Paamiut
Encyclopedia
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.
in the southern end of a small estuary called Kuannersooq, the inlet.
products. It also became known for its soapstone
artists. In the 1950s Paamiut developed a booming cod
industry that lasted until 1989 when the cod populations dwindled. In connection with a development plan called G60 Paamiut was chosen as to be the place to live for the entire population of the former Paamiut municipality. Therefore the number of people living there rose significantly during that period.
The town has one of the finest churches in Greenland built in 1909. It is made of wood and is of Norwegian
style. The absorbing local museum is located in the centre, in original buildings from the previous century, among these a carpenter workshop and a salt warehouse.
s, coming adrift along the east coast of Greenland with the East Greenland Current
and continuing up along the west coast with the West Greenland Current
normally arrive in the autumn, bringing numerous seal
s marking this season as a great time for the local hunters.
coastal ship. In November 2007, the Paamiut Airport
was built by Mittarfeqarfiit
. Connections to Nuuk
and Narsarsuaq
are served by Air Greenland
STOL
aircraft.
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...
. The name of the town means "they who reside by the mouth" in Greenlandic.
Geography
Paamiut is located 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...
in the southern end of a small estuary called Kuannersooq, the inlet.
History
People have lived in the Paamiut area since around 1500 BCE. The town was established in 1742 and later prospered on trading fur and whaleWhale
Whale is the common name for various marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it excludes dolphins and porpoises, which belong to suborder Odontoceti . This suborder also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga...
products. It also became known for its soapstone
Soapstone
Soapstone is a metamorphic rock, a talc-schist. It is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich in magnesium. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occurs in the areas where tectonic plates are subducted, changing rocks by heat and pressure, with influx...
artists. In the 1950s Paamiut developed a booming cod
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
industry that lasted until 1989 when the cod populations dwindled. In connection with a development plan called G60 Paamiut was chosen as to be the place to live for the entire population of the former Paamiut municipality. Therefore the number of people living there rose significantly during that period.
The town has one of the finest churches in Greenland built in 1909. It is made of wood and is of 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...
style. The absorbing local museum is located in the centre, in original buildings from the previous century, among these a carpenter workshop and a salt warehouse.
Economy
As is the case for other towns of western Greenland, the sea is free of ice during the winter, whilst fishing is the primary occupation of the inhabitants of the region. IcebergIceberg
An iceberg is a large piece of ice from freshwater that has broken off from a snow-formed glacier or ice shelf and is floating in open water. It may subsequently become frozen into pack ice...
s, coming adrift along the east coast of Greenland with the East Greenland Current
East Greenland Current
The East Greenland Current is a cold, low salinity current that extends from Fram Strait to Cape Farewell . The current is located off the eastern coast of Greenland along the Greenland continental margin. The current cuts through the Nordic Seas and through the Denmark Strait...
and continuing up along the west coast with the West Greenland Current
West Greenland Current
The West Greenland Current is a weak cold water current that flows to the north along the west coast of Greenland. The current results from the movement of water flowing around the southernmost point of Greenland caused by the East Greenland Current....
normally arrive in the autumn, bringing numerous seal
Fur seal
Fur seals are any of nine species of pinnipeds in the Otariidae family. One species, the northern fur seal inhabits the North Pacific, while seven species in the Arctocephalus genus are found primarily in the Southern hemisphere...
s marking this season as a great time for the local hunters.
Population
With 1,619 inhabitants as of 2010, it is the eighth-largest town in Greenland, down from the seventh in 2005. Paamiut has been losing population for almost every year in the last two decades: more than a quarter population relative to 1990 levels, over 14% relative to 2000, and more than a tenth relative to 2005, and still decreasing.Transport
Paamiut 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. In November 2007, the Paamiut Airport
Paamiut Airport
Paamiut Airport is an airport located northeast of Paamiut, a town in the Sermersooq municipality in southwestern Greenland. It was built in 2007, replacing the old heliport. It is the only airport between Nuuk and Narsarsuaq capable of serving STOL aircraft of Air Greenland....
was built by Mittarfeqarfiit
Mittarfeqarfiit
The Greenland Airport Authority is the national airport operator of the airports in Greenland, in charge of airport upgrades and associated fees and taxes in all airports in Greenland....
. Connections to Nuuk
Nuuk
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...
and Narsarsuaq
Narsarsuaq
Narsarsuaq is a settlement in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. It had 158 inhabitants in 2010. There is a thriving tourism industry in and around Narsarsuaq, whose attractions include a great diversity of wildlife, gemstones, tours to glaciers, and an airfield museum...
are served 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...
STOL
STOL
STOL is an acronym for short take-off and landing, a term used to describe aircraft with very short runway requirements.-Definitions:There is no one accepted definition of STOL and many different definitions have been used by different authorities and nations at various times and for a myriad of...
aircraft.