Ilulissat, formerly Jakobshavn or Jacobshaven,[4] is the municipal seat and largest town of the Avannaata municipality in western Greenland, located approximately 350 km (220 mi) north of the Arctic Circle. With a population of 4,670 as of 2020,[5] it is the third-largest city in Greenland, after Nuuk and Sisimiut. The city is home to almost as many sled-dogs as people.
Ilulissat
Jakobshavn | |
|---|---|
     From upper left: Illumiut neighbourhood, Old town, Ilulissat Icefjord, Knud Rasmussen's Museum, Zion's Church | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
| Coordinates: 69°13′N 51°06′W / 69.217°N 51.100°W | |
| Sovereign state |  Kingdom of Denmark |
| Autonomous territory |  Greenland |
| Municipality | Avannaata |
| First mention | 15th century |
| City Status | 16th century |
| Area | |
• City | 11.25 km2 (4.34 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 47.00 km2 (18.15 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 2,010 m (6,590 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 1 m (3 ft) |
| Population (2020 (city, settlements))[3] | |
• City | 4,670 |
| • Density | 420/km2 (1,100/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 4,491 (City of Ilulissat) |
| • Metro | 342 (Settlements: Ilimanaq Oqaatsut Qeqertaq and Saqqaq) |
| • Metro density | 103.5/km2 (268/sq mi) |
| • Ethnicity | 90.98% Greenlandic 9.02% Other[2] |
| Time zone | UTC−02:00 (Western Greenland Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−01:00 (Western Greenland Summer Time) |
| Postal code | 3952 |
| Area code | (+299) 94 |
In direct translation, Ilulissat is the Kalaallisut word for "Icebergs" (Danish: Isbjerge).[6] The nearby Ilulissat Icefjord is a UNESCO World Heritage Site,[7] and has made Ilulissat the most popular tourist destination in Greenland.[8] Tourism is now the town's principal industry. The city neighbours the Ilulissat Icefjord, where there are enormous icebergs from the most productive glacier in the northern hemisphere.
History
edit
The town was established as a trading post by Jacob Severin's company in 1741 and was named in his honor.[9][10] after the Battle of Jakobshavn
The Zion Church (Zions Kirke) was built in the late 18th century, and was the largest man-made structure in Greenland at the time.[10] The final resident of nearby Sermermiut moved to Ilulissat in 1850.[11]
Ilulissat Declaration
editThe town was the site of the Arctic Ocean Conference in May 2008.[12] The joint meeting between Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia, and the United States was held to discuss key issues relating to territorial claims in the Arctic (particularly Hans Island - eventually settled in 2022[13] -, and Arktika 2007) and Arctic shrinkage produced by climate change.[14]
The Ilulissat Declaration arose from the conference. It stated that the law of the sea provided for important rights and obligations concerning the delineation of the outer limits of the continental shelf, the protection of the marine environment (including ice-covered areas), freedom of navigation, marine scientific research, and other uses of the sea. It also said that it remained committed to this legal framework and to the orderly settlement of any possible overlapping claims.
With this existing legal framework providing a solid foundation for responsible management, there was no need to develop a new comprehensive international legal regime to govern the Arctic Ocean. The states involved would continue the developments within the Arctic Ocean and continue to implement appropriate measures to further said developments.[15]
Hotel Ilulissat Fire
editOn 7 March 2021 at 20.12 (local time) a major fire broke out in Hotel Ilulissat, which at the time was still under construction. The fire and smoke was seen throughout the city. Police asked everyone in the area to stay home and keep their windows closed, until the fire fighters ended the fire. The police in Nuuk are to start an investigation.[16][17][18][19] Not long after the fire fighters arrived, a gas cylinder exploded. The explosion was heard throughout the city.[20]
Geography and environment
editThe Ilulissat Icefjord (Greenlandic: Ilulissat Kangerlua) southeast of Ilulissat was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.[21]
Ilulissat has a tundra climate (ET) with long, cold winters and short, cool summers. Ilulissat is one of the driest settlements in Greenland, receiving only 271 millimetres or 10.67 inches of precipitation. Ilulissat is also one of the sunniest settlements in Greenland, especially during summer. Interestingly, March is the coldest month in Ilulissat despite similar locations experiencing February as the coldest month of the year. March also holds the all-time record low temperature of −37.8 °C or −36.0 °F.
