Aasiaat

Aasiaat (Danish: Egedesminde, old spelling: Ausiait) is a town in the Qaasuitsup municipality in western Greenland. Located in the heart of Aasiaat Archipelago at the southern end of Disko Bay. With a population of 3,005 as of 2010,^[2] it is Greenland's fifth-largest town.

Etymology

In Greenlandic, Aasiaat means "Spiders". The exact explanation for this is yet to be determined because of the lack of historical facts of the origin of the name. The most common assumption is that when the town, which was a mere settlement back then, was founded, it was abundant with spiders. Like in the rest of Greenland, spiders are rarely seen in the town in modern times.

Aasiaat is sometimes referred to as the Town of the Whales,^[3] since marine mammals such as whales and seals are a common sight.

History

Native peoples

Archaeological projects in the region have suggested human habitation in the region that includes Aasiaat as far back as the 5th millennium BC. The earliest modern settlers dated to around 1200; these were probably subsistence hunters. These inhabitants hunted harp seals and capelin (amassaat) near Sydøst Bay in the spring. In the summer, they moved to Nassuttooq for reindeer and halibut. During autumn, the people of Disko Bay returned home to hunt small harp seals. In the winter, the bay froze over, and they hunted narwhals and Beluga whales. These early people designed and built their own kayaks and umiaks when the water freed up; in the winter, they used dogsleds.

Early history of Aasiaat

The settlement that would become Aasiaat was founded in 1759 by Niels Egede, the son of Hans Egede, a Norwegian missionary. Named Egedesminde Colony after him, it was located north of Nordre Strømfjord, and was 125 km south of Aasiaat's current location. The town was moved to its current site in 1763. Most villagers were whalers, and the smallpox germs they carried to the region was harmful to the native population, especially in the 1770s. But by the beginning of the 19th century, the population had stabilized and was rising slowly. It grew from 390 in 1805 to 1,269 in 1901.

Early 20th century

Aasiaat saw much growth in the first half of the 20th century.

Aasiaat in World War II

On May 3, 1940, a treaty signed in Godhavn allowed American relief airplanes bound for the British Isles to use Greenlandic, Icelandic, and Scottish airspace. A result of World War II was the fact that Denmark, under the control of Nazi Germany, could not freely send supplies to Greenland; this task fell to the United States and Canada. Supplies were stored near Aasiaat, and were then transferred to other towns of the region, such as Uummannaq and Sisimiut.

Post-War

Aasiaat has grown much since the war. A weather station was constructed in 1942 by the Americans. Cod, an economically popular fish since the 1930s, were caught and sent to a new factory to be salted and packed. Other businesses sprang up, accommodating to the resources and climate of the region. This boom reached its peak in the 1950s, when a power plant and telecommunications station were installed.

In 1998, a new landing strip was opened to the public (previously a heliport was the only aerial facility); it is near a shrimp processing factory. Today, almost 4,800 people live in Aasiaat and its neighboring settlement, Kangaatsiaq.

Geography

The largest island of the Aasiaat Archipelago is Saqqarliup Nunaa, which is uninhabited, but has buildings to accommodate tourists. On the western tip of the island is the abandoned village of Manermiut. As of 2010 the total population of the archipelago is spread among three settlements:^[2][4]

• The town of Aasiaat (3.003 inhabitants), is located on the namesake island just northwest of Saqqarliup Nunaa.
• The village of Akunnaaq (101 inhabitants) is located on the namesake island just northeast of Saqqarliup Nunaa, 23 km (14 mi) east-north-east of Aasiaat.
• The village of Kitsissuarsuit (79 inhabitants) is located on the small namesake island (Danish Hunde Ejland, for the village and the island), 21 km (13 mi) northwest of Aasiaat.

Another abandoned village is Vester Ejland on the namesake island, the westernmost of the archipelago, 29 km (18 mi) west-south-west of Aasiaat.

Population

With 3,005 inhabitants as of 2010, Aasiaat is the second-largest town in the Qaasuitsup municipality.^[4] The population has fluctuated over the last two decades, decreasing over 8 percent relative to the 1990 levels, and by nearly 7 percent relative to the 2000 levels.^[4]

Education

Aasiaat has four schools: a regular school (Gammeqarfik), a highschool (GU-Aasiaat), a vocational school (Piarersarfik) ,^[5] and a school for the mentally disabled (Ado Lyngep Atuarfia).

Economy

Fishing of shrimp and crabs, shipbuilding, and tourism are the primary economic activities of the region. The archipelago area offers many services for tourists, including kayaking, cross-country skiing, dogsledding, and whale-watching.^[6]

Transport

Aasiaat is a port of call for the Arctic Umiaq Line coastal ship. The town is also served by the Aasiaat Airport with direct connections to Ilulissat and other settlements in the Disko Bay area, as well as the Air Greenland hub in Kangerlussuaq.

Climate

References