Qaarsut

Qaarsut
Aerial panorama of Qaarsut
Qaarsut Location within Greenland
Coordinates: 70°43′55″N 52°38′15″W
State	Kingdom of Denmark
Constituent country	Greenland
Municipality	Avannaata
Government [1]
• Mayor	Ole Dorph
Population  (2020)
• Total	174
Time zone	UTC−02:00 (Western Greenland Time)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−01:00 (Western Greenland Summer Time)
Postal code	3964 Qaarsut

Qaarsut (old spelling: Kʼaersut) is a settlement in Avannaata municipality, in northwestern Greenland. It is situated on the northeastern shore of the Nuussuaq Peninsula. It had 174 inhabitants in 2020.[2]

Geography

The village is located on the north coast of the Nuussuaq peninsula at the foot of the 1977 m high mountain Qilertinnguit and approx. 20 km west of Uummannaq.

History

Until January 2009, the settlement belonged to Uummannaq Municipality.

The first coal mine in Greenland operated between 1778 and 1924 in Qaarsuarsuit.

The Qaarsuarsuit coal mine in 1907

Inuit Settlement

A few kilometers east of Qaarsut is the Inuit settlement Qilakitsoq. The settlement is known for the discovery in 1972 of eight mummified bodies from the Thule culture. The mummies of Qilakitsoq provided important insight into the lives of Inuit people who lived 500 years ago in the Thule culture.

Infrastructure

The school and the church are housed in the same building. Additionally, the village provides essential amenities such as a shop, service center, and health station.

Education

In 2011, the school had a total of 40 students, spanning from 1st to 9th grade, but organized into just four classes. The school is part of the Greenlandic school network, known as ATTAT, and is equipped with video conference equipment for teaching purposes.

Transport

Main article: Qaarsut Airport

Qaarsut Airport, located to the northwest of the settlement, serves both Qaarsut and Uummannaq, the latter accessible only by helicopter.

Population

The population of Qaarsut has dropped by over 18 percent relative to the 2000 levels, reflecting a general trend in the region.[3]

Qaarsut population growth dynamics in the last two decades. Source: Statistics Greenland[3]

Gallery

• 
  Qaarsut's chapel
• 
  Qaarsut and Uummannaq's mountain in the background
• 
  Overview of Qaarsut
• 
  Colourful houses
• 
  School
• 
  Qaarsut at midnight sun

References

1. Kalaallit Nunaata Radioa (Greenlandic Broadcasting Corporation) (in Danish)
2. "Population by Localities". Statistical Greenland.
3. Statistics Greenland Archived July 21, 2011, at the Wayback Machine