Uummannaq is a town in the Avannaata municipality, in central-western

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 i ...

. 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, the town is a hunting and fishing base, with a canning factory and a marble quarry. In 1932, the Universal Greenland-Filmexpedition with director Arnold Fanck released the film '' S.O.S. Eisberg'' near Uummannaq.

Geography

Uummannaq is located 590 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle on Uummannaq Island located in the south-central arm of the

Uummannaq Fjord Uummannaq Fjord is a large fjord system in the northern part of western Greenland, the largest after Kangertittivaq fjord in eastern Greenland. It has a roughly south-east to west-north-west orientation, emptying into the Baffin Bay in the nor ...

. ''Uummannaq'' is also the general name given to the series of inlets north of the promontory at

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 ...

on the

Nuussuaq Peninsula Nuussuaq Peninsula (, old spelling: ''Nûgssuaq'') is a large (180x48 km) peninsula in western Greenland. Geography The waters around the peninsula are that of Baffin Bay. To the south and southwest the peninsula is bounded by Disko Bay, ...

Uummannaq Mountain

The island is also home to Uummannaq Mountain, rising very sharply to the height of 1170m. Climbing it requires technical skills.

Transport

Air Greenland Air Greenland A/S (formerly named Grønlandsfly), also known as Greenlandair, is the flag carrier airline of Greenland, owned by the Greenlandic Government. It operates a fleet of 32 aircraft, including 1 airliner used for transatlantic and ch ...

operates helicopter services to

Qaarsut Airport Qaarsut Airport ( kl, Mittarfik Qaarsut) is an airport in Qaarsut, a settlement on the Nuussuaq Peninsula in Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is a primary airport with a gravel runway, capable of serving STOL aircraft of Air ...

from Uummannaq Heliport. The neighbouring villages in the Uummannaq area are served by district cargo helicopters. In summer months,

Royal Arctic Line Royal Arctic Line A/S (RAL) or Royal Arctic is a seaborne freight company in Greenland, wholly owned by the Government of Greenland. It was formed in 1993, and is headquartered in Nuuk. History Royal Arctic Line A/S was spun off as a company se ...

operates its 'bygdeservice' with sailings by small ships to its neighbouring villages, including a service to Qaarsut.

Climate

Uummannaq has a

tundra climate The tundra climate is a polar climate sub-type located in high latitudes and high mountains. undra climate https://www.britannica.com/science/tundra-climateThe Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2019 It is classified as ET according to Köppen ...

with short, cold summers and long, very cold winters.

Culture

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

and Greenlandic children are told that Santa Claus lives in Spraglebugten Bay in the west of the island. A turf hut (''Santa's Castle'') was built there for a Danish television programme and remains Santa's home in the popular imagination. Scottish singer KT Tunstall's third album '' Tiger Suit'' features the track "Uummannaq Song", which was inspired by her trip to the town in September 2008 with Cape Farewell. Uummannaq is home to Uummannaq Music – the world's northernmost music platform on sea ice.

Notable People

* Ole Jørgen Hammeken, polar explorer * Siissisoq, a Greenlandic rock band * Nukaaka Coster-Waldau, actress, singer, former Miss Greenland and wife of Danish actor

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Nikolaj William Coster-Waldau (; born 27 July 1970) is a Danish actor and producer. He graduated from the Danish National School of Performing Arts in Copenhagen in 1993, and had his breakthrough role in Denmark with the film '' Nightwatch'' (19 ...

Aleqa Hammond Aleqa Hammond (born 23 September 1965) is a Greenlandic politician and former member of the Danish Folketing (parliament). Formerly the leader of the Siumut party, she became Greenland's first female prime minister after her party emerged as the l ...

, former

Prime Minister of Greenland The prime minister of Greenland ( kl, Naalakkersuisut siulittaasuat, ; da, Landsstyreformand), officially the premier of Greenland,Pipaluk Freuchen Pipaluk Freuchen (15 March 1918 – 8 April 1999) was a Danish-Greenlandic-Swedish writer, best known for her children's book ''Ivik, den faderløse,'' which is also known by its English title ''Eskimo Boy.'' She was also the daughter of the exp ...

, children's writer

Population

Uummannaq is the second-largest town in the Avannaata municipality. It had 1,407 inhabitants in 2020, which was a decrease of more than 12% relative to the population in 2000.

References

External links

*
Villages in the Uummannaq area

Photos of Uummannaq

About filming in Greenland in 1933
{{Authority control Populated places in Greenland Populated places of Arctic Greenland Populated places established in 1763 Avannaata 1763 establishments in North America 18th-century establishments in Greenland