of the Moravian Mission station in Nuuk which was active across the west coast. Other landmarks include the Hans Egede Church
and the Hans Egede Statue
.
s cinema
, exhibition
s and conferences. It was designed by schmidt hammer lassen
, it was inaugurated on February 15, 1997. Katuaq contains two auditoria
, the larger one seating 1,008 people and the smaller one 508. The complex also contains an art school
, library
, meeting facilities, administrative offices and a café.
and a few in Greenlandic
. As of 2007, the university had approximately 150 students, almost all local inhabitants, and around 14 academic staff and five technical-administrative employees. Its library holds approximately 18,000 volumes.
corporation of Greenland is based in Nuuk. It is an independent state-owned corporation headed by a seven-person board. KNR provides one national television
station and one national radio
station. The radio station operates mostly in the Greenlandic language (Kalaallisut) but also in Danish
.
The Greenland Centre for Performing Arts
in Nuuk was opened in 1997, as a joint project between the Greenland Government, the Nuuk Municipal Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers. The centre contains a theatre, an exhibition hall and conference facilities and a cafe.
The National Library of Greenland
in Nuuk is the largest reference library in the country, devoted to the preservation of national cultural heritage and history. The library holdings are split between the public library in the town centrum, and Ilimmarfik, the campus of the University of Greenland
. As of 1 January 2008, there are 83,324 items in the library database at Ilimmarfik.
The most famous sports club is Nuuk IL
, founded in 1934, followed by B-67
(very famous for its football section) and GSS Nuuk
(very strong in the 70s').
Nuuk Stadium
is a multi-purpose stadium
, used mostly for football
matches. The stadium has a capacity for 2,000. The stadium can also be used as an entertainment venue and recently the Scottish
rock band Nazareth
, of Love Hurts
fame, performed at the venue. Nuuk also has the Godthåbhallen
, a handball stadium. It is the home of the Greenland national handball team
and has a capacity of 1,000.
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...
, the northernmost capital in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and the largest city in Greenland. Located in the Nuup Kangerlua
Nuup Kangerlua
Nuup Kangerlua is a long, fjord in the Sermersooq municipality in southwestern Greenland. It is the longest fjord on the Labrador Sea coast of Greenland, and one of the longest in the inhabited part of the country....
fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
, the city lies on the eastern shore of 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...
and on the west coast of 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...
. Nuuk is the largest cultural and economic center in Greenland. Foreign cities closest to the capital are Iqaluit and St. John's
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
St. John's is the capital and largest city in Newfoundland and Labrador, and is the oldest English-founded city in North America. It is located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. With a population of 192,326 as of July 1, 2010, the St...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Reykjavik
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
in Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
.
Nuuk is the seat of government for the 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. It has a population of 15,469 (as of January 2010), making it one of the smallest capital cities in the world by population.
History
The site has a long history of habitation. The area around Nuuk was first occupied by the ancient pre-Inuit, Paleo-EskimoPaleo-Eskimo
The Paleo-Eskimo were the peoples who inhabited the Arctic region from Chukotka in present-day Russia across North America to Greenland prior to the rise of the modern Inuit and/or Eskimo and related cultures...
people of the Saqqaq culture
Saqqaq culture
The Saqqaq culture was a Paleo-Eskimo culture in Greenland.-Timeframe:...
as far back as 2200 BC when they lived in the area around the now abandoned settlement of Qoornoq
Qoornoq
Qoornoq is an abandoned fishing village in the Sermersooq municipality in southwestern Greenland.-History:The area was known to have been inhabited by the ancient pre-Inuit, Paleo-Eskimo people of the Saqqaq culture as far back as 2200 BC. It still contains archaeological ruins of ancient Inuit...
. For a long time it was occupied by the Dorset culture
Dorset culture
The Dorset culture was a Paleo-Eskimo culture that preceded the Inuit culture in Arctic North America. It has been defined as having four phases, with distinct technology related to the people's hunting and tool making...
around the former settlement of Kangeq
Kangeq
Kangeq is a former settlement in the Sermersooq municipality in southwestern Greenland. It was a traditional fishing village, abandoned in the 1980s. The name of the settlement means "promontory" in the Greenlandic language.- History :...
but they disappeared from the Nuuk district before AD 1000. The Nuuk area was later inhabited by Viking explorers in the 10th century, and shortly thereafter by 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...
peoples. Inuit and Norsemen both lived with little interaction in this area from about AD 1000 until around AD 1500, when 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...
settlement ended, probably due to changes in climate and vegetation.
