Upernavik Archipelago
Encyclopedia
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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...
municipality in northwestern 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...
, on the coast of northeastern Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay
Baffin Bay , located between Baffin Island and the southwest coast of Greenland, is a marginal sea of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is connected to the Atlantic via Davis Strait and the Labrador Sea...
. The archipelago extends from the northwestern coast of Sigguup Nunaa
Sigguup Nunaa
Nunavik Peninsula is a large peninsula in northwestern Greenland. It separates two cultural and geographical regions of northwestern Greenland: Uummannaq Fjord region in the southeast, and Upernavik Archipelago in the north.- Geography :...
peninsula in the south at approximately 71°50′N 56°00′W to the southern end of Melville Bay
Melville Bay
Melville Bay , is a large bay off the coast of northwestern Greenland. Located to the north of the Upernavik Archipelago, it opens to the south-west into Baffin Bay. Its Kalaallisut name, Qimusseriarsuaq, means "the great dog sledding place"....
in the north at approximately 74°50′N 57°30′W.
The coastline of Greenland is at its most developed in this region, markedly different from that of the Nuussuaq Basin of Uummannaq Fjord
Uummannaq Fjord
Uummannaq Fjord is a large fjord system in the northern part of western Greenland, the largest after Kangertittivaq fjord in eastern Greenland...
and Nuussuaq Peninsula
Nuussuaq Peninsula
Nuussuaq Peninsula is a large peninsula in western Greenland.- Geography :The waters around the peninsula are that of Baffin Bay. To the south and southwest the peninsula is bounded by Disko Bay, an inlet of Baffin Bay. It is separated from Qeqertarsuaq Island by Sullorsuaq Strait which...
. In the northern part of the archipelago, the coastal mountains disappear altogether, with the Greenland 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...
reaching the sea level across nearly the entire length of the perennially frozen Melville Bay.
Map of the Archipelago
History
The archipelago belongs to the earliest-settled areas of Greenland, the first migrants arriving approximately 2.000 years B.C.E.Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
All southbound migrations of the 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...
passed through the area, leaving behind a trail of archeological sites. The early Saqqaq culture
Saqqaq culture
The Saqqaq culture was a Paleo-Eskimo culture in Greenland.-Timeframe:...
diminished in importance around 1.000 BCE, followed by the migrants of 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...
, who spread alongside the coast of Baffin Bay, being in turn displaced by the 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...
in the 13th and 14th centuries. The area has been continuously inhabited since then.
Today the Upernavik Archipelago is sparsely populated, despite the relatively high number of settlements scattered across its entire length. All but one of these settlements are located on the islands. Upernavik
Upernavik
Upernavik is a small town in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland, located on a small island of the same name. With 1,129 inhabitants as of 2010, it is the thirteenth-largest town in Greenland. Due to the small size of the settlement, everything is within walking distance...
town is the largest settlement with 1.129 inhabitants as of 2010, formally founded in 1772 by the Danes
Danes
Danish people or Danes are the nation and ethnic group that is native to Denmark, and who speak Danish.The first mention of Danes within the Danish territory is on the Jelling Rune Stone which mentions how Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity in the 10th century...
during the colonization era.
