Qassiarsuk

Qassiarsuk
Reproduction of Brattahlíð church, Qassiarsuk
Qassiarsuk Location within Greenland
Coordinates: 61°09′00″N 45°31′00″W
State	Kingdom of Denmark
Constituent country	Greenland
Municipality	Kujalleq
Government
• Mayor	Fredrik Frederiksen
Population (2010)
• Total	89
Time zone	UTC-03
Postal code	3921 Narsaq

Qassiarsuk is a settlement in the Kujalleq municipality, in southern Greenland. Its population was 89 in 2010.

History

Brattahlíð was the site of the Erik the Red's estate in the times of the Norse Eastern Settlement. The current village is located in the same place.

Geography

Aerial view of the farms of Qassiarsuk on the northwestern shore of Tunulliarfik

The settlement is located roughly 5 km (3.1 mi) west of Narsarsuaq, on Narsaq Peninsula, on the northwestern shore of Tunulliarfik Fjord. The plains of are wider than those of Narsaq at the far end of the peninsula, while the earth is also fertile, both factors contributing to farming and land cultivation being the primary occupation of the inhabitants.

Transport

It is possible to cross overland to Narsarsuaq, although crossing the glacial Narsarsuaq river is difficult due to deposits of silt quicksand the river carries from the Greenland ice sheet (Kalaallisut: Sermersuaq). All transport at Qassiarsuk is by sea, with boats linking the settlement to Narsarsuaq, home to the only international airport in southern Greenland. The airport primarily functions as a transfer point for passengers heading for the helicopter hubs of Air Greenland in Qaqortoq and Nanortalik.

Population

The population of Qassiarsuk has been stable in the last two decades.

Qassiarsuk population growth dynamics in the last two decades. Source: Statistics Greenland