Ilulissat
Ilulissat, formerly Jakobshavn or Jacobshaven, is the municipal seat and largest town of the Avannaata municipality in western Greenland, located approximately 350 km (220 mi) north of the Arctic Circle. With a population of 4,670 as of 2020, it is the third-largest city in Greenland, after Nuuk and Sisimiut. The city is home to almost as many sled-dogs as people.
Ilulissat
Jakobshavn | |
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From upper left: Illumiut neighbourhood, Old town, Ilulissat Icefjord, Knud Rasmussen's Museum, Zion's Church | |
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Flag Coat of arms | |
| Coordinates: 69°13′N 51°06′W | |
| Sovereign state | Kingdom of Denmark |
| Autonomous territory | Greenland |
| Municipality | Avannaata |
| First mention | 15th century |
| City Status | 16th century |
| Area | |
| • City | 11.25 km2 (4.34 sq mi) |
| • Metro | 47.00 km2 (18.15 sq mi) |
| Highest elevation | 2,010 m (6,590 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 1 m (3 ft) |
| Population (2020 (city, settlements)) | |
| • City | 4,670 |
| • Density | 420/km2 (1,100/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 4,491 (City of Ilulissat) |
| • Metro | 342 (Settlements: Ilimanaq Oqaatsut Qeqertaq and Saqqaq) |
| • Metro density | 103.5/km2 (268/sq mi) |
| • Ethnicity | 90.98% Greenlandic 9.02% Other |
| Time zone | UTC-3 (WGT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-2 (WGST) |
| Postal code | 3952 |
| Area code | (+299) 94 |
In direct translation, Ilulissat is the Kalaallisut word for "Icebergs" (Danish: Isbjerge). 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.