Avannaata (, da, Det Nordlige, lit=The Northern) is a municipality of Greenland created on 1 January 2018 from the bulk of the former

Qaasuitsup 400px, Clockwise from top left: Ukkusissat, Upernavik, Ilulissat Icefjord">Upernavik.html" ;"title="Ukkusissat, Upernavik">Ukkusissat, Upernavik, Ilulissat Icefjord, Uummannaq Qaasuitsup (, ''Place of Polar Darkness'') was a Municipalities of ...

municipality. It encompasses an area of 522,700 km² and has 10,726 inhabitants.

Geography

In the south, Avannaata is flanked by the

Qeqertalik Qeqertalik (, da, Den Ene med Øerne, lit=The One with Islands) is a municipality of Greenland created in 2018 from four southern regions of the former Qaasuitsup Municipality. Geography Qeqertalik Municipality is flanked in the south by the ...

municipality. In the southeast, it is bordered by the

Sermersooq Sermersooq (, da, sted med meget is, lit=place of much ice) is a municipality in Greenland, formed on 1 January 2009 from five earlier, smaller municipalities. Its administrative seat is the city of Nuuk (formerly called Godthåb), the capital ...

municipality, however this border runs north–south ( 45° West

meridian Meridian or a meridian line (from Latin ''meridies'' via Old French ''meridiane'', meaning “midday”) may refer to Science * Meridian (astronomy), imaginary circle in a plane perpendicular to the planes of the celestial equator and horizon * ...

) through the center of the

Greenland ice sheet The Greenland ice sheet ( da, Grønlands indlandsis, kl, Sermersuaq) is a vast body of ice covering , roughly near 80% of the surface of Greenland. It is sometimes referred to as an ice cap, or under the term ''inland ice'', or its Danish equiva ...

( kl, Sermersuaq), and as such is free of traffic. In the east and northeast it is bordered by the

Northeast Greenland National Park Northeast Greenland National Park ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaanni nuna eqqissisimatitaq, da, Grønlands Nationalpark) is the world's largest national park and the 10th List of largest protected areas in the world, largest protected area (the only large ...

. At the southern end of the municipal coastline are the waters of

Disko Bay Disko Bay ( kl, Qeqertarsuup tunua; da, DiskobugtenChristensen, N.O. & al.Elections in Greenland. ''Arctic Circular'', Vol. 4 (1951), pp. 83–85. Op. cit. "Northern News". ''Arctic'', Vol. 5, No. 1 (Mar 1952), pp. 58–59.) is a large ...

, although some Disko Bay communities belong to the municipality of

. This bay is an inlet of the larger

Baffin Bay Baffin Bay ( Inuktitut: ''Saknirutiak Imanga''; kl, Avannaata Imaa; french: Baie de Baffin), located between Baffin Island and the west coast of Greenland, is defined by the International Hydrographic Organization as a marginal sea of the Arct ...

, which to the north edges into the island of Greenland in the form of

Melville Bay Melville Bay ( kl, Qimusseriarsuaq; da, Melville Bugt), is a large bay off the coast of northwestern Greenland. Located to the north of the Upernavik Archipelago, it opens to the south-west into Baffin Bay. Its Kalaallisut name, ''Qimusseriars ...

. The coastline of northeastern Baffin Bay is dotted with islands of the

Upernavik Archipelago Upernavik Archipelago is a vast coastal archipelago in the Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland, off the shores of northeastern Baffin Bay. The archipelago extends from the northwestern coast of Sigguup Nunaa peninsula in the south at ...

, which is entirely contained within the municipality. In the far northwest near

Qaanaaq Qaanaaq (), formerly known as Thule or New Thule, is the main town in the northern part of the Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is one of the northernmost cities and towns, northernmost towns in the world. The inhabitants of ...

and

Siorapaluk Siorapaluk (West Greenlandic) or Hiurapaluk ( Polar Inuit) is a settlement in the Qaanaaq area of the Avannaata municipality in northern Greenland. It is one of the world's northernmost inhabited settlements, the northernmost settlement inhabited ...

