Qeqertarsuaq Godhavn | |
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 Overhead view of Qeqertarsuaq and its characteristic mountains | |
  Qeqertarsuaq Location on Disko Island Show map of Disko Bay Qeqertarsuaq Qeqertarsuaq (Greenland) Show map of Greenland | |
| Coordinates:69°14′50″N53°32′00″W / 69.24722°N 53.53333°W /69.24722; -53.53333 | |
| State |  Kingdom of Denmark |
| Constituent country |  Greenland |
| Municipality | Qeqertalik |
| Founded | 1773 |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 839[1] |
| Time zone | UTC−02:00 (Western Greenland Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−01:00 (Western Greenland Summer Time) |
| Postal code | 3953 |
Qeqertarsuaq (Greenlandic pronunciation:[qɜqɜtːɑsːuɑq], historically known asGodhavn) is a port andtown inQeqertalikmunicipality, located on the south coast ofDisko Island on the west coast ofGreenland. Founded in 1773, the town is now home to a campus of theUniversity of Copenhagen known asArctic Station.Qeqertarsuaq is theKalaallisut name for Disko Island and is also now used for several other islands on Greenland, including those formerly known asUpernavik andHerbert Island. Qeqertarsuaq means 'the big island' in Kalaallisut (Danish:den store ø).
In 2020, the town had 839 inhabitants.[1] The remainder of the population of the island (less than 50 people) lives in theKangerluk settlement, a few hours by boat to the northwest.
The total area ofDisko Island and its satellite islands (mainlyQeqertarsuatsiaq Island 11 km (7 mi) northwest of the northern coast andQeqertaq on the southwest coast at the mouth of Disko Fjord) is 9,700 km2 (3,750 sq mi).Blæsedalen valley is to the north of the town.
Kangerluk is the location where researchers found a "galloping" glacier in 1999 that moves up to 100 meters (330 ft) a day.[citation needed]
_Greenland._The_town_Qeqertarsuaq_-_seen_from_the_south_(11325311293).jpg)
Traces of settlement between five and six thousand years ago have been found at Qeqertarsuaq. The settlers werepaleo-Eskimos wandering south.
During the 18th century, the first whalers came to Qeqertarsuaq, where they found a suitable anchorage. The town was founded as Godhavn by the whalerSvend Sandgreen in 1773. The name was sometimesanglicized asGuthaven[2] and the settlement was also known asLievely[3] orLeifly.[4][why?] It served as the northernmost point in the enforcement of the Danish rights to whaling in the region. Whaling has been of great importance to the town over the past two centuries. Hunting and fishing are still the primary occupations for the island's inhabitants.
From an early date,[when?] Godhavn shared the administration of Greenland withGodthåb (modernNuuk). Godhavn served as the capital forNorth Greenland while Godthåb directedSouth Greenland. In 1862, a new law on municipalities was passed and the so-called Directions were introduced in Greenland. The primary task of the Directions was the administration of the means set apart for social purposes: support for widows, orphans, and others in need. The Directions also functioned as inferior courts in case of theft and other petty crimes, and took an active part in the fight against the spreading ofdistemper. In Godhavn, they founded akayak school for boys and a sewing school for girls.
The Councils of Northern and Southern Greenland were summoned to a meeting in Godhavn on 3 May 1940. Following this meeting, administration for the entire island was concentrated in Godthåb. The Chief Administrative Office was abolished in 1950 at the establishment of theNational Council of Greenland. With the end of government positions in town, the local economy focused more directly on hunting and fishing.
On 1 January 2009, the former Qeqertarsuaq municipality was merged into the newQaasuitsup municipality. This in turn was partitioned on 1 January 2018, at which time Qeqertarsuaq became part of the new municipality ofQeqertalik.
Many of the flatbasaltic mountains found on Disko Island are covered with perpetual snow. The largest is called Sermersuaq ("Grand Glacier"). Sermersuaq is situated rather far from the coast and is difficult to reach in the summer. Lyngmarksbræen ("Lyngmark Glacier") is much smaller, covering only about 10 km, but can be reached more easily in a few hours' walk. From Lyngmarksfjeld, a panoramic view of Disko Bay allows viewers to see the icebergs atIlulissat almost 100 kilometers (62 mi) away.
Qeqertarsuaq has adog sled rental.
During the winter,Air Greenland operates air services fromQeqertarsuaq Heliport toIlulissat,Qasigiannguit, andAasiaat.[5]
When the waters of Disko Bay are navigable during summer and autumn, the heliport is closed and communication between settlements occurs only by sea viaDiskoline.[6] The ferry links Qeqertarsuaq with Ilulissat, Aasiaat, Qasigiannguit, andKitsissuarsuit.
With 839 inhabitants in 2020, Qeqertarsuaq was the smallest town in the then-municipality of Qaasuitsup.[1] The population has decreased by more than 22% relative to the 1990 levels and by nearly 15% relative to the 2000 levels.[1]
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