Ilulissat Explained

Official Name:Ilulissat
Other Name:Danish: Jakobshavn
Blank Emblem Type:Coat of arms
Blank Emblem Size:100px
Blank Emblem Link:Avannaata
Pushpin Map:Greenland#North Atlantic#Arctic
Pushpin Relief:yes
Pushpin Map Caption:Location within Greenland
Subdivision Type:Sovereign state
Subdivision Type1:Autonomous territory
Subdivision Type2:Municipality
Subdivision Name2:Avannaata
Established Title:First mention
Established Date:15th century
Established Title1:City Status
Established Date1:16th century
Area Total Km2:11.25
Area Metro Km2:47.00
Area Footnotes:[1]
Population Footnotes:[2]
Population As Of:2020 (city, settlements)
Population Total:4670
Population Blank2 Title:Ethnicity
Population Blank2:90.98% Greenlandic
9.02% Other[3]
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Urban:4,491 (City of Ilulissat)
Population Metro:342 (Settlements: Ilimanaq, Oqaatsut, Qeqertaq and Saqqaq)
Population Density Metro Km2:103.5
Utc Offset:-02
Utc Offset Dst:-01
Elevation Min M:1
Elevation Max M:2010
Area Code:(+299) 94
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:3952
Coordinates:69.2167°N -57°W

Ilulissat, formerly Jakobshavn or Jacobshaven,[4] is the municipal seat and largest town of the Avannaata municipality in western Greenland, located approximately 350km (220miles) 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.

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

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

See main article: 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 - 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

On 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

See main article: Ilulissat Icefjord.

The Ilulissat Icefjord (Kalaallisut; 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 2712NaN2 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.

Population

With 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.[22]

Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.8)ImageSize = width:1150 height:210PlotArea = height:150 left:50 bottom:50 right:50AlignBars = justifyDateFormat = x.yPeriod = from:0 till:4800TimeAxis = orientation:verticalAlignBars = justifyScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:1000 start:0ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:200 start:0PlotData= color:yellowgreen width:38 mark:(line,white) align:center

bar:1991 from:start till:4135 text:"4,135" bar:1992 from:start till:4156 text:"4,156" bar:1993 from:start till:4072 text:"4,072" bar:1994 from:start till:4057 text:"4,057" bar:1995 from:start till:4052 text:"4,052" bar:1996 from:start till:4086 text:"4,086" bar:1997 from:start till:4168 text:"4,168" bar:1998 from:start till:4159 text:"4,159" bar:1999 from:start till:4167 text:"4,167" bar:2000 from:start till:4199 text:"4,199" bar:2001 from:start till:4145 text:"4,145" bar:2002 from:start till:4285 text:"4,285" bar:2003 from:start till:4525 text:"4,525" bar:2004 from:start till:4470 text:"4,470" bar:2005 from:start till:4533 text:"4,533" bar:2006 from:start till:4511 text:"4,511" bar:2007 from:start till:4512 text:"4,512" bar:2008 from:start till:4584 text:"4,584" bar:2009 from:start till:4528 text:"4,528" bar:2010 from:start till:4546 text:"4,546" bar:2011 from:start till:4606 text:"4,606" bar:2012 from:start till:4621 text:"4,621" bar:2013 from:start till:4541 text:"4,541" bar:2014 from:start till:4530 text:"4,530" bar:2015 from:start till:4491 text:"4,491" bar:2016 from:start till:4442 text:"4,442" bar:2017 from:start till:4555 text:"4,555" bar:2018 from:start till:4563 text:"4,563"

Tourist Attraction

Transport

Air

See main article: Ilulissat Airport.

Ilulissat Airport is located 2.8km (01.7miles) to the northeast of the town center and was built in 1983.[23] 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.

SeaThe 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 (as of 2016).

