Everything about Nanortalik totally explained
Nanortalik is the tenth biggest town of
Greenland and is located at on a small island (also called Nanortalik) roughly 100
km from the southern tip of
Greenland.
Nanortalik is also the administrative center of Municipality of Nanortalik which encompasses about 15,000 km² (5,790 mi²) around the southern tip of Greenland. The town itself has 1564 inhabitants (January 2005), and the entire municipality has 2389 inhabitants with the rest living in the settlements of
Narsarmijit (Frederiksdal),
Alluitsup Paa (Sydprøven),
Tasiusaq,
Aappilattoq,
Ammassivik as well as these settlements with no more than 20 inhabitants each:
Saputit,
Nalasut,
Nuugaarsuk,
Akuliaruseq,
Qallimiut,
Qorlortorsuaq,
Alluitsoq, and the weather station
Ikerasassuaq.
The name
Nanortalik means "place of
polar bears".
History
Because of its location, this area was one of the first parts of Greenland settled, both by
Inuit and by the
Norse. Nanortalik was founded in 1770. In 1797, a permanent trading depot was set up in Nanortalik by traders from
Julianehåb. Due to poor harbour facilities, the town moved in 1830 to a different location where it remains today. Of the old town remains only the scattered ruins of
Sissarissoq.
Greenland's southernmost city, means "the place where the polar bears go". The surrounding district extends from the island of Qeqertarsuaq near Alluitsup Paa down to Cape Farewell and the 60-km long Lindenow Fjord on the east coast. The district covers a total of 15,000 sq. kilometers (5,800 sq. miles).
Crab fishing, hunting for hooded seals, and fishing from small boats are the main sources of income for the area's inhabitants. Over the past few years, a goldmine in Kirkespir Valley (Kirkespirdalen), 30 km north Nanortalik has proven highly successful, and this is likely to change the structure of the town's economy.
Nanortalik is most well known for its towering mountain peaks and vertical walls in Tasermiut Fjord. Names like Ketil Mountain (1500 m) and Ulamertorsuaq are familiar to mountain climbers from around the world. The mountains in the region can easily be compared with the toughest routes in the Alps, and challenging ascents should only be attempted by experienced climbers.
During the spring, many Greenlanders hunt hooded seals among the outer islands, where the pack ice drifts up from the east coast on its way north. The age-old culture of the Inuit lives on in this annual hunting tradition.
In addition to seals, the pack ice also brings polar bears from the east coast – hence the name Nanortalik. Every year a number of bears are sighted in the area, but they rarely present a threat to people.
During the spring and late summer, there are many whales in the waters around the town, with minke whales being the most common visitors.
Economy
Nanortalik has little productive trade. There are no factories, and no large-scale fishing activities as sea ice prevents fishing for several months a year. Small-scale fishing, crab fishing, seal and seabird hunting and tourism provide most of the locally produced revenue. Recently, a
gold mine opened in
Kirkespirsdalen some 30 km north of Nanortalik town. Decades ago, a now abandoned
graphite mine operated some 20 km from the town.
Nanortalik Island
Nanortalik Island is located near the mouth of the 70 km long
Tasermiut Fjord. The island measures about 10 km across and features two minor mountains:
Quaqqarsuasik ('Storfjeldet' in Danish) and
Quassik ('Ravnefjeldet' in Danish or Raven Mountain in English)
Quaqqarsuasik is 559
m and
Quassik 308
m.
Flora and Fauna
While Greenland is almost completely without trees, the Qinngua valley some 40 km from Nanortalik town has the only forest in Greenland. Here, Willow (
Salix glauca) and Birch (
Betula pubescens) trees grow up to a height of several meters. Most other places, trees grow up to a maximum of about half a meter height. The valley also has some 300 species of other plants, in addition to many
lichens.
The wildlife of the Nanortalik island is rather poor due to native hunters. As a result,
ravens,
seagulls and
snow buntings are some of the very few abundant larger bird species, and no mammal larger than a mouse is likely to be seen on the island. However, the surrounding areas count numerous species.
Birdlife includes
raven,
ptarmigan,
Glaucous Gull,
Iceland Gull,
snow bunting,
guillemot,
eider,
king eider,
gyrfalcon,
white-tailed eagle,
redpoll,
red-necked phalarope, various
sandpipers,
red-breasted merganser,
red-throated diver,
great northern diver,
cormorant,
long-tailed duck,
puffin,
northern wheatear,
little auk, various
duck species, and more rarely,
snowy owls.
Despite the allusion to
polar bears in its name, they're rare sights in Nanortalik, but occasionally come drifting in on
sea ice from East Greenland in the months of January to June.
Marine mammals
Seals are common in surrounding fjords. The most common seal is
ringed seal, followed by
Hooded Seal and
harp seal.
From August until October
minke whales are common near the opening of the Tasermiut Fjord. Occasionally,
humpback whales and
orcas are spotted.
Points of interests
Sister city
Kolding, DenmarkFurther Information
Get more info on 'Nanortalik'.
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