Settlements
From north to south, the following are the towns and villages in the archipelago:| Settlement | Latitude N | Longitude W | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kullorsuaq Kullorsuaq Kullorsuaq is a settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is the northernmost settlement in the Upernavik Archipelago, located on Kullorsuaq Island, at the southern end of Melville Bay, an indentiation of Baffin Bay.The settlement was founded in 1928, and became a... |
74°34′45″ | 57°13′05″ | 436 | The northernmost and the second largest settlement |
| Nuussuaq Nuussuaq Nuussuaq is a settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is the only mainland settlement in the Upernavik Archipelago, located near the western tip of the Nuussuaq Peninsula, on the northern coast of Sugar Loaf Bay, an indentiation of Baffin Bay.The settlement was... |
74°06′40″ | 57°03′40″ | 204 | The only settlement on the mainland Nuussuaq Peninsula (Upernavik Archipelago) Nuussuaq Peninsula is a mainland peninsula in northwestern Greenland, located at the northern end of Upernavik Archipelago, approximately to the south of Melville Bay... |
| Nutaarmiut Nutaarmiut Nutaarmiut is an island settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality, in northwestern Greenland. It had 36 inhabitants in 2010.- Upernavik Archipelago :... |
73°31′08″ | 56°25′35″ | 36 | The smallest settlement |
| Tasiusaq Tasiusaq, Qaasuitsup Tasiusaq is an island settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It had 248 inhabitants in 2010... |
73°22′08″ | 56°03′20″ | 248 | |
| Innaarsuit Innaarsuit Innaarsuit is an island settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. Located on an island of the same name, the settlement had 161 inhabitants in 2010.- Upernavik Archipelago :... |
73°12′00″ | 56°00′40″ | 161 | |
| Naajaat Naajaat Naajaat is a settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland... |
73°08′35″ | 55°48′25″ | 50 | |
| Aappilattoq Aappilattoq, Qaasuitsup Aappilattoq is a settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland, located on an island of the same name in the southern part of Upernavik Archipelago. Founded in 1805, the settlement had 180 inhabitants in 2010.- Upernavik Archipelago :... |
72°53′00″ | 55°36′00″ | 180 | |
| Upernavik Upernavik Upernavik is a small town in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland, located on a small island of the same name. With 1,129 inhabitants as of 2010, it is the thirteenth-largest town in Greenland. Due to the small size of the settlement, everything is within walking distance... |
72°47′13″ | 56°08′50″ | 1129 | The only town of any size and a cultural center; host to the only airport in the area. |
| Kangersuatsiaq Kangersuatsiaq Kangersuatsiaq is an island settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It had 186 inhabitants in 2010.- Upernavik Archipelago :... |
72°22′47″ | 55°33′00″ | 186 | |
| Upernavik Kujalleq Upernavik Kujalleq Upernavik Kujalleq is an island settlement in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. Founded in 1855 as a trading station, the settlement had 204 inhabitants in 2010.- Upernavik Archipelago :... |
72°09′16″ | 55°31′29″ | 204 | The southernmost settlement, located on the largest of settled islands |
Economy
FishingFishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
is the mainstay of the area, although the more northern settlements still rely on traditional hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
of fur 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, walrus
Walrus
The walrus is a large flippered marine mammal with a discontinuous circumpolar distribution in the Arctic Ocean and sub-Arctic seas of the Northern Hemisphere. The walrus is the only living species in the Odobenidae family and Odobenus genus. It is subdivided into three subspecies: the Atlantic...
es, and whale
Whale
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...
s to supplement the family economy. In that, the northern region is culturally linked with the far north of Greenland, the Qaanaaq
Qaanaaq
Qaanaaq is the main town in the northern part of the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is one of the northernmost towns in the world. The inhabitants of Qaanaaq speak the West Greenlandic language and many also speak Inuktun. The town has a population of 626 as of 2010...
region.
Outside of Upernavik town, the average level of income
Income
Income is the consumption and savings opportunity gained by an entity within a specified time frame, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. However, for households and individuals, "income is the sum of all the wages, salaries, profits, interests payments, rents and other forms of earnings...
is amongst the lowest in Greenland. Four of the settlements in the archipelago (Naajaat, Nuussuaq, Kullorsuaq, and Upernavik Kujalleq) are listed in the top 10 poorest within Greenland.
Air
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...
operates government contract flights to nearly all villages in the Upernavik archipelago. These mostly cargo flights are not featured in the timetable of the airline, although they can be pre-booked. Departure times for these flights as specifed during booking are by definition approximate, with the settlement service optimized on the fly depending on local demand for a given day. Upernavik is the only settlement with an airport.