, the municipal shores extend into

Nares Strait , other_name = , image = Map indicating Nares Strait.png , alt = , caption = Nares Strait (boxed) is between Ellesmere Island and Greenland. , image_bathymetry = , alt_bathymetry ...

, which separates Greenland from

Ellesmere Island Ellesmere Island ( iu, script=Latn, Umingmak Nuna, lit=land of muskoxen; french: île d'Ellesmere) is Canada's northernmost and List of Canadian islands by area, third largest island, and the List of islands by area, tenth largest in the world. ...

. Avannaata's western side extends to the formerly disputed

Hans Island Hans Island ( Inuktitut and kl, Tartupaluk, ; Inuktitut syllabics: ; da, Hans Ø; french: Île Hans) is an island in the very centre of the Kennedy Channel of Nares Strait in the high Arctic region, split between the Canadian territory of ...

's eastern half, while

Canada's Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by total ...

Qiqiktaluuk Region administers the western half.

Politics

Avannaata's municipal council consists of 17 members, elected every four years.Avannaata.gl
"Kommunalbestyrelsen"

Municipal council

Administrative divisions

Ilulissat area

Ilulissat Ilulissat, formerly Jakobshavn or Jacobshaven, is the municipal seat and largest town of the Avannaata municipality in western Greenland, located approximately north of the Arctic Circle. With the population of 4,670 as of 2020, it is the t ...

(Jakobshavn) *

Ilimanaq Ilimanaq (), formerly Claushavn, is a settlement in Avannaata municipality in western Greenland. It had 53 inhabitants in 2020. The modern name of the village is Kalaallisut for "Place of Expectations". Geography Ilimanaq is located on the ...

(Claushavn) *

Oqaatsut Oqaatsut (old spelling: ''Oqaitsut''), formerly Rodebay or Rodebaai, is a settlement in Avannaata municipality, in western Greenland. It had 29 inhabitants in 2020. The modern name of the settlement is Kalaallisut for "Cormorants". The village is ...

(Rodebay) *

Qeqertaq Qeqertaq (according to the old spelling ''K'eĸertaĸ'') is a settlement in the Avannaata municipality in western Greenland, located on an island off the southern shore of the Nuussuaq Peninsula in an inlet of Sullorsuaq Strait. Founded in 183 ...

(Øen) *

Saqqaq Saqqaq (old spelling: ''Sarqaq'') is a settlement in the Avannaata municipality in western Greenland. Founded in 1755 as Solsiden, Saqqaq had 132 inhabitants in 2020. The village's Kalaallisut name is a translation of the Danish meaning "Sunny Sid ...

(Solsiden)

Qaanaaq area

(Thule) *

Qeqertat Qeqertat is a small village in the Qaanaaq area of the Avannaata municipality, in northern Greenland. It is located on the Harvard islands, in the inner Inglefield Fjord, approximately east of Qaanaaq. The village had 23 inhabitants in 2020. It ...

Savissivik Savissivik (West Greenlandic; old spelling: ''Savigsivik'') or Havighivik (Inuktun) is a settlement in the Avannaata municipality in northern Greenland. Located on Meteorite Island, off the northern shores of Melville Bay, the settlement had 55 i ...

Uummannaq area

Uummannaq Uummannaq is a town in the Avannaata municipality, in central-western Greenland. With 1,407 inhabitants in 2020, it is the eighth-largest town in Greenland, and is home to the country's most northerly ferry terminal. Founded in 1763 as Omenak, ...

(Omenak) *

Ikerasak Ikerasak() is a village in the Avannaata municipality in western Greenland. It had 233 inhabitants in 2020. Geography Ikerasak is located approximately 45 km southeast from Uummannaq, at the southeastern end of Ikerasak Island in the nor ...

Illorsuit Illorsuit (; old spelling: ''Igdlorssuit'') is a former settlement in Avannaata municipality, in western Greenland. Located on the northeastern shore of Illorsuit Island − northwest of Uummannaq at the mouth of the Uummannaq Fjord − the settl ...