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...
Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
Hans Egede
Hans Egede
Hans Poulsen Egede was a Norwegian-Danish Lutheran missionary who launched mission efforts to Greenland, which led him to be styled the Apostle of Greenland. He established a successful mission among the Inuit and is credited with revitalizing Dano-Norwegian interest in the island after contact...
, who had arrived earlier in 1721. Hans Egede
Hans Egede
Hans Poulsen Egede was a Norwegian-Danish Lutheran missionary who launched mission efforts to Greenland, which led him to be styled the Apostle of Greenland. He established a successful mission among the Inuit and is credited with revitalizing Dano-Norwegian interest in the island after contact...
arrived at a place close to an existing 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...
population at Kangeq
Kangeq
Kangeq is a former settlement in the Sermersooq municipality in southwestern Greenland. It was a traditional fishing village, abandoned in the 1980s. The name of the settlement means "promontory" in the Greenlandic language.- History :...
. At that time, Greenland was formally still a Norwegian colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
under the Dano-Norwegian Crown, but the colony had not had any contact with Norway proper for almost three centuries. King Frederick IV
Frederick IV of Denmark
Frederick IV was the king of Denmark and Norway from 1699 until his death. Frederick was the son of King Christian V of Denmark and Norway and Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel .-Foreign affairs:...
sent three frigates to Greenland soon after Egede re-established Godthåb, bringing personnel and materials to build a fort. Most of the personnel were convicts and prostitutes and most died within the first year of scurvy and other ailments. In 1733 to 1734 a smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
epidemic killed most of the native population as well as Hans Egede's wife. Hans Egede
Hans Egede
Hans Poulsen Egede was a Norwegian-Danish Lutheran missionary who launched mission efforts to Greenland, which led him to be styled the Apostle of Greenland. He established a successful mission among the Inuit and is credited with revitalizing Dano-Norwegian interest in the island after contact...
went back to Denmark in 1736 after 15 years in Greenland, leaving his son Paul Egede
Paul Egede
Paul Egede was a Danish-Norwegian theologian, missionary to Greenland and scholar of the Greenlandic language....
to continue his work. Moravian missionaries took over the area.
Around 1850, Greenland and especially the area around Nuuk were in crisis. The Europeans had brought diseases and a culture that conflicted with the ways of the native Greenlanders. Many Greenlanders were living in poverty. In 1853 Hinrich Johannes Rink
Hinrich Johannes Rink
Dr. Hinrich Johannes Rink was a Danish geologist, one of the pioneers of glaciology, and the first accurate describer of the inland ice of Greenland. Rink, who first came to Greenland in 1848, spent 16 winters and 22 summers in the Arctic region, and became notable for Greenland's development...
came to Greenland and perceived that the Greenlanders had lost much of their culture and identity under Danish influence. In response he started Greenland's first newspaper, Atuagagdliutt, in 1861, with a native Greenlander as editor. This newspaper based in Nuuk later became very significant for the Greenlandic identity.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
there was a reawakening to Greenlandic national identity. Greenlanders shared a written language and assembled a council under Eske Brun's leadership in Nuuk. In 1940 an American and a Canadian Consulate were established in Nuuk. Under new regulations in 1950, two councils amalgamated into one. This Countryside Council was abolished on May 1, 1979, when the city of Godthåb was renamed Nuuk by the Greenland Home Rule government. As in Greenland as a whole, Nuuk is populated today by both Inuit and Danes. Currently over a third of Greenland's total population lives in the Nuuk Greater Metropolitan area.
Geography
Nuuk is located at approximately 64°10′00"N 51°44′00"W. at the mouth of Nuup KangerluaNuup Kangerlua
Nuup Kangerlua is a long, fjord in the Sermersooq municipality in southwestern Greenland. It is the longest fjord on the Labrador Sea coast of Greenland, and one of the longest in the inhabited part of the country....
