Qaasuitsup

Qaasuitsup Qaasuitsup Kommunia
Municipality
Clockwise from top left: Ukkusissat, Upernavik, Ilulissat Icefjord, Uummannaq Clockwise from top left: Ukkusissat, Upernavik, Ilulissat Icefjord, Uummannaq
Coat of arms
Location of Qaasuitsup within Greenland Location of Qaasuitsup within Greenland
Coordinates (Qaasuitsup Commune):
State	Kingdom of Denmark
Constituent country	Greenland
Municipality	Qaasuitsup
Established	1 January 2009
Municipal center	Ilulissat
Government
• Mayor	Ole Dorph (Siumut)
Area
• Total	660,000 km2 (254,827 sq mi)
Population (2013)
• Total	17,498
• Density	0.027/km2 (0.07/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-03, UTC-04
Calling code	+299
ISO 3166 code	GL-QA
Website	qaasuitsup.gl

Qaasuitsup (Greenlandic: Qaasuitsup Kommunia, "Place of Polar Darkness") is a municipality in Greenland, operational from 1 January 2009. As of January 2013 its population is 17,498. The administrative center of the municipality is in Ilulissat (formerly called Jakobshavn). The municipality consists of the former municipalities of western and northern Greenland, each named after the biggest settlement:

• Aasiaat Municipality
• Kangaatsiaq Municipality
• Ilulissat Municipality
• Qaanaaq Municipality
• Qasigiannguit Municipality
• Qeqertarsuaq Municipality
• Uummannaq Municipality
• Upernavik Municipality

Geography

The municipality is located in northwestern Greenland. With an area of 660,000 km² (254,827.4 sq mi), it is the largest municipality in the world by area, larger than France at 643,427 km² (248,428.6 sq mi).

In the south, it is flanked by the Qeqqata municipality. In the southeast, it is bordered by the Sermersooq municipality, however this border runs north-south (45° West meridian) through the center of the Greenland ice sheet (Greenlandic: Sermersuaq), and as such is free of traffic. In the east and northeast it is bordered by the Northeast Greenland National Park.

At the southern end of the municipal coastline are the waters of Disko Bay, an inlet of the larger Baffin Bay, which to the north edges into the island of Greenland in the form of Melville Bay. The coastline of northeastern Baffin Bay is dotted with islands of the Upernavik Archipelago, entirely contained within the municipality. In the far northwest near Qaanaaq and Siorapaluk, the municipal shores extend into Nares Strait, which separates Greenland from Ellesmere Island.

Denmark claims Hans Island as part of Qaasuitsup, while Canada considers it to be part of the Nunavut region of Qikiqtaaluk.

Towns and settlements

Main article: List of cities and towns in Greenland

• Aappilattoq
• Aasiaat (Egedesminde)
• Akunnaaq
• Attu
• Iginniarfik
• Ikamiut
• Ikerasaarsuk
• Ikerasak
• Ilimanaq (Claushavn)
• Illorsuit
• Ilulissat (Jakobshavn)
• Innaarsuit
• Kangaatsiaq (Prøven)
• Kangerluk
• Kangersuatsiaq
• Kitsissuarsuit (Hunde Ejlande, Dog's Island)
• Kullorsuaq
• Moriusaq
• Naajaat
• Niaqornaarsuk
• Niaqornat
• Nutaarmiut
• Nuugaatsiaq
• Nuussuaq (Kraulshavn)
• Oqaatsut (Rodebay)
• Qaanaaq (Thule)
• Qaarsut
• Qasigiannguit (Christianshåb)
• Qeqertaq (Øen)
• Qeqertat
• Qeqertarsuaq (Godhavn)
• Saattut
• Saqqaq (Solsiden)
• Savissivik
• Siorapaluk
• Tasiusaq
• Ukkusissat
• Upernavik (Women's Island)
• Upernavik Kujalleq (Søndre Upernavik)
• Uummannaq (Omenak)

Language

Main article: Greenlandic language

Kalaallisut, the West Greenlandic dialect, is spoken in the towns and settlements of the western and northwestern coasts. Inuktun is also spoken in and around Qaanaaq.

See also

• KANUKOKA