Ilulissat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ilulissat Jakobshavn
From upper left: Illumiut neighbourhood, Old town, Ilulissat Icefjord, Knud Rasmussen's Museum, Zion's Church
Flag Coat of arms
Ilulissat Location in Greenland Show map of Greenland Ilulissat Location in North Atlantic Show map of North Atlantic Ilulissat Location in Arctic Show map of Arctic
Sovereign state	Kingdom of Denmark
Autonomous territory	Greenland
Municipality	Avannaata
First mention	15th century
City Status	16th century
Area
• City	11.25 km2 (4.34 sq mi)
• Metro	47.00 km2 (18.15 sq mi)
Highest elevation	2,010 m (6,590 ft)
Lowest elevation	1 m (3 ft)
Population  (2020 (city, settlements))
• City	4,670
• Density	415.1/km2 (1,075.1/sq mi)
• Urban	4,491 (City of Ilulissat)
• Metro	342 (Settlements: Ilimanaq Oqaatsut Qeqertaq and Saqqaq)
• Metro density	103.5/km2 (268/sq mi)
• Ethnicity	90.98% Greenlandic 9.02% Other
Time zone	UTC-02
• Summer (DST)	UTC-01
Postal code	3952
Area code(s)	(+299) 94

Ilulissat, also known as Jakobshavn, is a large town in western Greenland. It is the main town of the Avannaata area. Ilulissat is about 350 kilometers (217 miles) north of the Arctic Circle.

With about 4,670 people living there in 2020, it is the third-largest city in Greenland. Only Nuuk and Sisimiut are bigger. Ilulissat is also famous for having almost as many sled dogs as people!

The name "Ilulissat" means "Icebergs" in the local Kalaallisut language. The town is right next to the Ilulissat Icefjord. This fjord is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is full of huge icebergs. These icebergs come from the busiest glacier in the northern part of the world. Because of this amazing natural wonder, Ilulissat is the most popular place for tourists to visit in Greenland. Tourism is now the town's main way of making money.

History of Ilulissat

The Lutheran church in Ilulissat, photographed in 1869

The town of Ilulissat was started in 1741. It began as a trading post by a company owned by Jacob Severin. The town was named Jakobshavn in his honor.

The Zion Church (Zions Kirke) was built in the late 1700s. At that time, it was the biggest building made by people in Greenland. The last person living in the nearby settlement of Sermermiut moved to Ilulissat in 1850.

Hotel Ilulissat Fire Incident

On March 7, 2021, a large fire started at Hotel Ilulissat. The hotel was still being built at the time. Smoke and flames could be seen all over the city. Police asked everyone nearby to stay home and keep their windows closed for safety. Firefighters worked to put out the fire. An investigation into the cause of the fire was started by the police in Nuuk.

Geography and Climate

A panoramic view of Ilulissat in 2024

The Ilulissat Icefjord (Greenlandic: Ilulissat Kangerlua) is a famous natural area. It is located southeast of Ilulissat. In 2004, UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site. This means it is a very important place for the whole world.

Ilulissat has a tundra climate. This means it has very long and cold winters. The summers are short and cool. Ilulissat is one of the driest places in Greenland. It gets only about 271 millimeters (10.7 inches) of rain or snow each year. It is also one of the sunniest places, especially in summer.

March is usually the coldest month in Ilulissat. This is a bit unusual, as February is often the coldest month in similar places. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Ilulissat was -40.5°C (-40.9°F) in March.

Population Growth

Ilulissat had 4,670 people living there in 2020. It is the biggest town in the Avannaata area. The number of people living in Ilulissat has grown by more than 8% since 1990. The population has stayed about the same since 2003.

Getting Around Ilulissat

Air Travel

Ilulissat domestic airport destinations

Ilulissat Airport is located about 2.8 kilometers (1.7 miles) northeast of the town center. It was built in 1983. The airport connects Ilulissat to other towns in Greenland through Air Greenland. Flights to Reykjavík, Iceland, also started in 2011 with Air Iceland Connect and in 2017 with Air Greenland.

Sea Travel

The Arctic Umiaq ferry connects Ilulissat to other towns. These include Sisimiut and Nuuk. The ferry travels along the western and southwestern coast of Greenland.

Sports and Culture

Football in Ilulissat

The town is home to a football team called Nagdlunguaq-48. They play in the Greenlandic Men's Football Championship. This is Greenland's top soccer league. Nagdlunguaq-48 has won the championship ten times as of 2016. All their league games are played in Nuuk.

Ilulissat in Film

Ilulissat has been a filming location for movies and TV shows.

• The fourth season of the Danish TV series Borgen (2022) was partly filmed in Ilulissat.
• The movie Smilla's Sense of Snow (1997) was also filmed here.

Famous People from Ilulissat

• Knud Rasmussen (1879–1933) was a famous explorer and anthropologist. He was born in Ilulissat. People called him the "father of Eskimology" (the study of Inuit people). Rasmussen was the first person to cross the Northwest Passage using a dog sled. He is still well-known in Greenland, Denmark, and among Canadian Inuit.
• Jørgen Brønlund (1877–1907) was also a polar explorer born in Ilulissat. He grew up with Knud Rasmussen. Brønlund joined Rasmussen on an expedition to study Inuit culture. He also joined another expedition to map northern Greenland. A fjord in Peary Land is named after him.
• Jens Rosing (1925–2008) was a Greenlandic artist. He was born in Ilulissat. He designed the coat of arms of Greenland. He also designed many Greenlandic postage stamps. Rosing illustrated children's books and created beautiful watercolors.

Town Partnerships

Ilulissat has special partnerships with other towns and cities. These are called twin towns or sister cities. They work together on different projects.

• Fredericia, Denmark
• Fuglafjørður, Faroe Islands
• Hafnarfjörður, Iceland

Images for kids

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  Church and doctor's residence of the town Jakobshavn (1900)

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  Ilulissat harbor

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  Cruise ships in the fjord front of Ilulissat

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  "Trankessel" for boiling blubber in Ilulissat, Greenland

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  Knud Rasmussen's birthplace in Ilulissat, Greenland; Knud Rasmussen's Museum

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  Kayaking in Ilulissat

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  Dog sled sign in Ilulissat

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  Cruise ship at Ilulissat port

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  Ilulissat, old part of the city with icebergs from the Ilulissat Icefjord in the background

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  Sailing in Ilulissat Icefjord

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  The football field

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  Ilulissat welcome sign

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  Ilulissat Airport from the south.

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  Blue iceberg in the Ilulissat Icefjord

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  View of Ilulissat city from the sea

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  Ilulissat under snow

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  Ilulissat from the plane

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  Ilulissat Church

See also

In Spanish: Ilulissat para niños