, some 10 km (6.2 mi) from the shores of 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...
on the southwestern coast of Greenland, and about 240 km (149.1 mi) south of the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
. Initially, the fjord flows to the northwest, to then turn southwest at 64°43′N 50°37′W, splitting into three arms in its lower run, with three big islands in between the arms: Sermitsiaq Island
Sermitsiaq Island
Sermitsiaq Island is an uninhabited island in the Sermersooq municipality in southwestern Greenland. It is one of three mountainous islands located in the middle run of the long Nuup Kangerlua fjord, to the north of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. The two sibling islands are Qeqertarsuaq Island...
, Qeqertarsuaq Island
Qeqertarsuaq Island (Nuuk)
Qeqertarsuaq Island is an uninhabited island in the Sermersooq municipality in southwestern Greenland. It is one of three mountainous islands located in the middle run of the long Nuup Kangerlua fjord, to the north of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. The two sibling islanda are Qoornuup...
, and Qoornuup Qeqertarsua. The fjord widens into a bay dotted with skerries
Skerry
A skerry is a small rocky island, usually defined to be too small for habitation. It may simply be a rocky reef. A skerry can also be called a low sea stack....
near its mouth, opening into Labrador Sea at approximately 64°03′N 51°58′W. The Sermitsiaq mountain looms over the city and can be seen almost everywhere in Nuuk. The mountain has given its name to the nationwide newspaper Sermitsiaq
Sermitsiaq (newspaper)
Sermitsiaq is one of two national newspapers in Greenland. It is named after the mountain Sermitsiaq.The newspaper was published for the first time May 21, 1958 as a Kalaallisut language alternative to the Danish language newspaper Mikken...
.
Climate
Nuuk has a maritime-influenced polar climatePolar climate
Regions with a polar climate are characterized by a lack of warm summers . Regions with polar climate cover over 20% of the Earth. The sun shines 24 hours in the summer, and barely ever shines at all in the winter...
(Köppen
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
ET) with cold, snowy winters and cool summers. In December, the sun rises at 10:00 and sets at 14:30. By contrast, from late May to early August the days are long. Temperatures average below freezing for 7 months of the year. The coldest month is March, at −8.0 °C, while the warmest is July, at 6.5 °C (43.7 °F), while the year averages out at −1.42 °C. Extremes have ranged from −29.5 °C to 24.2 °C (76 °F).
Demographics
With 15,469 inhabitants as of 2010, Nuuk is the fastest growing town in Greenland, with migrants from the smaller towns and settlements reinforcing the trend. Together with TasiilaqTasiilaq
Tasiilaq is a town in the Sermersooq municipality in southeastern Greenland. With 1,930 inhabitants as of 2010, it is the most populous community on the eastern coast, and the seventh-largest town in Greenland...
, it is the only town in the Sermersooq municipality exhibiting stable growth patterns over the last two decades. The population increased by over a quarter relative to the 1990 levels, and by nearly 16% relative to the 2000 levels.
Government and politics
As the capital of Greenland, Nuuk is the administrative centre of the country, containing all of the important government buildings and institutions. The current mayor of Nuuk is Asii Chemnitz NarupAsii Chemnitz Narup
Asii Chemnitz Narup is a Greenlandic politician and MP for the party Inuit Ataqatigiit . Chemnitz Narup was the country's environmental and health minister between 2005 and 2006. She resigned in protest against what she felt was a poorly functioning government. She is currently serving as mayor...
from the Inuit Ataqatigiit
Inuit Ataqatigiit
Inuit Ataqatigiit is a leftist and separatist political party in Greenland. The party was born out of the increased youth radicalism in Denmark during the 1970s. The party strives to make Greenland an independent state.In the 2005 elections, the party won 22.6% of the popular vote and seven out of...
party.
The national parliament of Greenland, the Landsting
Parliament of Greenland
The Parliament of Greenland is the legislature in the government of Greenland, an autonomous province of Denmark. The government of Greenland is also called Home Rule of Greenland. 16 seats are needed for a majority....
, is located in Nuuk. It currently has 31 seats and its members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms. All of Greenland's major political parties have their headquarters in Nuuk, including the Inuit Ataqatigiit
Inuit Ataqatigiit
Inuit Ataqatigiit is a leftist and separatist political party in Greenland. The party was born out of the increased youth radicalism in Denmark during the 1970s. The party strives to make Greenland an independent state.In the 2005 elections, the party won 22.6% of the popular vote and seven out of...
