Ilulissat
<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>
Ilulissat Jakobshavn |
||
---|---|---|
![]() Old town and harbor of Ilulissat
|
||
|
||
Location within Greenland | ||
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. | ||
State | ![]() |
|
Constituent country | ![]() |
|
Municipality | ![]() |
|
First mention | 16th century | |
City Status | 16th century | |
Government | ||
• Mayor | Ole Dorph (S) | |
Area[1] | ||
• City | 11.25 km2 (4.34 sq mi) | |
• Metro | 47.000 km2 (18.147 sq mi) | |
Highest elevation | 2,010 m (6,590 ft) | |
Lowest elevation | 1 m (3 ft) | |
Population (2014 (city, settlements))[3] | ||
• City | 4,893 | |
• Density | 430/km2 (1,100/sq mi) | |
• Urban | 4,530 (City of Ilulissat) | |
• Metro | 363 (Settlements: Ilimanaq, Oqaatsut, Qeqertaq and Saqqaq) | |
• Metro density | 129,48/km2 (33,540/sq mi) | |
• Ethnicity | 90.98% Greenlandic 9.02% Other[2] |
|
Time zone | WGT (UTC-3) | |
• Summer (DST) | WGST (UTC-2) | |
Postal code | 3952 | |
Area code(s) | (+299) 94 | |
Website | www |
Ilulissat, formerly Jakobshavn or Jacobshaven,[4] is a town in the Qaasuitsup municipality in western Greenland, located approximately 350 km (220 mi) north of the Arctic Circle. With the population of 4,541 as of 2013,[5] it is the third-largest city in Greenland, after Nuuk and Sisimiut. The city is home to almost as many sled-dogs.
In direct translation, Ilulissat is the Kalaallisut word for "Icebergs".[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. These white giants are a source of astonishment for both residents and visitors, when the gaze drifts to the wide Disco Bay and when you walk close to the fjord.
Contents
History
The town was established as a trading post by Jacob Severin's company in 1741 and was named in his honor.[9][10]
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
The 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 and Arktika 2007) and Arctic shrinkage produced by climate change.[13]
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 keep abreast of the developments in the Arctic Ocean and continue to implement appropriate measures.[14]
Geography and environment
<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>
The Ilulissat Icefjord (Greenlandic: Ilulissat Kangerlua) southeast of Ilulissat was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.[15]
Climate data for Ilulissat, 1961-1990 | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Average high °C (°F) | −10 (14) |
−11.1 (12) |
−11.2 (11.8) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
3.1 (37.6) |
8.2 (46.8) |
11.2 (52.2) |
10.0 (50) |
5.3 (41.5) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
−5.1 (22.8) |
−8.1 (17.4) |
−1.09 (30.03) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −13.5 (7.7) |
−14.9 (5.2) |
−15.2 (4.6) |
−8.4 (16.9) |
0.0 (32) |
5.1 (41.2) |
8.0 (46.4) |
6.9 (44.4) |
2.5 (36.5) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
−8.0 (17.6) |
−11.3 (11.7) |
−4.38 (24.12) |
Average low °C (°F) | −16.8 (1.8) |
−18.5 (−1.3) |
−19 (−2) |
−12.2 (10) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
2.2 (36) |
4.9 (40.8) |
3.8 (38.8) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
−6.4 (20.5) |
−10.8 (12.6) |
−14.5 (5.9) |
−7.55 (18.43) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 14 (0.55) |
13 (0.51) |
14 (0.55) |
18 (0.71) |
17 (0.67) |
23 (0.91) |
29 (1.14) |
29 (1.14) |
37 (1.46) |
24 (0.94) |
23 (0.91) |
16 (0.63) |
257 (10.12) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 59 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 0 | 28 | 93 | 180 | 279 | 300 | 279 | 217 | 120 | 62 | 30 | 0 | 1,588 |
Source #1: World Climate Guide [16] | |||||||||||||
Source #2: NOAA [17] |
Population
With 4,541 inhabitants in 2013,.[5] Ilulissat is the largest town in the Qaasuitsup municipality. The population increased over 8% relative to 1990 levels but has remained steady since around 2003.[18]

Transport
- Air
<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>
Ilulissat Airport is located 2.8 km (1.7 mi) to the northeast of the town center and was built in 1983.[19] 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.
