| Upernavik | |
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| Aerial view of Upernavik | |
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Upernavik
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| Coordinates: | |
| State | Kingdom of Denmark |
| Constituent country | Greenland |
| Municipality | Qaasuitsup |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,129 |
| Time zone | UTC-3 (UTC-3) |
| Postal code | 3962 |
Upernavik ("Springtime Place" in Greenlandic)[1] is a small town in the Qaasuitsup municipality in northwestern Greenland, located on a small island of the same name. With 1,129 inhabitants as of 2010,[2] it is the thirteenth-largest town in Greenland. Due to the small size of the settlement, everything is within walking distance. It contains the Upernavik Museum.
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In 1824, the Kingittorsuaq Runestone was found outside Upernavik; which was founded in 1772. It bears runic characters left by Vikings, probably from the late 13th century. The runic characters list the names of three Vikings, and mention the construction of a rock cairn nearby.
This is the furthest north that any Viking artifacts have been found, other than those small artifacts that could have been carried north by Inuit traders, and marks the northern known limit of Viking exploration.
Upernavik is served by Air Greenland, with scheduled flights from Upernavik Airport to Qaanaaq, Qaarsut, and Ilulissat.[3] Most settlements in the archipelago are served during weekdays with the Bell 212 helicopter.[3]
In the summer, a small ferry of Royal Arctic Line sails to local villages.
Upernavik is located within Upernavik Archipelago, a vast archipelago of small islands on the coast of northeastern Baffin Bay. The archipelago extends from the northwestern coast of Sigguup Nunaa peninsula in the south at approximately [4] to the southern end of Melville Bay (Kalaallisut: Qimusseriarsuaq) in the north at approximately .[5]
With 1,129 inhabitants as of 2010, Upernavik is the fifth-largest town in the Qaasuitsup municipality.[6] The population has been relatively stable over the last two decades, increasing by more than 17 percent relative to the 1990 levels,[6] with migrants from the smaller settlements in the archipelago helping keep the population level stable.
| Climate data for Upernavik, Greenland (1961-1990) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | −13.6 (7.5) |
−15.8 (3.6) |
−16.4 (2.5) |
−9.5 (14.9) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
3.9 (39.0) |
8.0 (46.4) |
7.7 (45.9) |
3.0 (37.4) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
−6.5 (20.3) |
−11.2 (11.8) |
−4.48 (23.93) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −19.8 (−3.6) |
−22.3 (−8.1) |
−23.2 (−9.8) |
−16.6 (2.1) |
−6.5 (20.3) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
2.4 (36.3) |
2.5 (36.5) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−5.8 (21.6) |
−10.7 (12.7) |
−16.1 (3.0) |
−9.84 (14.28) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 12 (0.47) |
13 (0.51) |
8 (0.31) |
14 (0.55) |
10 (0.39) |
14 (0.55) |
29 (1.14) |
26 (1.02) |
38 (1.5) |
33 (1.3) |
34 (1.34) |
20 (0.79) |
251 (9.88) |
| Source: Danish Meteorological Institute[7] | |||||||||||||
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