, Siumut
Forward (Greenland)
Forward is a social-democratic political party in Greenland and a consultative member of the Socialist International. It is led by Aleqa Hammond, member of the Greenlandic Parliament, who is the first woman ever to lead the party...
, Democrats
Democrats (Greenland)
The Democrats are a liberal and social-liberal, political party in Greenland. At the legislative elections on the fifteenth of November 2005, the party won 22.8% of the popular vote, and seven out of 31 seats, rising from 2002 totals of 15.6% of the popular vote and five out of 31 seats...
, Atassut
Feeling of Community
Feeling of Community is a centre-right conservative liberal and agrarian political party in Greenland and a partner of the Danish Venstre party. At the last legislative elections, on the fifteenth of November 2005, the party won 19.1% of the popular vote and six out of 31 seats...
, Association of Candidates and the Women's Party
Women's Party (Greenland)
The Women's Party was a feminist political party in Greenland. At the 2002 legislative elections the party won 2.4% of the popular vote and no seats. On November 6 1999, in response to the still much lower representation of women in politics, a group of women formed the party. Several members...
.
KANUKOKA
KANUKOKA is based in Nuuk. It is an association of GreenlandGreenland
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...
's municipalities, led by Enok Sandgreen. The aim of the organization is to facilitate cooperation between all four municipalities of Greenland: Kujalleq
Kujalleq
Kujalleq is a new municipality in the southern tip of Greenland, operational from 1 January 2009. With 7,589 inhabitants as of January 2010, it is the least-populated municipality in Greenland. The administrative center of the municipality is in Qaqortoq...
, Qaasuitsup
Qaasuitsup
Qaasuitsup is a new municipality in Greenland, operational from 1 January 2009. As of January 2010 its population is 17,749. The administrative center of the municipality is in Ilulissat...
, Qeqqata
Qeqqata
Qeqqata is a new municipality in western Greenland, operational from 1 January 2009. The municipality was named after its location in central-western part of the country. Its population is 9,677 as of January 2010. The administrative center of the municipality is in Sisimiut...
, and 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...
. The organization runs the municipal elections every four years, with the last election taking place in 2008. All municipal authorities in Greenland are currently members of the organization. The association is overseen by Maliina Abelsen
Maliina Abelsen
Maliina Abelsen is a Greenlandic politician and MP for the party Inuit Ataqatigiit , holding the position of the Minister for Social Affairs in the Government of Greenland , in office since June 2009...
, the Minister for Social Affairs in the Government of Greenland.
Economy and infrastructure
Although only a small city, Nuuk has developed trade, business, shipping and other industries. Nuuk began as a small fishing settlement with a harbor but as the economy developed rapidly during the 1970s and 1980s, the fishing industry in the capital declined. However, seafood, including fish, seal etc. is sold in abundance in Nuuk and the capital contains a number of fish markets, the largest being Kalaaliaraq MarketKalaaliaraq Market
Kalaaliaraq Market is a market in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, located in the Old Nuuk neighborhood, approximately to the southeast of the Nuuk Cathedral. Its name means "The little Greenlander" in the Greenlandic language.- Social function :...
. Minerals such as zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
, gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, etc. have contributed to the development of Nuuk's economy.
The city, like much of Greenland, is heavily dependent upon Danish investment and relies on Denmark for block funding.
Energy
All of Greenland's electricity is powered by the government owned company Nukissiorfiit, that has a monopoly on the electricity in Greenland. Nuuk gets its electric power mainly from Buksefjord hydroelectric power plantBuksefjord hydroelectric power plant
The Buksefjord hydroelectric power plant is the first and largest hydroelectric power plant in Greenland. It was built by Nuuk-Kraft and it is operated by Nukissiorfiit - Greenland's national energy company....
by way of a 132 kV powerline crossing Ameralik fjord
Ameralik Span
The Ameralik Span is the longest span of an electrical overhead powerline in the world. It is situated near Nuuk on Greenland and crosses Ameralik fjord with a span width of 5,376 metres at...
on the world's longest span.
Education
Nuuk has several educational institutions of higher learning. The University of GreenlandUniversity of Greenland
The University of Greenland is a university located in Nuuk, Greenland. Most courses are taught in Danish and a few in Greenlandic. As of 2007, the university had approximately 150 students, almost all local inhabitants, and around 14 academic staff and five technical-administrative employees...
