Inta Mitterbach, student
The University of Akron – Fall 2007
Urban Geography – 3350:420
Professor: Dr. Mark de Socio
Figure 1- Greenland's National
Flag
Project:
Economic Geography Profile of a Major City
Topic:
Nuuk, Greenland
Due:
Friday, November 30, 2007
Introduction
Nuuk is the capital of the
world’s largest island: Greenland.
Greenland is located between the
North Atlantic and Arctic oceans.
Greenland neighbors Canada to the
west across the Davis Straight and
Baffin Bay, and Iceland to the east
across the Denmark Strait. The total
land area of Greenland is 840,000 square miles. The terrain of Greenland is somewhat hilly and
there are no trees except in the southern part of Greenland. Nuuk claims to be the “smallest
national capital in the world.”
Nuuk is the largest, oldest, and most “cosmopolitan” city in Greenland. It is located on
the southwest coastline, below the Arctic Circle, where the majority of settlement is situated due
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to the high level of permafrost that covers most of the island. Eighty five percent of the country
is covered with permafrost but the warm Atlantic currents keep the southwest coast warmer than
the rest of the island, allowing for settlement. The city is located at the mouth of a cluster of
fjords. The east coast of Greenland is unapproachable due to the severe ice conditions.
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Greenland is one of the world’s largest land masses, yet sustains
one of the world’s smallest populations. The climate is “extremely cold”
and has a short summer with temperatures that average 48 degrees F. The
low temperature in Nuuk in 2006 was 1 degree F in February, and the high
was 67 degrees F in August. Thousands of icebergs can be seen year round
but are more common during the summer months.
Economic Base
Greenland’s economy depends on subsidies received from Denmark. Greenland is able to
provide welfare services and free health care (administered by the Danish government) to its
citizens. The majority of the money spent by the government is allocated toward social security
and welfare, followed by education. Greenland has its own national flag and postage stamps. The
monetary unit is the Danish krone (1 U.S. dollar = 5.94 Dkr). Nuuk is the center of commerce
and government for Greenland.
A very few of the population are still hunting in Greenland – mostly for seal or cariboureindeer. A reindeer usually weighs around 165 pounds and one pound sells for around 35
Danish kroner (approximately $6 U.S.). The cost of living is relatively high in Greenland. Much
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of the food is imported from Denmark. Other imports include beverages, tobacco, mineral fuels,
goods for construction, machinery, and transport equipment. The majority of imports come from
Denmark, Sweden, The U.S., Norway, and China.
The economy relies heavily upon fishing, fish processing
and scientific research. The fish catch consists of shrimp, cod,
and halibut. Scientific research began in 1882 with the
establishment of the International Polar Year by the German
Explorer Karl Weyprecht to collect scientific data. Greenland was one of the participating
countries in which observation stations were set up to gather data. Studies have been conducted
to obtain meteorological data for world air circulation surveys and to evaluate the climatic
changes that have occurred over tens of thousands of years. In addition to the climate studies,
geologists have traveled to Nuuk to study the rocks and algae fossils found in Nuuk which date
as far back as 3.8 billion years ago.
Animals found in Greenland include the musk-ox, wolf,
lemming, and reindeer. Most of the animals are considered to be
more American than European. Circumpolar animals found in
Greenland include the polar bear, Arctic fox, polar hare, and
stoat. Economic activity includes sealing, fur trapping and whaling. The most common whales
found in the area are minke, humpback, and killer. The majority of animals that are caught due to
whaling are small whales and harbour porpoises. Whale, seal, walrus and dried fish are
consumed by the natives and can be found at restaurants in a meal for $20 or less. (Beer is the
most common alcoholic beverage consumed.) Gertrud Rask is a restaurant in Nuuk that serves
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gourmet Greenlandic and Danish food. Cattle, sheep, goats and hardy vegetables are raised along
the southwest coast. Near the harbor, seals, birds, and fish are sold at “The Board.”
A growing part of the industry in Greenland is in tourism. In Nuuk, you can find parks,
restaurants and three 500 year old mummies. There are at least nine budget, mid-range, and
upper level hotels and sleeping accommodations in Nuuk, and almost 30 places to find
something to eat or get a drink. Tourists come from all over the world and usually stay for two or
three days. Some of the tourists in Nuuk arrive by Canadian cruise ship. Attractions include the
art museum, the 1849 cathedral, and the Greenland National Museum and Archives located in
the old quarter – with information about Greenland’s ancient history. The Archives have records
that date back to 1782. Also in Nuuk is the city council chamber with large tapestries decorated
in Greenlandic culture and nature motifs.
Tourism takes advantage of the interests in seeing the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights),
ice climbing in the spring, fishing, golfing, hiking, kayaking, skiing, swimming, whale watching,
and visiting the fjords. The remains of the Vesterbygd 10th-century Norse settlement are near the
fjords. Included in the things to do are shopping: Tupilaks are Inuit carvings that are made for
tourists – they were once thought to have held magical powers, and jewelry is carved from
reindeer antlers for souvenirs. Among these artisans is also found a fur workshop called Kittat
where traditional costumes called kammiks are made.