| Settlement | Innaarsuit Heliport Innaarsuit Heliport Innaarsuit Heliport is a heliport in Innaarsuit, a village in the Upernavik Archipelago of Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. The heliport is considered a helistop, and is served by Air Greenland as part of a government contract.... | Tasiusaq, Upernavik |
|---|---|---|
| Kangersuatsiaq | Kangersuatsiaq Heliport Kangersuatsiaq Heliport Kangersuatsiaq Heliport is a heliport in Kangersuatsiaq, a village in the Upernavik Archipelago of Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. The heliport is considered a helistop, and is served by Air Greenland as part of a government contract.... |
Upernavik, Upernavik Kujalleq |
| Kullorsuaq | Kullorsuaq Heliport Kullorsuaq Heliport Kullorsuaq Heliport is a heliport in Kullorsuaq, a village in the Upernavik Archipelago of Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. The heliport is considered a helistop, and is served by Air Greenland as part of a government contract.... |
Nuussuaq, Upernavik |
| Nuussuaq | Nuussuaq Heliport Nuussuaq Heliport Nuussuaq Heliport is a heliport in Nuussuaq, a village in the Upernavik Archipelago of Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. The heliport is considered a helistop, and is served by Air Greenland as part of a government contract.... |
Kullorsuaq, Upernavik |
| Tasiusaq | Tasiusaq Heliport Tasiusaq Heliport (Qaasuitsup) Tasiusaq Heliport is a heliport in Tasiusaq, a village in the Upernavik Archipelago of Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. The heliport is considered a helistop, and is served by Air Greenland as part of a government contract.... |
Innaarsuit, Upernavik |
| Upernavik | Upernavik Airport Upernavik Airport Upernavik Airport is an airport located northeast of Upernavik, a town in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland, capable of serving STOL aircraft... |
Aappilattoq, Ilulissat, Innaarsuit, Kangersuatsiaq, Kullorsuaq, Nuussuaq, Qaanaaq, Qaarsut, Tasiusaq, Upernavik Kujalleq |
| Upernavik Kujalleq | Upernavik Kujalleq Heliport Upernavik Kujalleq Heliport Upernavik Kujalleq Heliport is a heliport in Upernavik Kujalleq, a village in the Upernavik Archipelago of Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland. The heliport is considered a helistop, and is served by Air Greenland as part of a government contract.- Airlines and destinations :Air... |
Kangersuatsiaq, Upernavik |
Sea
Until 2006, 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...
had provided ferry services from Upernavik 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...
, calling at Uummannaq
Uummannaq
Uummannaq is a town in the Qaasuitsup municipality, in northwestern Greenland. With 1,299 inhabitants as of 2010, it is the eleventh-largest town in Greenland, and is home to the country's most northerly ferry terminal...
, Ilulissat
Ilulissat
Ilulissat is a town in the Qaasuitsup municipality in western Greenland, located approximately north of the Arctic Circle. With the population of 4,546 as of 2010, it is the third-largest settlement in Greenland, after Nuuk and Sisimiut....
, and Aasiaat
Aasiaat
Aasiaat is a town in the Qaasuitsup municipality in western Greenland. Located in the heart of Aasiaat Archipelago at the southern end of Disko Bay. With a population of 3,005 as of 2010, it is Greenland's fifth-largest town.-Etymology:...
within the Qaasuitsup municipality. M/S Sarpik Ittuk−which serviced Disko Bay
Disko Bay
Disko Bay is a bay on the western coast of Greenland. The bay constitutes a wide southeastern inlet of Baffin Bay.- Geography :To the south the coastline is complicated with multiple waterways of skerries and small islands in the Aasiaat archipelago...
, Uummannaq Fjord
Uummannaq Fjord
Uummannaq Fjord is a large fjord system in the northern part of western Greenland, the largest after Kangertittivaq fjord in eastern Greenland...
and Upernavik
Upernavik
Upernavik is a small town in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland, located on a small island of the same name. With 1,129 inhabitants as of 2010, it is the thirteenth-largest town in Greenland. Due to the small size of the settlement, everything is within walking distance...
−was sold in 2006 to Nova Cruising, a company from the Bahamas. Since then the ferry services of AUL are available only southwards from Ilulissat, operated with the remaining ship, M/S Sarfaq Ittuk.
Cargo
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
/passenger boat Vestlandia of Royal Arctic Line
Royal Arctic Line
Royal Arctic Line A/S or Royal Arctic is a freight company in Greenland, formed in 1992 and headquartered in Nuuk. It has 650 employees and is owned by the Government of Greenland...
links Upernavik with Uummannaq. Tourism is very undeveloped, but charter boats for individual travellers and small groups are available in all settlements.