- Sea
The Arctic Umiaq ferry links Ilulissat with Sisimiut, Nuuk, and other towns and settlements on the western and southwestern coast of Greenland.
Sport
The 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.
Notable people
- Knud Rasmussen (1879–1933), noted polar explorer and anthropologist, referred to as the "father of Eskimology".[20] Born in Ilulissat,[21] Rasmussen was the first man to cross the Northwest Passage via dog sled. He remains well known in Greenland, Denmark and among Canadian Inuit.[22]
- 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.[23]
- 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
<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>
Twin towns – Sister cities
Ilulissat is twinned with:
Gallery
-
KRABBE(13) Greenland. Church and doctor's residence of the town Jakobshavn - Ilulissat (11340038626).jpg
Church and doctor's residence of the town Jakobshavn (1900)
-
Social housing in Ilulissat, Greenland.jpg
Public housing
-
Hotel-Arctic.jpg
Hotel Arctic, Ilulissat
-
Knud Rasmussen's birthplace in Ilulissat, Greenland; Knud Rasmussen's Museum
-
Greenland-Ilulissat-26.jpg
Kayaking in Ilulissat
-
Greenland Ilulissat Kajak 1.jpg
Inuit Kajak at Ilulissat
-
Dog sled road sign ilulissat 2007-08-23 retouched.jpg
Dog sled sign in Ilulissat
-
Ilulissat fish.jpg
Fisherman in Ilulissat
-
Greenland 5, Ilulissat, street scene with children.jpg
Toddlers with their teacher
-
Ilulissat.jpg
Ilulissat, old part of the city with icebergs from the Ilulissat Icefjord in the background
-
Greenland 7, sailing through Ilulissat Icefjord.jpg
Sailing in Ilulissat Icefjord
-
Ilulissat-airport-runway.jpg
Ilulissat Airport from the south.
-
Blue iceberg in the Ilulissat icefjord.jpg
Blue iceberg in the Ilulissat Icefjord
References
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
Cite error: Invalid <references>
tag; parameter "group" is allowed only.
<references />
, or <references group="..." />
External links
![]() |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ilulissat. |
Ilulissat travel guide from Wikivoyage
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Naatsorsueqqissaartarfik: Naatsorsueqqissaartarfik, table BEDST3', period 2014
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ i.a., Lieber, Francis & al. Encyclopædia Americana: A Popular Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature, History, Politics and Biography. "Greenland". B.B. Mussey & Co., 1854.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Marquardt, Ole. "Change and Continuity in Denmark's Greenland Policy" in The Oldenburg Monarchy: An Underestimated Empire?. Verlag Ludwig (Kiel), 2006.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Kjærgaard, Kathrine (2010). "Grønland som del af den bibelske fortælling – en 1700-tals studie" ["Greenland as Part of the Biblical Narrative – a Study of the 18th Century"]. Kirkehistoriske Samlinger, 51-130. (Danish)
- ↑ Guide to Ilulissat Museum, Ilulissat Museum
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Statistics Greenland, Population in localities
- ↑ Air Greenland, History
- ↑ Jean Malaurie, 1982.
- ↑ Knud Johan Victor Rasmussen, biography by Sam Alley. Minnesota State University.
- ↑ Elizabeth Cruwys, 2003.
- ↑ Famous sons
- Pages using duplicate arguments in template calls
- Pages with broken file links
- Pages with reference errors
- Use dmy dates from October 2012
- Articles containing Danish-language text
- Articles containing Greenlandic-language text
- Commons category link is defined as the pagename
- Ilulissat
- Disko Bay
- Populated places in Greenland
- Populated places established in 1741
- Populated places of Arctic Greenland
- Cities and towns in Greenland
- Populated coastal places in Greenland
- Port cities and towns in Greenland
- Port cities and towns of the Atlantic Ocean
- Articles with Danish-language external links