Kullorsuaq

Kullorsuaq (big thumb)
	Djævlens drum finger (thumb of the devil) ; Kuvdlorssuass
Commune	Avannaata Communia
District	Upernavik
Geographical location	74 ° 34 '48 " N , 57 ° 13' 12" W Coordinates: 74 ° 34 '48 " N , 57 ° 13' 12" W.
Residents	453 ; (January 1, 2020)
Time zone	UTC-3

Kuvdlorssuaq on the 1976 US map sheet

Kullorsuaq [ ˌkuˈɬːɔsːuɑq ] (according to the old spelling Kuvdlorssuaĸ ) is a Greenlandic settlement in the district of Upernavik in the Avannaata Kommunia .

location

View over Kullorsuaq (2012)

Kullorsuaq is located on the headland in the southwest of an island of the same name in the north of the Upernavik archipelago . Kullorsuaq is the northernmost town in West Greenland . The next town, Nuussuaq , is 52 km to the south, while the next town in the north is Savissivik , which is 274 km northwest.

Kullorsuaq is located in the south of the region, where the ice sheet connects directly to the sea without any major coastline, which characterizes the geography of Melville Bay . On the island is the characteristic mountain, which is also called Kullorsuaq and looks like an outstretched thumb, which is where its name comes from ( Danish Djœvelens Tommelfinger , "devil's thumb").

history

Kullorsuaq was founded in 1928 when settlers came and settled here from the northwestern island of Qaarusulik . In 1930 Kullorsuaq had 39 inhabitants. In 1936 a packing house was built. In 1940 there were already 63 people living in the area. In 1950 there were already 99 inhabitants. In 1954 the place received a school band. It was not until 1960 that Kullorsuaq was granted Udsted status, while the population grew rapidly.

economy

Like the other villages in the area, Kullorsuaq lives from fishing and hunting. The main focus is on black halibut , while the hunt is focused on seals , narwhals, and white whales . There is a fish factory in the village. Other job opportunities include shops, schools, churches and administration, as well as tourism.

Infrastructure and supply

The natural harbor of Kullorsuaq has a ten meter long quay with a water depth of one and a half meters. The Kullorsuaq heliport in the west of the village connects Kullorsuaq with the surrounding area three times a week, while the place can also be reached by boat in summer. Other modes of transport are dog sleds and snowmobiles . Two paths run through Kullorsuaq, although most of the buildings are free-standing.

Nukissiorfiit supplies Kullorsuaq with drinking water via a melt lake on the island and is also responsible for the electricity and heat supply. Sewage is dumped into the ground and into the sea. The residents are supplied with goods via a Pilersuisoq branch. TELE Greenland connects the place telecommunicatively.

Development

Kullorsuaq has a service building with laundry, sanitary facilities, a workshop and meeting rooms for a doctor and dentist's practice. The Kullorsuup Atuarfissua houses a three-digit number of students up to the 10th grade and is also the location of the library and a sports hall. Three buildings in Kullorsuaq are protected.

Trivia

Kullorsuaq is the location of the 2016 film Le Voyage au Groenland by the French director Sébastien Betbeder .

Personalities

Bendt Frederiksen (1939–2012), politician and hunter

Population development

The population of Kullorsuaq has been increasing rapidly for decades. In recent years the population has increased two and a half times, which is rather unusual for Greenlandic villages. The strong population growth makes Kullorsuaq the largest natural village in Greenland today, only the airport settlement Kangerlussuaq , originally founded by the Americans , now has more inhabitants without city rights.

panorama

Kullorsuaq (2010)

Web links

Commons : Kullorsuaq - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

↑ Map with all official place names confirmed by Oqaasileriffik , provided by Asiaq
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Kullorsuaq at qaasuitsup-kp.cowi.webhouse.dk
↑ Jens Christian Madsen: Udsteder og bopladser i Grønland 1901-2000 . Atuagkat, 2009, ISBN 978-87-90133-76-4 , pp. 179 .
↑ Le voyage au Groenland in the Internet Movie Database (English)
↑ Population of Kullorsuaq 1977–2020 at bank.stat.gl

[1] Map with all official place names confirmed by Oqaasileriffik , provided by Asiaq

[plan-2] Kullorsuaq at qaasuitsup-kp.cowi.webhouse.dk

[3] Jens Christian Madsen: Udsteder og bopladser i Grønland 1901-2000 . Atuagkat, 2009, ISBN 978-87-90133-76-4 , pp. 179 .

[4] Le voyage au Groenland in the Internet Movie Database (English)

[5] Population of Kullorsuaq 1977–2020 at bank.stat.gl