Uummannaq Fjord is a large fjord system in the northern part of western Greenland, the largest after Kangertittivaq fjord in eastern Greenland. It has a roughly south-east to west-north-west orientation, emptying into the Baffin Bay in the northwest.
With the exception of the southwestern coast formed by the Nuussuaq Peninsula, Uummannaq fjord has a developed coastline, with many bays, islands, and peninsulas.
South to north: [1]
The following are the major islands of Uummannaq Fjord: [1]
Sheltered from the coastal winds by the high, glaciated mountains of the Nuussuaq Peninsula, the area of Uummannaq Fjord is considered the sunniest spot in Greenland. [3] Favourable weather conditions, good harbours, and proximity to the coastal route made the fjord system attractive to numerous southbound Inuit migrations in the past−the area has been settled and resettled for the last 4.500 years. [4]
Archaeological excavations in Qilakitsoq on the northeastern shore Nuussuaq Peninsula due south of Uummannaq Island revealed the existence of an ancient Arctic culture, later named the Saqqaq culture, which inhabited the area of west-central Greenland between 2500 BCE and 800 BCE. [5]
Recent DNA samples from human hair suggest that the ancient Saqqaq people came from Siberia about 5,500 years ago and independent of the migration that gave rise to the modern Native Americans and the Inuit. [6] [7]
During the early phases of Greenlandic exploration, the fjord was known as Jacob's Bight [8] and Omenak Fjord. [9]
The main urban settlement today is Uummannaq, once an administrative center of a municipality which covered the entire catchment area of Uummannaq Fjord, and now part of Avannaata municipality of northwestern Greenland, the largest municipality in the country. Ikerasak, Illorsuit, Nuugaatsiaq, and Saattut are small island settlements, whereas Ukkusissat lies on the mainland in the inner parts of the fjord.
The northeastern coastline of Nuussuaq Peninsula is sparsely inhabited or uninhabited in the south, with Qaarsut and Niaqornat near the mouth of the fjord being the only settlements. Sigguup Nunaa peninsula and adjacent lands between the mouth of the fjord and Upernavik Archipelago in the north are uninhabited.
| Settlement | Latitude N | Longitude W | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuugaatsiaq | 71°32'06" | 53°12'45" | 94 | The northernmost settlement |
| Illorsuit | 71°14'30" | 53°34'00" | 99 | |
| Ukkusissat | 71°02'57" | 51°53'15" | 184 | |
| Saattut | 70°48'42" | 51°38'00" | 243 | |
| Niaqornat | 70°47'20" | 53°39'50" | 68 | The smallest settlement |
| Qaarsut | 70°43'55" | 52°38'15" | 200 | Host to the only airport in the area |
| Uummannaq | 70°40'29" | 52°07'35" | 1500 | The only town of any size and a cultural center |
| Ikerasak | 70°30'10" | 51°18'10" | 261 | The southernmost settlement |
Uummannaq Island is a small (12 km2) island in Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. Located in the south-central part of the Uummannaq Fjord, it is home to the most prominent mountain on the Arctic coast of western Greenland and to Uummannaq, the largest town north of Ilulissat.
Nuussuaq, formerly Kraulshavn, is a settlement in Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is the only mainland settlement in the Upernavik Archipelago, located near the western tip of the Nuussuaq Peninsula, on the northern coast of Sugar Loaf Bay, an indentation of Baffin Bay.
Ukkusissat is a settlement in Avannaata municipality, in northwestern Greenland. The population of the settlement was 154 in 2020. The name means soapstone.
Illorsuit Island is an island in the Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland.
Qaasuitsup was a municipality in Greenland, operational from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2017. As of January 2013 its population was 17,498. The administrative centre of the municipality was in Ilulissat.
Nuussuaq Peninsula is a large peninsula in western Greenland.
Nunavik Peninsula is a large peninsula in northwestern Greenland. It separates two cultural and geographical regions of northwestern Greenland: Uummannaq Fjord region in the southeast, and Upernavik Archipelago in the north.
Salliaruseq Island is an uninhabited island in Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. At 130 km2 (50.2 sq mi), it is one of the larger islands in the Uummannaq Fjord system, located in its central part due east of Uummannaq Island.
Appat Island is an uninhabited island in the Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. At 211 km2 (81.5 sq mi), it is one of the larger islands in the Uummannaq Fjord system, located in its north-central part. It is the site of the former settlements of Ritenbenck and Qaqortuatsiaq.
Salleq Island is an uninhabited island in the Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is located in the north-central part of the Uummannaq Fjord. The walls of the island feature characteristic multicolor bands of gneiss and granite layers.
Upernavik Archipelago is a vast coastal archipelago in the Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland, off the shores of northeastern Baffin Bay. The archipelago extends from the northwestern coast of Sigguup Nunaa peninsula in the south at approximately 71°50′N56°00′W to the southern end of Melville Bay in the north at approximately 74°50′N57°30′W.
Sarqarput Strait is a strait in the Uummannaq Fjord system in northwestern Greenland. It separates Uummannaq Island in the northeast from Nuussuaq Peninsula in the southwest. The strait waterway is part of the southern arm of Uummannaq Fjord, narrowing into Ikerasak Fjord in the southeast, at the base of Nuussuaq Peninsula. The Sarfaagfip Kussinnersua and Kuuk rivers flowing from the peninsular glaciers empty into the strait.
Ikerasak Fjord is a fjord in Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland.
Ikerasak Island is an island in Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland, located in the southeastern part of Uummannaq Fjord, at the mouth of Ikerasak Fjord, its innermost section.
Torsukattak Strait is a strait in Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland.
Perlerfiup Kangerlua is a fjord in Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is a tributary fjord of the larger Uummannaq Fjord system.
Talerua Island is an uninhabited island in Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland, located in the southeastern part of Uummannaq Fjord, at the mouth of Ikerasak Fjord, its innermost section.
Nuussuaq Peninsula is a mainland peninsula in northwestern Greenland, located at the northern end of Upernavik Archipelago, approximately 70 km (43 mi) to the south of Melville Bay. It is much smaller than its namesake in western Greenland.
Sugar Loaf Bay is a bay in the Upernavik Archipelago in the Avannaata municipality in northwestern Greenland. It is an indentation of northeastern Baffin Bay. The name of the bay derives from the name of an island of the same name in the bay, Sugar Loaf Island.
Avannaata is a municipality of Greenland created on 1 January 2018 from the bulk of the former Qaasuitsup municipality. It encompasses an area of 522,700 km2 and has 10,726 inhabitants.
