Wiki: Ilulissat - upcScavenger

Ilulissat, also known as Jakobshavn or Jacobshavn, is the municipal seat and largest town of the Avannaata municipality in western Greenland, located approximately north of the Arctic Circle. With a population of 5,149 as of 2025, it is the third-largest city in Greenland, after Nuuk and Sisimiut. The city is home to almost as many sled-dogs as people.

In direct translation, Ilulissat is the Greenlandic word for "Icebergs" (). The nearby Ilulissat Icefjord is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has made Ilulissat the most popular tourist destination in Greenland. Tourism is now the town's principal industry. The city neighbours the Ilulissat Icefjord, where there are enormous icebergs from the most productive glacier in the northern hemisphere.

History

The town was established as a trading post by Jacob Severin's company in 1741; it was named in his honorMarquardt, Ole. " Change and Continuity in Denmark's Greenland Policy" in The Oldenburg Monarchy: An Underestimated Empire?. Verlag Ludwig (Kiel), 2006.Kjærgaard, Kathrine (2010). " Grønland som del af den bibelske fortælling – en 1700-tals studie " "Greenland. Kirkehistoriske Samlinger, 51-130. after the Battle of Jacobshavn.

The Zion Church ( Zions Kirke) was built in the late 18th century; it was the largest man-made structure in Greenland at the time. The final resident of nearby Sermermiut moved to Ilulissat in 1850. Guide to Ilulissat Museum, Ilulissat Museum

Ilulissat Declaration

The town was the site of the Arctic Ocean Conference in May 2008. The joint meeting between Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia, and the United States was held to discuss key issues relating to territorial claims in the Arctic (particularly Hans Island - eventually settled in 2022 -, and Arktika 2007) and Arctic shrinkage produced by climate change.

The Ilulissat Declaration arose from the conference. It stated that the law of the sea provided for important rights and obligations concerning the delineation of the outer limits of the continental shelf, the protection of the marine environment (including ice-covered areas), freedom of navigation, marine scientific research, and other uses of the sea. It also said that it remained committed to this legal framework and to the orderly settlement of any possible overlapping claims.

With this existing legal framework providing a solid foundation for responsible management, there was no need to develop a new comprehensive international legal regime to govern the Arctic Ocean. The states involved would continue the developments within the Arctic Ocean and continue to implement appropriate measures to further said developments.

Hotel Ilulissat fire

On 7 March 2021 at 20.12 (local time), a major fire broke out in Hotel Ilulissat, which at the time was still under construction. The fire and smoke was seen throughout the city. Police asked everyone in the area to stay home and keep their windows closed, until the fire fighters ended the fire. The police in Nuuk are to start an investigation. Not long after the fire fighters arrived, a gas cylinder exploded. The explosion was heard throughout the city.

Geography

Ilulissat lies on the eastern shore of Disko Bay, just north of the Ilulissat Icefjord (), a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2004.

Climate

Ilulissat has a Tundra (ET) with long, cold winters and short, cool summers. Ilulissat is one of the driest settlements in Greenland, receiving only of precipitation. Ilulissat is also one of the sunniest settlements in Greenland, especially during summer. Interestingly, March is the coldest month in Ilulissat despite similar locations experiencing February as the coldest month of the year. March also holds the all-time record low temperature of .

Population

With 4,670 inhabitants in 2020, Ilulissat is the largest town in the Avannaata municipality. The population increased over 8% relative to 1990 levels but has remained steady since around 2003.Statistics Greenland, Population in districts and municipalities January 1st 1977-2020 BEEST3

Colors=

 id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9)
 id:darkgrey  value:gray(0.8)

ImageSize = width:1150 height:210 PlotArea = height:150 left:50 bottom:50 right:50 AlignBars = justify DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:4800 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:1000 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:200 start:0 PlotData=

 color:yellowgreen width:38   mark:(line,white) align:center

 bar:1991 from:start till:4135 text:"4,135"
 bar:1992 from:start till:4156 text:"4,156"
 bar:1993 from:start till:4072 text:"4,072"
 bar:1994 from:start till:4057 text:"4,057"
 bar:1995 from:start till:4052 text:"4,052"
 bar:1996 from:start till:4086 text:"4,086"
 bar:1997 from:start till:4168 text:"4,168"
 bar:1998 from:start till:4159 text:"4,159"
 bar:1999 from:start till:4167 text:"4,167"
 bar:2000 from:start till:4199 text:"4,199"
 bar:2001 from:start till:4145 text:"4,145"
 bar:2002 from:start till:4285 text:"4,285"
 bar:2003 from:start till:4525 text:"4,525"
 bar:2004 from:start till:4470 text:"4,470"
 bar:2005 from:start till:4533 text:"4,533"
 bar:2006 from:start till:4511 text:"4,511"
 bar:2007 from:start till:4512 text:"4,512"
 bar:2008 from:start till:4584 text:"4,584"
 bar:2009 from:start till:4528 text:"4,528"
 bar:2010 from:start till:4546 text:"4,546"
 bar:2011 from:start till:4606 text:"4,606"
 bar:2012 from:start till:4621 text:"4,621"
 bar:2013 from:start till:4541 text:"4,541"
 bar:2014 from:start till:4530 text:"4,530"
 bar:2015 from:start till:4491 text:"4,491"
 bar:2016 from:start till:4442 text:"4,442"
 bar:2017 from:start till:4555 text:"4,555"
 bar:2018 from:start till:4563 text:"4,563"

Tourist attractions

Ilulissat Art Museum

Transport

Air

Ilulissat Airport is located to the northeast of the town center and was built in 1983. Air Greenland, History It serves Ilulissat with connections to towns in northwestern and midwestern Greenland with Air Greenland. Service to Reykjavík, Iceland, began in April 2011 with Icelandair.

Sea

The Arctic Umiaq ferry links Ilulissat with Sisimiut, Nuuk, and other towns and settlements on the western and southwestern coast of Greenland.

Sport

The town is home to Nagdlunguaq-48 who play in the Greenlandic Men's Football Championship, Greenland's top soccer competition. Nagdlunguaq-48, who play all their league games in Nuuk, have won the championship ten times (as of 2016).

Film

The fourth series of the Danish TV series Borgen (2022) plays partially in the city of Ilulissat and was filmed on location. It was also the location for the filming of Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997).

Notable people

Knud Rasmussen (1879–1933), noted polar region exploration and anthropology, referred to as the "father of Eskimology";Jean Malaurie, 1982. born in Ilulissat. Knud Johan Victor Rasmussen , biography by Sam Alley. Minnesota State University. He was the first man to cross the Northwest Passage via dog sled. He remains well known in Greenland, Denmark and among Canadian Inuit.Elizabeth Cruwys, 2003.
Jørgen Brønlund (1877–1907), also a polar explorer, born in Ilulissat. He grew up with Rasmussen and accompanied him, along with Harald Moltke and Ludvig Mylius-Erichsen, on the Danish Literary Expedition (1902–1904) to examine Inuit culture. In 1906 he joined Mylius-Erichsen and Peter Høegh Hagen on the Danmark-ekspeditionen to map the northernmost regions of Greenland. Jørgen Brønlund Fjord in Peary Land is named after him. Famous sons
Kristine Raahauge (1949–2022), municipal politician, activist, Eskimology and writer
Jens Rosing (1925–2008), artist; designed the coat of arms of Greenland and numerous Greenlandic postage stamps; illustrated children's books; watercolours; born in Ilulissat
Ricky Enø Jørgensen, racing cyclist