Uummannaq

Uummannaq[2] is a town in the Avannaata municipality, in central-western Greenland. With 1,407 inhabitants in 2020,[1] it is the eighth-largest town in Greenland, and is home to the country's most northerly ferry terminal. Founded in 1763[3] as Omenak,[4] the town is a hunting and fishing base, with a canning factory and a marble quarry.[5] In 1932, the Universal Greenland-Filmexpedition with director Arnold Fanck released the film S.O.S. Eisberg near Uummannaq.[6]

For the former settlement since replaced by Thule Air Base, see Pituffik. For other uses, see Uummannaq (disambiguation).
Uummannaq
Ûmañak
Uummannaq
Uummannaq
Uummannaq is located in Greenland
Uummannaq
Uummannaq
Location within Greenland
Coordinates: 70°40′29″N 52°07′35″W
State Kingdom of Denmark
Constituent country Greenland
MunicipalityAvannaata
Founded1763
Population
 (2020)
 • Total1,407[1]
Time zoneUTC-03
Postal code
3961

Geography
Uummannaq (far left) dwarfed by Uummannaq mountain
Main article: Uummannaq Island

Uummannaq is located 590 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle on Uummannaq Island located in the south-central arm of the Uummannaq Fjord. Uummannaq is also the general name given to the series of inlets north of the promontory at Niaqornat on the Nuussuaq Peninsula.

Uummannaq Mountain
Main article: 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 operates helicopter services to Qaarsut Airport from Uummannaq Heliport. The neighbouring villages in the Uummannaq area are served by district cargo helicopters. In summer months, Royal Arctic Line operates its 'bygdeservice' with sailings by small ships to its neighbouring villages, including a service to Qaarsut.

Climate

Uummannaq has a tundra climate with short, cold summers and long, very cold winters.


Climate data for Uummannaq
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) −8
(17)		 −12
(10)		 −11
(13)		 −8
(18)		 2
(36)		 8
(47)		 11
(51)		 9
(49)		 4
(40)		 0
(32)		 −3
(26)		 −6
(21)		 −1
(30)
Average low °C (°F) −13
(8)		 −17
(1)		 −17
(1)		 −14
(6)		 −4
(25)		 2
(36)		 5
(41)		 5
(41)		 1
(34)		 −3
(26)		 −7
(20)		 −10
(14)		 −6
(21)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 23
(0.9)		 10
(0.4)		 10
(0.4)		 13
(0.5)		 10
(0.4)		 7.6
(0.3)		 13
(0.5)		 13
(0.5)		 20
(0.8)		 18
(0.7)		 25
(1)		 25
(1)		 190
(7.4)
Source: Weatherbase [7]

Culture
Football match in Uummannaq. Salliaruseq Island in the background

Danish 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.[8][9]

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.[10]

Uummannaq is home to Uummannaq Music – the world's northernmost music platform on sea ice.[11][12][13][14][15][16]

Notable People

Population

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

Uummannaq population dynamics
Uummannaq population growth dynamics, 1991-2010. Source: Statistics Greenland[1]

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Uummannaq.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Uummannaq.
  1. "Population by Localities". Statistical Greenland.
  2. The pre-1973 spelling was Umanaq, Ũmánaq, or Umanak.
  3. Archived October 30, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  4. Colton, G.W. "Northern America. British, Russian & Danish Possessions In North America." J.H. Colton & Co. (New York), 1855.
  5. Archived October 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  6. "1932: In Greenland". Estate of Walter Riml. Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2014-02-17. – About filming in Greenland. Lobbycards, photos, etc. of Walter Rimls estate
  7. "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Uummanaq, Greenland". Weatherbase. 2011. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
  8. O'Carroll, Etain (2005). Greenland and the Arctic. Lonely Planet. p. 194. ISBN 1-74059-095-3.
  9. "Uummannaq Tourist Service, North Greenland. Attractions". Greenland-guide.gl. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
  10. "2008 Expedition - Cape Farewell - The cultural response to climate change". Capefarewell.com. 2008-10-06. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
  11. Archived 2012-07-16 at archive.today
  12. "Kyrgyz Culture Makes Its Way to Greenland". EurasiaNet.org. 2010-11-11. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
  13. Archived November 21, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  14. "Кыргызстан в айсбергах Гренландии!". Neweurasia.net. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
  15. "KNR". Knr.gl. Retrieved 2015-06-03.
  16. Archived October 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
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