Among the activities that attract people to Nuuk and
contribute to the economic balance are the International Snow
Sculpture Festival in March with participants from all over the
world, and the Arctic Marathon in August. The 10.5km marathon
in 2008 will be held on August 9th.
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The southern part of Greenland has untapped
reserves of uranium to be mined. Exports include fish
(shrimp, halibut and cod), hides, skins, furs, and fish oil.
Eighty seven percent of all exports are made up of fish
products, the highest in prawns. The majority of exports are
shipped to Denmark, Spain, The U.S., and Iceland. Nuuk is the main port in Greenland.
Nuuk has one hospital: the Dronning Ingrid Hospital, and also has ambulance and police
emergency services available if needed. The Public and National Library, a Post Office, and two
tourism offices (one for Greenland and one for Nuuk) are located in Central Nuuk. Greenland’s
main publisher, called Atuakkiorfik, is located in Nuuk. The majority of books published in
Greenland are educational. The largest bookstore in Greenland, called Atuagkat Boghandel, is
also located in Nuuk.
Starting in 1934, Nuuk had been the site of Father Christmas – the destination of letters to
Santa from children around the world. The state-controlled Greenland Telecom company which
was subsidized by the government, financed and managed the Santa operation for years, until
spending cuts in 2002. An anonymous commercial benefactor provided financial support for the
Santa effort for eleven years, but recently it has become increasingly difficult for them to sustain
enough funding to carry on the Santa effort which includes replying to approximately 50,000
letters per year. Tourists can visit Santa’s House, located next door to the tourism office.
Among the employers found in Nuuk are the Greenland Teacher’s College (founded in
1847), Nuuk Technical College, and several radio stations. Nuuk is headquarters to two national
newspapers: Atuagagdliutit/Gronlandsposten and Sermitsiak. The primary occupations in Nuuk
are in government, hunting, fishing, fish canning, and reindeer and sheep raising. The number
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one area of employment is in public administration – construction
work comes in second. Generally speaking, the city has a fairly
specialized economy, with a major reliance upon industries related
to fishing and hunting for commerce.
Demographics
In 2000, the population for all of Greenland was 60,000 and the population of Nuuk was
13,400. Reported in the 2007 Greenland census, Nuuk’s population was 15,047. Emigration rates
exceed immigration rates in Greenland. Seventy-three percent of the voting population in Nuuk
cast their votes in the November 2005 election, and of the hunting licenses that were issued in
2006, there were three times as many sportsmen as there were hunters, which could be an
indication that there is a decline in the Inuit hunting lifestyle.
According to a study conducted by Scandinavian scientists, there has been a drop in the
number of Greenlandic male births for which pollution is being blamed. Seals and whales, which
are a staple food for Greenlanders, are ingesting pollutants being carried northward through the
wind and ocean currents. As a consequence, the pollutants are being harbored in the animal
blubber which is being ingested by the Greenlanders. High levels of PCBs are showing up in the
blood tests of expectant mothers and twice as many girls are being born than boys.
The majority of the population is between the ages of 25-59 years old. Abortions were
most performed on the group of women age 20-24 years old in 2005, a decline in age range from
25-29 years old in 1995. Of the names that were given to children who were born in 2004, the
most common were Hans for boys and Ane for girls. Of the infectious diseases that were
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reported in 2006, there was an extremely high rate of incidence of Gonorrhea. In all of
Greenland, there were two cases of AIDS reported in 2006.
The national average household income in 2002 was U.S. $30,815, which was
comparable to the 2005 individual income for Nuuk. The rate of income for a couple living in
Nuuk in 2005 was closer to U.S. $100,000. The average household size for 2004 was 2.5. The
number one highest committed crime in 2005 was theft.
Most of the inhabitants of Greenland are Inuit (Eskimo) and European. Of the European
people, the majority are Danish-Norwegian – the population is approximately 50/50,
Danish/Greenlandic. Most of the people speak Danish and about 70 percent speak Greenlandic.
In Nuuk, many of the people also speak English.
Many of the people are still practicing the traditional Inuit cultural activities including
soapstone carving and drum dancing. Numerous Greenlanders are active in sports in Greenland,
including football (soccer), skiing, badminton, handball, and kayak racing.
Every three years, The Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC) General Assembly is held to
bring the Inuit together from Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Russia. The objectives include
strengthening unity, promoting rights and interests, developing policies that safeguard the Arctic
environment, and political, economic and social development. The ICC office for Greenland is
located in Nuuk.
History
The Inuit of North America were the first to settle in Greenland. They used the Canadian
Arctic islands to eventually cross over to Greenland, in a sequence of migrations that began
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around 4000 BC and continued until about AD 1000. There were several Inuit cultures that
journeyed to Greenland, including the Sarqaq from 1400 to 700 BC, the Dorset from 800 BC to
AD 1300, and afterward the Dundas and Inugsuk.
