King Frederick VI Coast
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King Frederick VI Coast ( da, Kong Frederik VI Kyst) is a major geographic division of
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 comprises the coastal area of Southeastern Greenland in
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 ...
and
Kujalleq Kujalleq ( Greenlandic: , da, Den Syden, lit=The South) is a municipality on the southern tip of Greenland, operational from 1 January 2009. The administrative center of the municipality is in Qaqortoq (formerly called Julianehåb). Creation ...
municipalities fronting the
Irminger Sea The Irminger Sea is a marginal sea of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered to the west by southern Greenland, to the north by Iceland and the Denmark Strait, to the east by the Reykjanes Ridge (a northern part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge), ...
of the
North Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
. It is bordered by
King Christian IX Land King Christian IX Land ( da, Kong Christian IX Land) is a coastal area of Southeastern Greenland in Sermersooq Municipality fronting the Denmark Strait and extending through the Arctic Circle from 65°N to 70°N. History This area was named i ...
on the north and 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 ...
to the west. Named after
King Frederick VI Frederick VI (Danish and no, Frederik; 28 January 17683 December 1839) was King of Denmark from 13 March 1808 to 3 December 1839 and King of Norway from 13 March 1808 to 7 February 1814, making him the last king of Denmark–Norway. From 1784 ...
of Denmark-Norway, the coast stretches for about south of the
Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth. Its southern equivalent is the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude at w ...
. It is characterized by a succession of short fjords, steep mountains and small coastal islands. There is a narrow belt of ice-free land between the shore and the Inland ice cap, interrupted by active glaciers reaching the shore with the ice limit varying seasonally from year to year. Owing to the movement of pack ice carried by the
East Greenland Current The East Greenland Current (EGC) is a cold, low- salinity current that extends from Fram Strait (~80N) to Cape Farewell (~60N). The current is located off the eastern coast of Greenland along the Greenland continental margin. The current cuts th ...
and frequent gale-force winds that sweep down from the
Greenland ice cap 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 equiv ...
, it is mostly very difficult to approach or navigate along the coast by ship.