Niaqornat Niaqornat (Kalaallisut: "head-shaped") is a settlement in the Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. The settlement is located on the northern coast of the Nuussuaq Peninsula, with a wide view over Uummannaq Fjord.Nuussuaq, Saga Map, Ta ...

Nuugaatsiaq Nuugaatsiaq (old spelling: ''Nûgâtsiaq'') is a settlement in the Avannaata municipality, in northwestern Greenland, located on an island off the southern coast of Sigguup Nunaa peninsula, in the Uummannaq Fjord basin. It had 84 inhabitants in 2 ...

Qaarsut Qaarsut (old spelling: ''Kaersut'') is a settlement in Avannaata municipality, in northwestern Greenland. It is situated on the northeastern shore of the Nuussuaq Peninsula. It had 174 inhabitants in 2020. History The first coal mine in Greenlan ...

Saattut Saattut (old spelling: ''Sâtut'') is a settlement in Avannaata municipality, in northwestern Greenland. Located on small Saattut Island, southeast of Appat Island and northeast of Uummannaq in the Uummannaq Fjord system, the settlement had 226 ...

Ukkusissat Ukkusissat (, old spelling: ''Uvkusigssat'') is a settlement in Avannaata municipality, in northwestern Greenland. The population of the settlement was 154 in 2020. The name means soapstone. Geography The settlement abuts the northwestern t ...

Upernavik area

Upernavik Upernavik (Kalaallisut: "Springtime Place") is a small town in the Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland, located on a small island of the same name. With 1,092 inhabitants as of 2020, it is the twelfth-largest town in Greenland. It c ...

(Women's Island) * Aappilattoq *

Innaarsuit Innaarsuit (old spelling: ''Ivnârssuit'') is an island settlement in Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. Located on an island of the same name, the settlement had 180 inhabitants in 2020. Upernavik Archipelago Innaarsuit is ...

Kangersuatsiaq Kangersuatsiaq (old spelling: ''Kangerssuatsiaq''), formerly Prøven, is an island settlement in the Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. It had 130 inhabitants in 2020. Upernavik Archipelago Kangersuatsiaq is located within Upe ...

Kullorsuaq Kullorsuaq (, old spelling: ''Kuvdlorssuaq'') is a settlement in the Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is the northernmost settlement in the Upernavik Archipelago, located on Kullorsuaq Island at the southern end of Melville Bay ...

Naajaat Naajaat (Kalaallisut: "Seagulls") is a settlement in Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. Former spellings include Naujât, Naujat, and Naajat. Located on a small island of the same name, the settlement has 49 inhabitants as of 2020 ...

Nutaarmiut Nutaarmiut (old spelling: ''Nutârmiut'') is an island settlement in Avannaata municipality, in northwestern Greenland. It had 43 inhabitants in 2020. Upernavik Archipelago Nutaarmiut is located within Upernavik Archipelago, a vast archipel ...

Nuussuaq Nuussuaq (old spelling: ''Nûgssuaq''), formerly Kraulshavn, is a settlement in Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is the only mainland settlement in the Upernavik Archipelago, located near the western tip of the Nuussuaq Penin ...

(Kraulshavn) * Tasiusaq * Tussaaq *

Upernavik Kujalleq Upernavik Kujalleq (old spelling: ''Upernavik Kujatdleq''), formerly Søndre Upernavik, is an island settlement in Avannaata municipalities of Greenland, municipality in northwestern Greenland. Founded in 1855 as a trading station on Qeqertaq Isla ...

(Søndre Upernavik)

Language

''Kalaallisut'', the West Greenlandic dialect, is spoken in the towns and settlements of the western and northwestern coasts.

Inuktun Inuktun ( en, Polar Inuit, kl, avanersuarmiutut, da, nordgrønlandsk, polarinuitisk, thulesproget) is the language of approximately 1,000 indigenous Inughuit (Polar Inuit), inhabiting the world's northernmost settlements in Qaanaaq and the surr ...

is also spoken in and around Qaanaaq.

References and notes

Ilulissat Disko Bay Municipalities of Greenland Upernavik Archipelago Uummannaq Fjord States and territories established in 2018 2018 establishments in Denmark {{Greenland-geo-stub