Ilulissat, formerly Jakobshavn or Jacobshaven,[4] is the municipal seat and largest town of the Avannaatamunicipality 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.
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 Lutheran church, photographed in 1869
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]
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]
A panoramic view at Ilulissat in February 2006
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]
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)
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.[26]
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.
The 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]
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.
^i.a., Lieber, Francis & al. Encyclopædia Americana: A Popular Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature, History, Politics and Biography. "Greenland". B.B. Mussey & Co., 1854.
Kingdom of Denmark
Greenland
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