Upernavik
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Upernavik | |
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  Upernavik
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| Coordinates: 72°47′2″N 56°9′2″W / 72.78389°N 56.15056°W | |
| Country | Kingdom of Denmark |
| Province |  Greenland |
| Municipality | Qaasuitsup |
| Population (2005) | |
| - Total | 1,178 |
| Time zone | UTC-3 (UTC-3) |
Upernavik ("Springtime Place" in Greenlandic) is a small town in the Qaasuitsup municipality on the northwestern coast of Greenland. It is located on one of the small islands in the archipelago off the northwestern coast of the Sigguup Nunaa peninsula. 1,178 people live in the town. Due to the small size of the settlement, everything is within walking distance.
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[edit] History
In 1824, the Kingigtorssuaq Runestone was found outside Upernavik. It bears runic characters left by Vikings, probably from the late 13th century. The runic characters list the names of three Vikings, and mention the construction of a rock cairn nearby. This is the furthest north that any Viking artifacts have been found, other than those small artifacts that could have been carried north by Inuit traders, and marks the northern known limit of Viking exploration.
[edit] Transport
Upernavik is served by the Upernavik Airport, with scheduled flights to Qaanaaq, Qaarsut, and Ilulissat. The Bell 212 helicopter calls the villages on days which Air Greenland flies to Upernavik. In summer, a small ferry of Royal Arctic Line sails to local villages.
[edit] Photographs
 Northwestern part of Upernavik in midnight sun |
 The new church |
 The old church, which is the second-oldest building in the town |
 The cemetery; the graves are decorated with artificial flowers. |
 Work at the harbour |
 Sleddogs chained in residential area |
 Duda Lasø anchored in the harbour |
[edit] Further reading
- Bjerregaard, Peter, and Beth Bjerregaard. Disease Pattern in Upernavik in Relation to Housing Conditions and Social Group. Copenhagen: Kommissionen for videnskabelige Undersøgelser i Grønland, 1985. ISBN 8717052319
- Haller, Albert Arno. The Spatial Organization of the Marine Hunting Culture in the Upernavik District, Greenland. Ottawa: National Library of Canada, 1981.
- Hjarnø, Jan, Jørgen Balslev Jørgensen, and Morten Vesely. Archaeological and Anthropological Investigations of Late Heathen Graves in Upernavik District. København: C.A. Reitzels Forlag, 1974. ISBN 8742100968
- Jørgensen, Jørgen Balslev, Jens Dahl, and Sanjai Sangvichien. Anthropometrical Studies on Greenlanders from Two Villages in the Upernavik Area. København: Nyt Nordisk Forlag, 1976. ISBN 8717021251
- Vibe, Christian. Preliminary Investigations on Shallow Water Animal Communities in the Upernavik- and Thule-Districts (Northwest Greenland). København: C.A. Reitzel, 1939.
[edit] External links
Media related to Upernavik at Wikimedia Commons
