| Tasiilaq | |
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| Tasiilaq | |
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Tasiilaq
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| Coordinates: | |
| State | Kingdom of Denmark |
| Constituent country | Greenland |
| Municipality | Sermersooq |
| Founded | 1894 |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,930 |
| Time zone | UTC-03 |
| Postal code | 3913 |
Tasiilaq (formerly Ammassalik, Angmagssalik) is a town in the Sermersooq municipality in southeastern Greenland. With 1,930 inhabitants as of 2010,[1] it is the most populous community on the eastern coast, and the seventh-largest town in Greenland. The Sermilik Station, dedicated to the research of the nearby Mittivakkat Glacier, is located near the town.
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The people of Saqqaq culture were the first to reach eastern Greenland, arriving from the north,[2] through what is now known as Peary Land and Independence Fjord, to be surpassed by the Dorset culture. Thule migrations passed through the area in the fifteenth century,[2] finding the southeastern coast uninhabited.
Due to back migrations to the more densely populated western coast, the southeastern coast was deserted for another two hundred years−the region wasn't settled until late eighteenth century,[3] with the village surviving as the only permanent settlement in the nineteenth century. Population increased however from the 1880s, dispersing over several villages in the area.
The permanent settlement was founded in 1894[4] as a Danish trading station.[5] The town was previously known as Ammassalik (old spelling: Angmagssalik). The official name change took place in 1997.
Tasiilaq is located approximately 106 km (65.9 mi) south of the Arctic Circle, on the southeastern coast of Ammassalik Island, on the shore of a natural harbour in Tasiilaq Fjord,[6] named Kong Oscars Havn[5] by Alfred Gabriel Nathorst in 1883. The fjord is an inlet of the long Ammassalik Fjord emptying into the North Atlantic to the east of the town.
With 1,930 inhabitants as of 2010, Tasiilaq is one the fastest-growing towns in Greenland,[7] with migrants from the smaller towns and settlements reinforcing the trend. Together with Nuuk, it is the only town in the Sermersooq municipality exhibiting stable growth patterns over the last two decades. The population increased by over 31 percent relative to the 1990 levels, and by over 13 percent relative to the 2000 levels.[7]
Air Greenland operates helicopter services from Tasiilaq Heliport to neighboring Kulusuk Airport, which offers connections to Nuuk, Ittoqqortoormiit via Nerlerit Inaat Airport, and to Iceland.[8] The heliport serves as a local helicopter hub with flights to several villages in the region: Isortoq, Kuummiit, Sermiligaaq, and Tiniteqilaaq.[8]
In the summer, the cargo boats of Royal Arctic Line connect Tasiilaq with Kulusuk,[9] providing an ad-hoc alternative for the helicopter flights of Air Greenland.[5]
| Climate data for Tasiilaq, Greenland (1961-1990) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | −4.2 (24.4) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
−4.3 (24.3) |
0.0 (32.0) |
4.2 (39.6) |
7.7 (45.9) |
10.4 (50.7) |
9.8 (49.6) |
6.2 (43.2) |
1.7 (35.1) |
−1.9 (28.6) |
−4 (24.8) |
1.78 (35.21) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −11.2 (11.8) |
−11.6 (11.1) |
−12.3 (9.9) |
−8.1 (17.4) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
0.6 (33.1) |
2.5 (36.5) |
2.4 (36.3) |
0.1 (32.2) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
−10.7 (12.7) |
−5.19 (22.65) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 120 (4.72) |
99 (3.9) |
98 (3.86) |
75 (2.95) |
63 (2.48) |
51 (2.01) |
47 (1.85) |
64 (2.52) |
78 (3.07) |
83 (3.27) |
99 (3.9) |
102 (4.02) |
979 (38.54) |
| Source: Danish Meteorological Institute[10] | |||||||||||||
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