Qaqortoq

Qaqortoq
Qaqortoq in wintertime
Qaqortoq Location within Greenland
Coordinates: 60°43′N 46°02′W / 60.717°N 46.033°W / 60.717; -46.033
Country	Kingdom of Denmark
Province	Greenland
Municipality	Kujalleq
Population
- Total	3,100
Time zone	UTC-3 (UTC-3)
Website	qaqortoq.gl

Qaqortoq pronunciation (help·info) (Danish: Julianehåb) is a town located in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. With a population of 3,100, it is South Greenland's most populous town and the fourth most populated town in Greenland. The name is western Greenlandic and means "[the] white [one]".

History

Qaqortoq was founded by Norwegian trader Anders Olsen in 1775. In the vicinity of Qaqortoq are located the historical Hvalsey ruins, the most prominent Norse ruins in Greenland. It is also home to the oldest fountain in Greenland (for a long time also the only one, but there is another in Sisimiut). A tourist attraction, the fountain depicts whales spouting water out of their blowholes.

Transport

Qaqortoq is a port of call for the Arctic Umiaq Line coastal ship. Qaqortoq Heliport (IATA: JJU) operates year-round, linking Qaqortoq with the large Narsarsuaq Airport, and indirectly with the rest of Greenland and Europe.

References

"Greenland and the Arctic". By Etain O'Carroll and Mark Elliott. Lonely Planet 2005. ISBN 1-74059-095-3.

External links

• www.greenland.com Greenland.com information page on Qaqortoq.
• www.qaq.gl Qaqortoq Tourist Information
• www.sulisartut.gl Sulisartut Højskoliat – the Greenlandic workers' folk high school