Film

The fourth series of the Danish TV series Borgen (2022) plays partially in the city of Ilulissat and was filmed on location.[24] It was also the location for the filming of Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997).[25]

Notable people

International Relations

Twin Towns – Sister Cities

Ilulissat is twinned or cooperating with several towns and cities, including:

External links

Overviews and data

Government

Maps

News and media

Travel

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Den Store Danske: Areal fordelt efter kommune / region . Naatsorsueqqissaartarfik . 23 January 2014 .
  2. Web site: Naatsorsueqqissaartarfik: Ilulissat City/Settlements (Ilulissat Municipality, Qaasuitsup Kommunia), 2014 (table: BEDST3) . Statistics Greenland . 14 February 2014 .
  3. [Naatsorsueqqissaartarfik]
  4. 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. Web site: Population by Localities. Statistical Greenland. 7 April 2020. 26 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200726135012/https://bank.stat.gl/pxweb/en/Greenland/Greenland__BE__BE01__BE0120/BEXST4.PX/table/tableViewLayout1/?rxid=27d6ab46-03f8-43bd-868c-24a2a5a0a8e0. dead.
  6. Web site: Ilulissat. Qaasuitsup Municipality. 11 July 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120602185819/http://www.qaasuitsup.gl/en/Om-kommunen/Cities-and-settlements/Ilulissat. 2 June 2012.
  7. Web site: 21 World Heritage Sites you have probably never heard of. The Daily Telegraph.
  8. Web site: Ilulissat Icefjord. Qaasuitsup Municipality . 11 August 2012. dead. https://archive.today/20130213145214/http://www.kangia.gl/en/Fakta%20om%20Isfjorden/Ilulissat%20idag. 2013-02-13.
  9. Marquardt, Ole. "Change and Continuity in Denmark's Greenland Policy" in The Oldenburg Monarchy: An Underestimated Empire?. Verlag Ludwig (Kiel), 2006.
  10. 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.
  11. Guide to Ilulissat Museum, Ilulissat Museum
  12. Web site: Conference on the Arctic Ocean . https://web.archive.org/web/20080820072237/http://arctic-council.org/article/2008/5/conference_on_the_arctic_ocean . dead . 2008-08-20 . 2008-06-06 . Arctic Council . 2008-05-26 . arctic-council.org .
  13. News: Hopper . Tristin . 2022-06-13 . Canada to get new land border with Denmark as decades-long Hans Island dispute ends . en . National Post . 2022-06-18.
  14. News: Greenland hosts Arctic sovereignty talks . Reuters. 27 May 2008 . 5 October 2010.
  15. Web site: Ilulissat Declaration. Government of Greenland. 11 August 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120310172346/http://www.oceanlaw.org/downloads/arctic/Ilulissat_Declaration.pdf. 10 March 2012. dead.
  16. Web site: Hotel Ilulissat står i flammer. 8 March 2021.
  17. Web site: Ilulissat: Hotel-brand er slukket. 8 March 2021.
  18. Web site: Brand i Ilulissat: Gå indenfor og luk vinduer og ventilationsanlæg. 8 March 2021.
  19. Web site: Politi: Hotelbrand i Ilulissat skal nu efterforskes. 8 March 2021.
  20. Web site: Beredskabschef: Varmeblæser kan være årsag til brand på hotel i Ilulissat. 8 March 2021.
  21. Web site: UNESCO Listing. 11 August 2012.
  22. [Statistics Greenland]
  23. http://airgreenland.com/om_air_greenland/vores_historie/ Air Greenland, History
  24. Web site: IMDB, Borgen, Series 4, Filming & Production. 2022-06-28.
  25. Web site: IMDB, Smilla's Sense of Snow, Filming & Production. 2022-06-28.
  26. Jean Malaurie, 1982.
  27. http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/information/biography/pqrst/rasmussen_knud.html Knud Johan Victor Rasmussen
  28. Elizabeth Cruwys, 2003.
  29. http://www.ilulissat.gl/En/Turisme/Beroemte/index.html Famous sons