| Climate data for Ilulissat (normals 1991-2020, extremes 1961-2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 12.2 (54.0) |
11.9 (53.4) |
12.0 (53.6) |
13.3 (55.9) |
17.2 (63.0) |
21.1 (70.0) |
21.7 (71.1) |
20.6 (69.1) |
18.5 (65.3) |
19.4 (66.9) |
15.3 (59.5) |
12.2 (54.0) |
21.7 (71.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −9.2 (15.4) |
−11.3 (11.7) |
−10.9 (12.4) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
3.1 (37.6) |
9.0 (48.2) |
11.5 (52.7) |
9.6 (49.3) |
5.3 (41.5) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
−4 (25) |
−6.3 (20.7) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −12.6 (9.3) |
−14.8 (5.4) |
−14.5 (5.9) |
−7.3 (18.9) |
0.3 (32.5) |
5.8 (42.4) |
8.3 (46.9) |
6.6 (43.9) |
2.6 (36.7) |
−2.9 (26.8) |
−7 (19) |
−9.4 (15.1) |
−3.7 (25.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −16.2 (2.8) |
−18.6 (−1.5) |
−18.8 (−1.8) |
−11.6 (11.1) |
−2.9 (26.8) |
2.7 (36.9) |
4.9 (40.8) |
3.1 (37.6) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
−6.0 (21.2) |
−10.3 (13.5) |
−12.7 (9.1) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −34.5 (−30.1) |
−36.4 (−33.5) |
−40.5 (−40.9) |
−29.5 (−21.1) |
−22.2 (−8.0) |
−5.9 (21.4) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
−3.4 (25.9) |
−13.8 (7.2) |
−18.2 (−0.8) |
−27.5 (−17.5) |
−34.0 (−29.2) |
−40.5 (−40.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 13.3 (0.52) |
15.6 (0.61) |
13.3 (0.52) |
17.8 (0.70) |
18.1 (0.71) |
23.7 (0.93) |
32.3 (1.27) |
30.7 (1.21) |
41.1 (1.62) |
25.1 (0.99) |
22.0 (0.87) |
17.6 (0.69) |
270.6 (10.64) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 4.3 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 7.4 | 5.3 | 5.6 | 5.0 | 60.3 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 60.1 | 62.9 | 64.9 | 65.5 | 70.0 | 71.6 | 68.7 | 70.7 | 68.3 | 63.6 | 58.8 | 61.0 | 65.5 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 0 | 28 | 93 | 180 | 279 | 300 | 279 | 217 | 120 | 62 | 30 | 0 | 1,588 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 0.0 | 13.2 | 25.8 | 37.4 | 41.7 | 41.7 | 38.4 | 39.3 | 30.1 | 21.9 | 23.3 | 0.0 | 26.1 |
| Source 1: Danish Meteorological Institute (normals temperature 1991-2020, sun/precipitation 1961-1984)[22][23][24] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: World Climate Guide[25] | |||||||||||||
Population
editWith 4,670 inhabitants in 2020, Ilulissat is the largest town in the Avannaata municipality. The population increased over 8% relative to 1990 levels but has remained steady since around 2003.[26]
Tourist Attraction
editTransport
edit
- Air
Ilulissat Airport is located 2.8 km (1.7 mi) to the northeast of the town center and was built in 1983.[27] It serves Ilulissat with connections to towns in northwestern and midwestern Greenland via Air Greenland. Service to Reykjavík, Iceland, began in April 2011 via Air Iceland Connect and Air Greenland in 2017.
- Sea
The Arctic Umiaq ferry links Ilulissat with Sisimiut, Nuuk, and other towns and settlements on the western and southwestern coast of Greenland.
Sport
editThe town is home to Nagdlunguaq-48 who play in the Greenlandic Men's Football Championship, Greenland's top soccer competition. Nagdlunguaq-48, who play all their league games in Nuuk, have won the championship ten times (as of 2016).
Film
editThe fourth series of the Danish TV series Borgen (2022) plays partially in the city of Ilulissat and was filmed on location.[28] It was also the location for the filming of Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997).[29]
Notable people
edit- Knud Rasmussen (1879–1933), noted polar explorer and anthropologist, referred to as the "father of Eskimology".[30] Born in Ilulissat,[31] Rasmussen was the first man to cross the Northwest Passage via dog sled. He remains well known in Greenland, Denmark and among Canadian Inuit.[32]
- Jørgen Brønlund (1877–1907), was also a polar explorer born in Ilulissat, He grew up with Rasmussen and accompanied him, along with Harald Moltke and Ludvig Mylius-Erichsen, on the Danish Literary Expedition (1902–1904) to examine Inuit culture. In 1906 he joined Mylius-Erichsen and Peter Høegh Hagen on the Danmark-ekspeditionen to map the northernmost regions of Greenland. Jørgen Brønlund Fjord in Peary Land is named after him.[33]
- Jens Rosing (1925–2008), a Greenlandic artist notable for designing the coat of arms of Greenland, numerous Greenlandic postage stamps, as well as illustrated children's books and water colours − was born in Ilulissat.
- Ricky Enø Jørgensen, racing cyclist.
