Qassimiut is a settlement in the 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...

 municipality 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...

. The settlement was founded in 1835 as a trading station. With a population of 29 in October of 2010, it is the smallest organized, permanent settlement in Greenland.

Until January, 2009, the settlement--along Eqalugaarsuit

Eqalugaarsuit

Eqalugaarsuit is a settlement in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland, located southeast of Qaqortoq and northwest of Alluitsup Paa. Its population was 144 as of 2010....

 and Saarloq

Saarloq

Saarloq is a settlement in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. Its population is 44 as of 2010. It is located on a small island with the same name off the Labrador Sea coast at approximately , at the mouth of the Qaqortoq Fjord, west of Alluitsup Paa and 20 km south of Qaqortoq.The...

, as well as 13 sheep farms--belonged to the Qaqortoq municipality. On January 1, 2009, the settlement became part of the Kujalleq municipality, when the 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 :...

, 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...

, and Nanortalik

Nanortalik

Nanortalik is a town in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. With 1,448 inhabitants in 2010, it is the tenth-largest town in the country. The name Nanortalik means "place of polar bears" or "place where the polar bears go" .- History :...

 municipalities ceased to exist. The settlements are presently governed by a joint settlement council, although Qassimiut has no direct representation in the council.

Healthcare and infrastructure

The healthcare services for the settlement are provided by the Napparsimavik Hospital in 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...

. The hospital boat regularly visits the settlement, and an emergency helicopter is available if needed.

KNI

KNI (Greenland Trade)

KNI A/S is a state-owned trade company in Greenland. Led by Søren Lennert Mortensen, the company is based in Sisimiut.- History :KNI was founded in 1774 as Den Kongelige Grønlandske Handel by the Danish colonial authorities as a state monopoly, thus sharing its origin with Royal Greenland, the...

 subsidiary 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...

 operates a local, all-purpose general store in the settlement.

Settlement school

The settlement school--Atuarfik Qassimiut, 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...

 for "school of Qassimiut"--is part of the Qaqortoq education district. The two-classroom school building was moved to Qassimiut in 1965. The most recent refurbishing and renovation of the school was in the late 1980s.

Transport and communications

The settlement has its' own heliport

Heliport

A heliport is a small airport suitable only for use by helicopters. Heliports typically contain one or more helipads and may have limited facilities such as fuel, lighting, a windsock, or even hangars...

--Qassimiut Heliport (ICAO

International Civil Aviation Organization

The International Civil Aviation Organization , pronounced , , is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth...

 code: BGQT)--which is operated by the Qaqortoq municipality. All other tranportation is by boat only. The settlement has gravel roads, but there are no cars.

Internet

Internet

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

 and phone communications are provided by Greenland Home Rule.

Population

Most towns and settlements in southern Greenland exhibit negative growth patterns over the last two decades, with many settlements rapidly depopulating. Qassimiut has been rapidly losing population over the last two decades. Its population has decreased by more than two thirds relative to the 1990 levels.