Moriusaq (also ''Moriussaq'') is a closed settlement

Statistics Greenland Statistics Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaanni Naatsorsueqqissaartarfik, da, Grønlands Statistik) is a central statistical organization in Greenland, operating under the auspices of the Government of Greenland, working in cooperation with the Mi ...

Population in localities
/ref> located in the

Avannaata Avannaata (, da, Det Nordlige, lit=The Northern) is a municipality of Greenland created on 1 January 2018 from the bulk of the former Qaasuitsup municipality. It encompasses an area of 522,700 km2 and has 10,726 inhabitants. Geography In ...

municipality in northern

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...

. It is located just east of the mouth of

Granville Fjord Granville Fjord ( kl, Iterlassuaq) is a fjord in Avannaata municipality, Northwest Greenland. Geography Granville Fjord is located in Steensby Land, in the stretch of coast between Cape York (Greenland), Cape York and Cape Alexander, Greenland, Ca ...

, approximately to the northwest of the

Thule Air Base Thule Air Base (pronounced or , kl, Qaanaaq Mitarfik, da, Thule Lufthavn), or Thule Air Base/Pituffik Airport , is the United States Space Force's northernmost base, and the northernmost installation of the U.S. Armed Forces, located north o ...

and to the southwest of

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 ...

. Hunting and fishing resources in the area are plentiful, particularly fish, narwhals, seal, and polar bears.

Facilities

Moriusaq used to offer its inhabitants direct TV and radio broadcasting, Internet access, private telephones, and a small power station for electricity, costing tax payers 2 million DKK (US$330,000) annually. Moriusaq had a small store, and the "recreation building" housed a school, a church, and even a small library. In 2007, the school closed and the last teacher left for Qaanaaq because there were no school-aged children living in the settlement.Visiting Moriusaq

Population decline

Moriusaq was established in 1963, and it reached a population peak in the 1970s when the census reported over 100 inhabitants, but it quickly dropped to 39 in 1998. In the subsequent years nearly all families moved away, particularly to

where the infrastructure is better and services are thus more readily available, making it the destination of choice despite the social problems prevalent in the town. In the 2009 census, the population of Moriusaq was 5, which dropped from 21 according to the 2005 census. Two of the remaining villagers were already permanently living in Qaanaaq although they are listed as inhabitants of Moriusaq. Further, a case of

self-defense Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in ...

Sermitsiaq
in 2009 decreased the remaining population, effectively leaving the settlement with only 2 inhabitants in 2010, which were a father and a son. The son fit the local power plant, supplying power to their homes. In September 2010, the last occupants of Moriusaq moved to Qaanaaq and the settlement was closed down. On December 31, 2010, its post office officially closed.

recorded the population in 2012 as 0 and they now list Moriusaq as a closed settlement.

References

{{Abandoned sites in Greenland Former populated places in Greenland