(Ilisimatusarfik), which is the only university in Greenland, is located in Nuuk. The university expanded in 2007 with the new building called Ilimmarfik which houses departments of journalism, management and economics, language, literature and media, cultural and social history, theology and religion and social work. Nuuk is also home to the Department of Learning (Ilinniarfissuaq), the oldest educational facility in Greenland, located in the old colonial part of Nuuk (Nuutoqaq: Old Nuuk). Other notable educational institutions include the Department of Nursing and Health Science, Nuuk Technical College and the Iron- & Metal School.
Healthcare
The city is served by Queen Ingrid's HospitalQueen Ingrid's Hospital
Queen Ingrid's Hospital is a hospital in Nuuk, Greenland. The hospital not only serves as the main hospital for the municipality but is the central hospital in all of Greenland...
. The hospital not only serves as the main hospital for the municipality but is the central hospital in all of Greenland. The hospital has around 130 beds.
Tourism
The Nuuk Tourist OfficeNuuk Tourist Office
Nuuk Tourist Office is a landmark in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, built in 1992 to house the headquarters of the new National Tourist Board of Greenland. It was built to not only provide information to tourists but as an attraction, with a fake Christmas tree and an extremely large postal box....
was built in 1992 to house the headquarters of the new National Tourist Board of Greenland. It was built not only to provide information to tourists but as an attraction, with a fake Christmas tree and an extremely large postal box.
Transport
Air
Nuuk has an international airport located 4 km (2.5 mi) to the northeast of the town centrum. Built in 1979, it is a focus city for Air GreenlandAir 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...
, which is also headquartered in Nuuk, and operates its technical base at the airport.
Sea
For most of the year, Nuuk is served twice-weekly by coastal ferries of 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...
which link the communities of the western coast.
Ground
The main street in Nuuk is Aqqusinersuaq, with a number of shops and the 140-room Hotel Hans EgedeHotel Hans Egede
Hotel Hans Egede is a four star hotel in Nuuk, Greenland. It is named after Hans Egede. The hotel is located on the main street Aqqusinersuaq. It has 140 rooms and has the Sarfalik restaurant. It is commonly used for conferences....
. The majority of the 72 buses and 2,570 cars owned in Greenland (as of 2004) operate in Nuuk. Nuup Bussii
Nuup Bussii
Nuup Bussii A/S is a bus company in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, providing public transport services for the city. As of 2006 Nuup Bussii had 24 employees, operating 12 Leyland DAB and Volvo B12M buses with a distinct yellow color, as well as 5 other small vehicles.- History :Prior to the...
provides frequent bus services to the outlying districts of Nuussuaq
Nuussuaq (district)
Nuussuaq is a district of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, It is located in the northern part of the city, west and southwest of Nuuk Airport, approximately outside of the city center.- History :...
and Qinngorput
Qinngorput
Qinngorput is a district of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. It is located near to the east-northeast of the town centrum, south of Nuuk Airport, approximately outside of the city centre.- History :...
.
Sites of interest
Historical sites
Nuuk CathedralNuuk Cathedral
Nuuk Cathedral or Church of Our Saviour is a wooden lutheran cathedral in the Old Nuuk neighborhood of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. It was established in 1849. The red building with its' spire is a prominent site on the landscape...
was established in 1849. The red building with a steeple is a prominent site on the landscape. The Herrnhut House was the centre of the Moravian Mission station in Nuuk which was active across the west coast. Other landmarks include the Hans Egede Church
Hans Egede Church
Hans Egede Church is an evangelical Lutheran church in Nuuk, Greenland, located in the district of Old Nuuk. The church was consecrated on the 250-year anniversary of the founding of Hans Egede's mission. It is a wooden structure, named after Danish-Norwegian missionary Hans Egede.The organ of the...
and the Hans Egede Statue
Statue of Hans Egede
The Statue of Hans Egede is a prominent monument in Nuuk, Greenland. It commemorates the Dano-Norwegian Lutheran missionary Hans Egede who founded Nuuk in 1728. The statue lies on a hill near the shore above Nuuk Cathedral in the historical Old Nuuk area of the city....
.