History

This area was inhabited by
Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...
in the past, but in present times King Frederick VI Coast is uninhabited. Numerous coastal islands, including
Qulleq Qulleq, Qutdleq or Kutdlek is an uninhabited island in the King Frederick VI Coast, Sermersooq municipality in southern Greenland. Geography Qulleq is an irregularly-shaped island that lies off the southeastern coast of Greenland. It is located 5. ...
, Timmiarmiit, Griffenfeld Island and
Skjoldungen Skjoldungen ( kl, Saqqisikuik) is a large uninhabited island in the King Frederick VI Coast, southeastern Greenland. Administratively it is part of the Sermersooq municipality. The weather of the island is characterized by tundra climate. The isl ...
, have recent Inuit remains, as well as
Paleo-Eskimo The Paleo-Eskimo (also pre-Thule or pre-Inuit) were the peoples who inhabited the Arctic region from Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Chukotka (e.g., Chertov Ovrag) in present-day Russia across North America to Greenland prior to the arrival of the mode ...
or ancient
Thule culture The Thule (, , ) or proto-Inuit were the ancestors of all modern Inuit. They developed in coastal Alaska by the year 1000 and expanded eastward across northern Canada, reaching Greenland by the 13th century. In the process, they replaced people o ...
sites.
Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
er Gunnbjørn Ulf-Krakason reportedly sighted the eastern coast of Greenland in the 10th century. The inhabitants of the
Western Settlement The Western Settlement ( non, Vestribygð ) was a group of farms and communities established by Norsemen from Iceland around 985 in medieval Greenland. Despite its name, the Western Settlement was more north than west of its companion Eastern Set ...
referred to the inhospitable Southeastern Greenland coast as ''"Ubygder"'', the unbuilt place. In 1001
Torgils Orrabeinfostre Torgils Orrabeinfostre (''Þorgils Orrabeinsfóstri'', Þorgils the step-son of Scarleg) is the Viking hero of Flóamanna saga. A Norwegian weather station built in Nanuuseq Fjord in 1932 was named Torgilsbu, after this legendary hero. In 194 ...
, a legendary Norseman who was shipwrecked in these harsh shores, spent four years trying to reach the Western Settlement. Later, in the 18th century,
Peder Olsen Walløe Peder Olsen Walløe (1716 – 27 April 1793) was a Dano-Norwegian Arctic explorer most noted for his historic exploration of the former Norse settlements on Greenland. Biography Peder Olsen Walloe was born on the Baltic Sea island of Bornholm. In ...
was the first European known with certainty to have landed on the still uncharted southern part of the coast using local
umiak The umiak, umialak, umiaq, umiac, oomiac, oomiak, ongiuk, or anyak is a type of open skin boat, used by both Yupik and Inuit, and was originally found in all coastal areas from Siberia to Greenland. First arising in Thule times, it has tradition ...
boats.
Wilhelm August Graah Wilhelm August Graah (1793–1863) was a Danish naval officer and Arctic explorer. Graah had mapped areas of West Greenland when he, in 1828–30, was sent by King Frederick VI of Denmark on an expedition to the unmapped eastern coast with t ...
(1793–1863), a Danish naval officer, was sent by the King of Denmark on an expedition to the little known eastern coast with the purpose to search for the lost
Eastern Norse Settlement The Eastern Settlement ( non, Eystribygð ) was the first and by far the larger of the two main areas of Norse Greenland, settled by Norsemen from Iceland. At its peak, it contained approximately 4,000 inhabitants. The last written record from t ...
. Like Walløe, Graah also used local umiaks and mapped parts of the area for the first time, naming the coast "King Frederick VI Coast". He made numerous contacts with the now extinct Southeast-Greenland Inuit during his 1828–30 expedition, describing some of their customs and way of life in the harsh living conditions of the coast. In 1883-85 Gustav Holm and Vilhelm Garde made a more thorough survey of the coast, completing the mapping of the region begun by Graah. In 1931
Gino Watkins Henry George "Gino" Watkins FRGS (29 January 1907 – c. 20 August 1932) was a British Arctic explorer and nephew of Bolton Eyres-Monsell, 1st Viscount Monsell. Biography Born in London, he was educated at Lancing College and acquired a lov ...
, leader of the 1930-1931 British Arctic Air Route Expedition, together with
Percy Lemon Captain Percy M. Lemon (1898 – 23 October 1932) was a signal officer and British polar explorer who was awarded the Polar Medal. Biography In 1914, while still a teenager, Lemon was interned in Germany. After being released, he was not allow ...
and Augustine Courtauld traveled southwards along the little explored King Frederick VI Coast all the way south on a gruesome open boat journey of using two small whaleboats and a kayak. Braving harsh weather conditions, the three boats managed to round Cape Farewell, reaching finally
Nanortalik Nanortalik (), formerly Nennortalik, is a town in Nanortalik Island, Kujalleq municipality, southern Greenland. With 1,185 inhabitants as of 2020, it is the eleventh-largest town in the country. The name ''Nanortalik'' means "Place of Polar Bear ...
on the western side. In 1931 Norway claimed sovereignty over a section of the coast between 60°30'N —just north of Nanuuseq, and 63°40'N —just south of
Odinland Odinland ( da, Odin Land), also ''Odinsland'' in the Defense Mapping Agency Greenland Navigation charts, is a peninsula in the King Frederick VI Coast, southeastern Greenland. It is a part of the Sermersooq municipality. The peninsula is fully e ...
. On 12 July 1932, acting leader
Finn Devold Finn Devold (born 24 April 1902 in Bergen, died 26 May 1977) was a Norwegian Arctic explorer, marine biologist and meteorologist. His father was parish priest Harald Ophus Devold. Together with his brother Hallvard Devold, Finn shared an intere ...
was required by the Norwegian government to formally hoist the Norwegian flag at
Finnsbu Finnsbu was a Norwegian hunting, meteorological and radio station (Finnsbu Radio/LMX) located on the King Frederick VI Coast, Southeastern Greenland. Administratively the area were the hut stood belongs now to the Sermersooq municipality. The s ...
, the main Norwegian station in the area. Following the 1933 resolution of the
Permanent Court of International Justice The Permanent Court of International Justice, often called the World Court, existed from 1922 to 1946. It was an international court attached to the League of Nations. Created in 1920 (although the idea of an international court was several cent ...
rejecting Norway's claims in Greenland, Finnsbu was abandoned, but the
Torgilsbu Torgilsbu was a Norwegian hunting, meteorological and radio station (Torgilsbu Radio/LMQ) located on the King Frederick VI Coast, Southeastern Greenland. Administratively the area were the hut stood belongs now to the Kujalleq municipality. The ...
station continued operation until 1940.Spencer Apollonio, ''Lands That Hold One Spellbound: A Story of East Greenland,'' 2008, pp. 188-189 A name suggested for the Norwegian territory was Fridtjof Nansen Land, but had not been officially adopted until the court ruling.
Knud Rasmussen Knud Johan Victor Rasmussen (; 7 June 1879 – 21 December 1933) was a Greenlandic–Danish polar explorer and anthropologist. He has been called the "father of Eskimology" (now often known as Inuit Studies or Greenlandic and Arctic Studie ...
visited the coast in 1931, in the course of his Sixth Thule Expedition and again in 1932 and 1933 in the Seventh Thule Expedition, contributing greatly to the cartography of the inner fjords and mountain ranges. He also explored the possibility of establishing a new Greenlandic settlement in the coast, which was by then depopulated. In 1938 one hundred and fifty Inuit from
Ammassalik Ammassalik Island ( da, Ammassalik Ø) is an island in the Sermersooq municipality in southeastern Greenland, with an area of .
were convinced by the Danish authorities to settle in
Skjoldungen Skjoldungen ( kl, Saqqisikuik) is a large uninhabited island in the King Frederick VI Coast, southeastern Greenland. Administratively it is part of the Sermersooq municipality. The weather of the island is characterized by tundra climate. The isl ...
's western shore. For a few years there was a populated place in the King Frederick VI Coast, until 1965 when the inhabitants were relocated and the settlement was abandoned.