Later, Eric the Red, given his name because of his red hair, settled in Greenland from
Europe in 982. Eric the Red was a Norwegian explorer – the “first” to explore Greenland and to
establish a settlement. Eric the Red was the father of Leif Ericson, one of the first Europeans to
reach North America. Leif brought Christianity to Greenland from Norway and a bishop’s seat
was later established in 1126. Eric had originally left Norway with his father who had been
exiled for manslaughter, and settled in Iceland. Later, Eric himself was subject to charges of
manslaughter in Iceland, and left to stumble upon Greenland. After he found Greenland, he
returned to Iceland and convinced several shiploads of friends and relatives to return to
Greenland (in 985) with him to establish a settlement. He and the others established settlements
on the west coast at Brattahlid and Nuuk. By 1,200 AD, Nuuk had almost 90 farms and 1,000
people.
Dependence upon Norway began in 1261 AD. In 1380, Greenland became a Danish
possession and in 1721, Nuuk was officially founded. Nuuk is the oldest Danish settlement in
Greenland, originally settled by a Norwegian missionary: Hans Egede (1686-1758). Hans gave
the capital the Danish name Godthab which means “Good Hope.” Hans established a trading
company and a Lutheran mission – he wanted to find and reestablish the Norse colonies. From
1733 to 1734, a smallpox epidemic in Nuuk killed most of the indigenous people, and included
the loss of his wife. After Hans arrived, more Europeans headed for Greenland in search of the
whales – the Dutch, Basque and Scottish came.
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During World War II, as Denmark was occupied by Germany, Greenland became a
United States protectorate (1940-1945). After the war, in 1953, Greenland became part of the
Danish Kingdom. Soon after, in 1979, Greenland became governed by home rule (granted by the
Danish government), and Godthab was renamed Nuuk which means “the headland.” Since 1981
Greenland has been a self-governing province of Denmark. Greenland holds administration of
the municipal regulations, taxes, education, social welfare system, cultural affairs, and the state
church, while Denmark controls the constitutional affairs, foreign relations, and defense. The
legislative power is held by a 31-member parliament known as the Landsting, and a Supreme
Court. Greenlanders elect two of the Danish parliament members to represent them. Greenland
withdrew from the European Union in 1985. Today, Greenlanders are also Danish citizens,
sharing equal rights under the Danish crown.
Current Conditions Of The City
Transportation services include helicopter and plane
flights to connect to other Greenland cities, and boating. Air
Greenland, which employed 569 people in 2005, has many daily
flights to connect Nuuk to the rest of Greenland. The majority of
domestic flights are by helicopter. Roads are virtually
nonexistent between Greenland cities – there are 87 miles of
roads in and around Nuuk which allows approximately 31
miles of travel toward the interior of Greenland.
Based on the internet sites found online through the
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Nuuk and Greenland departments of tourism, the technology and
recent development is very contemporary. The city has radio
stations and newspapers, is considered to be a fishing center, and
has oil and liquid gas storage facilities. The area has good quality
pastures and sustains reindeer herds. There were 5,612 total dwellings in Nuuk in 2006.
There is a university center in Nuuk: The University of Greenland, established in 1987,
specializes in local and Arctic studies. The wood building used for the university was built in
1747. (Formative education in Greenland is free and compulsory for all children between 6 and
15.) The languages spoken in the schools include Greenlandic and Danish. There is a shortage of
Inuit speaking teachers. In addition to the University of Greenland, The Arctic University has
been established online with support from the U.S., Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway,
Russia, and Sweden.
Recently, Inussivik Hall was built to house the Arctic Winter Games in Nuuk. The
Games cost $3.2 million. In 2001, Nuuk realized that their facilities were insufficient to house
the Games and a $650,000, 1,500-seat facility was built. The games are held in March and
include the Russian sledge jump, Alaskan high kick, and arm pull.
One of the newest buildings in Nuuk is the Katuaq Greenland Cultural Center – an award
winning cultural venue with theater, music, art and the only cinema in Greenland. Included in the
Katuaq are a conference center, coffee shop, the Greenland
Art School, and the NAPA Nordic Institute.
Initially, the Inuits used tents made from seal skins.
Following this primitive construction, the architecture in
Greenland was small sod home structures built with rocks
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and driftwood. The sod homes were used for hunting season and
abandoned when the animals were scarce. Later, during the
Danish colonial period from 1721 to the 1950s, wood was
imported from Europe and clapboard homes were built. A-frame
homes painted in bright colors are still found in Nuuk today. In
the 1950s, dreary housing blocks were built in the north and east
parts of Nuuk. After an airfield was built in the late 1970s, more
modern apartments and condominiums sprang up in the 1980s.
In Nuuk today, the tallest building is 328 feet tall (about 31
stories).
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