Katuaq Culture Centre
Katuaq Culture Centre is a cultural centre used for both concertConcert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s cinema
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, exhibition
Art exhibition
Art exhibitions are traditionally the space in which art objects meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as is rarely true, it is stated to be a "permanent exhibition". In American English, they may be called "exhibit", "exposition" or...
s and conferences. It was designed by schmidt hammer lassen
Schmidt hammer lassen
Schmidt hammer lassen architects is an international architectural practice founded in 1986 in Aarhus, Denmark. It currently has four offices in Aarhus, Copenhagen, Oslo and London....
, it was inaugurated on February 15, 1997. Katuaq contains two auditoria
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
, the larger one seating 1,008 people and the smaller one 508. The complex also contains an art school
Art school
Art school is a general term for any educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts, especially illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and graphic design. The term applies to institutions with elementary, secondary, post-secondary or undergraduate, or graduate or...
, library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, meeting facilities, administrative offices and a café.
University of Greenland
The University of Greenland is located in Nuuk and is the national university of Greenland. Most courses are taught in DanishDanish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
and a few in Greenlandic
Kalaallisut language
Greenlandic is an Eskimo–Aleut language spoken by about 57,000 people in Greenland. It is closely related to the Inuit languages in Canada, such as Inuktitut...
. As of 2007, the university had approximately 150 students, almost all local inhabitants, and around 14 academic staff and five technical-administrative employees. Its library holds approximately 18,000 volumes.
Nuuk Art Museum
Nuuk Art Museum is the only private art and crafts museum in Greenland. The museum contains a notable collection of paintings, watercolors, drawings and graphics, figures in soapstone, ivory, and wood, with many items collected by the businessman Svend Junge. Of particular note is a collection of over 150 paintings by Emanuel A. Petersen.National Museum of Greenland
The National Museum of Greenland is located in Nuuk and was one of the first museums established in Greenland, inaugurated in the mid 1960s. The museum is affiliated with the Danish National Museum which has expanded its collections. The museum has many artifacts related to archaeology, history, art, and handicrafts and also has information about ruins, graveyards, buildings etc.Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa
Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa (The Greenlandic Broadcasting Corporation or KNR), the national public broadcastingPublic broadcasting
Public broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
corporation of Greenland is based in Nuuk. It is an independent state-owned corporation headed by a seven-person board. KNR provides one national television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
station and one national radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
station. The radio station operates mostly in the Greenlandic language (Kalaallisut) but also in Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
.
The Greenland Centre for Performing Arts
Greenland Centre for Performing Arts
The Greenland Centre for Performing Arts in Nuuk was opened in 1997, as a joint project between the Greenland Government, the Nuuk Municipal Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers. The centre contains a theatre, an exhibition hall, conference facilities and a cafe....
in Nuuk was opened in 1997, as a joint project between the Greenland Government, the Nuuk Municipal Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers. The centre contains a theatre, an exhibition hall and conference facilities and a cafe.
The National Library of Greenland
Public and National Library of Greenland
The Public and National Library of Greenland is the public and national library of Greenland, located in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. It is the largest reference library in the country, devoted to the preservation of national cultural heritage and history....
in Nuuk is the largest reference library in the country, devoted to the preservation of national cultural heritage and history. The library holdings are split between the public library in the town centrum, and Ilimmarfik, the campus of the University of Greenland
University of Greenland
The University of Greenland is a university located in Nuuk, Greenland. Most courses are taught in Danish and a few in Greenlandic. As of 2007, the university had approximately 150 students, almost all local inhabitants, and around 14 academic staff and five technical-administrative employees...
. As of 1 January 2008, there are 83,324 items in the library database at Ilimmarfik.
Sport
Nuuk Idraetslag
Nuuk Idraetslag is a sports club from Greenland based in Nuuk. They compete in football and handball.- Football :*Coca Cola GM: 5**Champion : 1981, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990...
, founded in 1934, followed by B-67
B-67
B-67 is a sports club from Greenland based in Nuuk. They compete in football, badminton and handball.- Achievements :*Coca Cola GM: 7**Champion : 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2008, 2010- Current Squad :...
(very famous for its football section) and GSS Nuuk
Grønlands Seminarius Sportklub
Grønlands Seminarius Sportklub is a sports club from Greenland based in Nuuk. They compete in football and handball....
(very strong in the 70s').