International Relations
editTwin Towns – Sister Cities
editIlulissat is twinned or cooperating with several towns and cities, including:
Gallery
edit-
Church and doctor's residence of the town Jakobshavn (1900) -
Ilulissat harbor -
Cruise ships in the fjord front of Ilulissat -
"Trankessel" for boiling blubber in Ilulissat, Greenland -
Knud Rasmussen's birthplace in Ilulissat, Greenland; Knud Rasmussen's Museum -
Kayaking in Ilulissat -
Dog sled sign in Ilulissat -
Cruise ship at Ilulissat port -
Ilulissat, old part of the city with icebergs from the Ilulissat Icefjord in the background -
Sailing in Ilulissat Icefjord -
The football field -
Ilulissat welcome sign -
Ilulissat Airport from the south. -
Blue iceberg in the Ilulissat Icefjord -
View of Ilulissat city from the sea -
Ilulissat under snow -
Ilulissat from the plane -
Ilulissat Church
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References
edit- ^ "Den Store Danske: Areal fordelt efter kommune / region". Naatsorsueqqissaartarfik. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
- ^ Naatsorsueqqissaartarfik: Naatsorsueqqissaartarfik, table BEDST3', period 2014
- ^ "Naatsorsueqqissaartarfik: Ilulissat City/Settlements (Ilulissat Municipality, Qaasuitsup Kommunia), 2014 (table: BEDST3)". Statistics Greenland. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
- ^ i.a., Lieber, Francis & al. Encyclopædia Americana: A Popular Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature, History, Politics and Biography. "Greenland". B.B. Mussey & Co., 1854.
- ^ "Population by Localities". Statistical Greenland. Archived from the original on 26 July 2020. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
- ^ "Ilulissat". Qaasuitsup Municipality. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2010.
- ^ "21 World Heritage Sites you have probably never heard of". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ "Ilulissat Icefjord". Qaasuitsup Municipality. Archived from the original on 13 February 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
- ^ Marquardt, Ole. "Change and Continuity in Denmark's Greenland Policy" in The Oldenburg Monarchy: An Underestimated Empire?. Verlag Ludwig (Kiel), 2006.
- ^ a b Kjærgaard, Kathrine (2010). "Grønland som del af den bibelske fortælling – en 1700-tals studie Archived 15 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine" ["Greenland as Part of the Biblical Narrative – a Study of the 18th Century"]. Kirkehistoriske Samlinger, 51-130. (in Danish)
- ^ Guide to Ilulissat Museum, Ilulissat Museum
- ^ Arctic Council (26 May 2008). "Conference on the Arctic Ocean". arctic-council.org. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008. Retrieved 6 June 2008.
- ^ Hopper, Tristin (13 June 2022). "Canada to get new land border with Denmark as decades-long Hans Island dispute ends". National Post. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
- ^ "Greenland hosts Arctic sovereignty talks". Reuters. 27 May 2008. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
- ^ "Ilulissat Declaration" (PDF). Government of Greenland. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
- ^ "Hotel Ilulissat står i flammer". Retrieved 8 March 2021.
- ^ "Ilulissat: Hotel-brand er slukket". Retrieved 8 March 2021.
- ^ "Brand i Ilulissat: Gå indenfor og luk vinduer og ventilationsanlæg". Retrieved 8 March 2021.
- ^ "Politi: Hotelbrand i Ilulissat skal nu efterforskes". Retrieved 8 March 2021.
- ^ "Beredskabschef: Varmeblæser kan være årsag til brand på hotel i Ilulissat". Retrieved 8 March 2021.
- ^ "UNESCO Listing". Retrieved 11 August 2012.
- ^ "Klimanormaler Grønland" [Climate Norms for Greenland]. DMI (in Danish). Retrieved 14 October 2024.
- ^ "Climatological Standard Normals 1991-2020 Greenland" (PDF). DMI. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ Danish Meteorological Institute
- ^ "World Climate Guide – Ilulissat". Woking, UK. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
- ^ Statistics Greenland, Population in districts and municipalities January 1st 1977-2020 BEEST3[permanent dead link]
- ^ Air Greenland, History Archived 23 May 2010 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "IMDB, Borgen, Series 4, Filming & Production". Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ "IMDB, Smilla's Sense of Snow, Filming & Production". Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ Jean Malaurie, 1982.
- ^ Knud Johan Victor Rasmussen Archived 12 October 2010 at the Wayback Machine, biography by Sam Alley. Minnesota State University.
- ^ Elizabeth Cruwys, 2003.
- ^ Famous sons Archived 25 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine
External links
edit
Overviews and data
editGovernment
edit- Avannaata Official municipal and city website
Maps
edit
Geographic data related to Ilulissat at OpenStreetMap- Satellite image of Retreating Terminus of the Ilulissat Glacier at the NASA Earth Observatory.
News and media
edit- Google news Ilulissat
- Ilulissat museum and archive[permanent dead link]
- GEUS Maps of the Ilulissat area
Travel
edit- Kangia - Ilulissat Icefjord Official website
- Ilulissat entry at Visit Greenland – the official Greenlandic Tourist Board tourism website
- A Photographer's View of Ilulissat & Disko Bay Documentary produced by Florent Piovesan