Ilulissat

[edit] The Lutheran church, photographed in 1869 Archaeological finds at Semermiut, near Ilulissat, show that the area was inhabited by Inuit peoples from prehistoric times, with evidence of Saqqaq settlement around 1500 BC and Dorset occupation from about 300 AD. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Dutch whalers traded extensively with the local population and referred to the area as Maklykout, a name now thought to be a corruption of the Greenlandic magdliukait ("tidal wave"). The town was established as a trading post by Jacob Severin's company in 1741; it was named in his honor after the Battle of Jacobshavn, in which Danish forces defeated the Dutch whalers. The Zion Church (Zions Kirke) was built in the late 18th century; it was the largest man-made structure in Greenland at the time. The final resident of nearby Sermermiut moved to Ilulissat in 1850. Ilulissat Declaration[edit] Main article: Ilulissat Declaration The town was the site of the Arctic Ocean Conference in May 2008. 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 — and Arktika 2007) and Arctic shrinkage produced by climate change. 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. A panoramic view of Ilulissat in 2024 Hotel Ilulissat fire[edit] 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. Not long after the fire fighters arrived, a gas cylinder exploded. The explosion was heard throughout the city.

[edit] Ilulissat lies on the eastern shore of Disko Bay, just north of the Ilulissat Icefjord (Greenlandic: Ilulissat Kangerlua), a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004. Climate[edit] 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 Percentage 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) Source 2: World Climate Guide

[edit] 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.

[edit] Ilulissat domestic airport destinations Air Main article: Ilulissat Airport Ilulissat Airport is located 2.8 km (1.7 mi) to the northeast of the town center and was built in 1983. It serves Ilulissat with connections to towns in northwestern and midwestern Greenland with Air Greenland. Service to Reykjavík, Iceland, began in April 2011 with Icelandair. Sea The Arctic Umiaq ferry links Ilulissat with Sisimiut, Nuuk, and other towns and settlements on the western and southwestern coast of Greenland.

[edit] 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).

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

[edit] Knud Rasmussen (1879–1933), noted polar explorer and anthropologist, referred to as the "father of Eskimology"; born in Ilulissat. He was the first man to cross the Northwest Passage via dog sled. He remains well known in Greenland, Denmark and among Canadian Inuit. Jørgen Brønlund (1877–1907), 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. Kristine Raahauge (1949–2022), municipal politician, activist, eskimologist and writer Jens Rosing (1925–2008), artist; designed the coat of arms of Greenland and numerous Greenlandic postage stamps; illustrated children's books; watercolours; born in Ilulissat Ricky Enø Jørgensen, racing cyclist

[edit] See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Greenland Ilulissat is twinned or cooperating with several towns and cities, including: Fredericia, Denmark Fuglafjørður, Faroe Islands Hafnarfjörður, Iceland

[edit] Church and doctor's residence of the town Jacobshavn (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 a plane Ilulissat Church