Nuuk Stadium
Nuuk Stadium
Nuuk Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium has a capacity for 2,000. It has a dirt pitch.-Venue:The stadium can also be used as an entertainment venue...
is a multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
, used mostly for football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
matches. The stadium has a capacity for 2,000. The stadium can also be used as an entertainment venue and recently the Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
rock band Nazareth
Nazareth (band)
Nazareth is a Scottish hard rock band, founded in 1968, that had several hits in the UK in the early 1970s, and established an international audience with their 1975 album Hair of the Dog. Perhaps their best-known hit single was a cover of the ballad "Love Hurts", in 1975...
, of Love Hurts
Love Hurts
"Love Hurts" is the name of a song, written and composed by Boudleaux Bryant. First recorded by The Everly Brothers in July 1960, the song is also well known from a 1975 international hit version by the rock band Nazareth and in the UK by a top 5 hit in 1975 by Jim Capaldi.The song was introduced...
fame, performed at the venue. Nuuk also has the Godthåbhallen
Godthabhallen
Godthåbhallen is a handball stadium in Nuuk, Greenland. It is the home of the Greenland national handball team. The stadium has a capacity of1,000 people....
, a handball stadium. It is the home of the Greenland national handball team
Greenland national handball team
The Greenland national handball team is the national handball team of Greenland and is controlled by the Greenland Handball Federation.-World Men's Handball Championship record:...
and has a capacity of 1,000.
Notable people
- Jesper GrønkjærJesper GrønkjærJesper Grønkjær is a former Danish professional football player. A pacey winger, he was able to play on the right or left wing and as a second striker. Grønkjær played a total 400 league games for a number of European clubs, most notably winning the 1999 Dutch Cup with Ajax Amsterdam and playing...
, footballer - Agnethe DavidsenAgnethe DavidsenAgnethe Davidsen was the first female government minister in Greenland. Most recently, she served over 14 years as mayor of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, until her sudden death aged 60....
, the first female government ministerMinister (government)A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
in Greenland. - Maliina AbelsenMaliina AbelsenMaliina Abelsen is a Greenlandic politician and MP for the party Inuit Ataqatigiit , holding the position of the Minister for Social Affairs in the Government of Greenland , in office since June 2009...
, the Minister for Social Affairs in the Government of Greenland - Nive Nielsen, singer.
- Angaangaq LyberthAngaangaq LyberthAngaangaq is a Kalaallit Inuk who was asked by his people to be a shaman. He has been quoted on the effects of global warming in Greenland...
, Political activist
Twin towns
| City | Country | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Cuxhaven |  Germany |
|
| Aalborg Aalborg -Transport:On the north side of the Limfjord is Nørresundby, which is connected to Aalborg by a road bridge Limfjordsbroen, an iron railway bridge Jernbanebroen over Limfjorden, as well as a motorway tunnel running under the Limfjord Limfjordstunnelen.... |
 Denmark |
2002 |
| Vantaa Vantaa Vantaa is a city and municipality in Finland. Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo and Kauniainen make up the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.Vantaa, with its population of , is the fourth most populated city of Finland. The biggest airport in Finland, the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, is located there... |
 Finland |
1965 |
| Changchun Changchun Changchun is the capital and largest city of Jilin province, located in the northeast of the People's Republic of China, in the center of the Songliao Plain. It is administered as a sub-provincial city with a population of 7,677,089 at the 2010 census under its jurisdiction, including counties and... |
 China |
|
| Tiverton |  United States |
|
| Lyngby-Taarbæk Lyngby-Taarbæk Lyngby-Taarbæk Kommune is a municipality in Region Hovedstaden near Copenhagen on the east coast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 39 km², and has a total population of 51,449 . Its mayor as of 2010 is Søren P... |
Denmark |
|
| Huddinge Huddinge Municipality Huddinge Municipality is a municipality in Stockholm County in east central Sweden. Its seat is located in Huddinge, which is a part of Stockholm urban area.The municipality is the second most populated in Stockholm County.... |
 Sweden |
|
| Reykjavik Reykjavík Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay... |
 Iceland |
|
| Ushuaia Ushuaia Ushuaia may refer to the following:*Ushuaia, a city in Argentina.**Ushuaia Department, an administrative division**Ushuaia River**Ushuaia International Airport**Colegio Nacional de Ushuaia, National School of Ushuaia.... |
 Argentina |
|
| Bocas Town |  Panama |
|
| Sorong |  Indonesia |