Geography

The coast extends from
Pikiulleq Pikiulleq is a bay in eastern Greenland. It is part of the Sermersooq municipality. Geography Pikiulleq Bay is located at the northern end of King Frederick VI Coast, north of the Fridtjof Nansen Peninsula and to the north of the Søren Norby ...
Bay in the north to Cape Farewell in the south. Many sections of the shore area of King Frederick VI Coast are very indented with a succession of
fjords In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Icela ...
and bays, such as
Lindenow Fjord Lindenow Fjord or Kangerlussuatsiaq, is a fjord in the King Frederick VI Coast, Kujalleq municipality, southern Greenland. History Igdlukulik, an archaeological site with the ruins of a former Inuit settlement lies by the shore where the Nørrear ...
(Kangerlussuatsiaq),
Paatusoq Paatusoq, mentioned as 'Patursok' by Wilhelm August Graah, is a fjord in the King Frederick VI Coast, Kujalleq municipality, southeastern Greenland. Its name means "The one with the big mouth" in the Greenlandic language. Geography Paatusoq Fjord ...
, Anorituup Kangerlua,
Timmiarmiut Fjord Timmiarmiut Fjord (old spelling 'Tingmiarmiut Fjord'; kl, Timmiarmiit Kangertivat)) is a fjord of the King Frederick VI Coast in the Sermersooq municipality, southeastern Greenland. Geography Timmiarmiut Fjord is located north of Sikuijivitteq ...
, Napasorsuaq Fjord,
Bernstorff Fjord Bernstorff Fjord ( da, Bernstorff Isfjord; kl, Kangertittivaq) is a fjord in King Frederick VI Coast, eastern Greenland. Administratively it is part of the Sermersooq municipality. The fjord was named after Danish statesman Andreas Peter Bernst ...
and
Umivik Bay Umivik Bay ( da, Umivik Bugt), also known as ''Umiivik'' and ''Umerik'', is a bay in King Frederick VI Coast, southeastern Greenland. It is part of the Sermersooq municipality. Unlike the jagged and forbidding appearance of most fjord systems i ...
. There are numerous active
glaciers A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such as ...
, both at the head of the fjords, as well as protruding into the sea such as
Puisortoq Puisortoq is a glacier on the east coast of Greenland. It has been in a status of retreat for the past years. It is a very active glacier protruding into the sea and discharging great amounts of ice, making navigation along the coast dangerous. ...
, making navigation along the coast dangerous.Spencer Apollonio, ''Lands that Hold One Spellbound: A Story of East Greenland'', p. 34 There are as well many coastal islands, such as Upernattivik,
Skjoldungen Skjoldungen ( kl, Saqqisikuik) is a large uninhabited island in the King Frederick VI Coast, southeastern Greenland. Administratively it is part of the Sermersooq municipality. The weather of the island is characterized by tundra climate. The isl ...
, Timmiarmiit, Queen Louise Island and
Iluileq Iluileq (named 'Ilivilik' in old maps) is an uninhabited island in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. History Wilhelm August Graah (1793–1863) met groups of Southeast-Greenland Inuit on the island during his 1828–30 expedition ...
. Fjords in the coast form peninsulas between them, the largest of which is
Odinland Odinland ( da, Odin Land), also ''Odinsland'' in the Defense Mapping Agency Greenland Navigation charts, is a peninsula in the King Frederick VI Coast, southeastern Greenland. It is a part of the Sermersooq municipality. The peninsula is fully e ...
. Most fjords are flanked by steep mountain ranges such as the
Graah Mountains The Graah Mountains ( da, Graah Fjelde or ''Graah Bjerge'')Spencer Apollonio, ''Lands That Hold One Spellbound: A Story of East Greenland'', 2008 p. 33 are a mountain range in southeastern Greenland. Administratively this range is part of the Kuja ...
and the
Kangerluluk Range The Kangerluluk Range ( da, Kangerluluk Bjerge) is a mountain range in the King Frederick VI Coast, southeastern Greenland. Administratively this range is part of the Kujalleq Municipalities of Greenland, municipality. This mountain group was nam ...
. The highest point in the coast is the magnificent
Mount Paatusoq Mount Paatusoq, also known as 'Mount Patuersoq', is the highest mountain in the Kujalleq municipality, SE Greenland. Paatusoq is also the highest peak in the King Frederick VI Coast area of far southeastern Greenland. History Long considered the ...
towering to a height of above the glacier at the head of the
Paatusoq Paatusoq, mentioned as 'Patursok' by Wilhelm August Graah, is a fjord in the King Frederick VI Coast, Kujalleq municipality, southeastern Greenland. Its name means "The one with the big mouth" in the Greenlandic language. Geography Paatusoq Fjord ...
fjord.Patuersoq, Greenland
/ref>


References


External links


Distribution Map of Archaeological, Historic, Cultural and Ancient Sites sites in GreenlandNew insights on the north-eastern part of the Ketilidian orogen in South-East Greenland
{{coord, 63, 0, N, 42, 0, W, source:enwiki_type:region, display=title Geography of Greenland