From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ammassalik Fjord
(old spelling:
Angmagssalik Fjord
) is a 41 km (25.5 mi) long
fjord
in the
Sermersooq
municipality in southeastern
Greenland
.
Geography
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Ammassalik Fjord
The head of the fjord at
65°58′N
37°06′W
/
65.967°N 37.100°W
/
65.967; -37.100
is formed by the confluence of two narrow, tributary fjords:
Qingertivaq Fjord
and
Tasiilaq Fjord
(one of two fjords of that name). The fjord has a north-to-south orientation in its northern part, to then turn midway to the south-west-south at approximately
65°50′N
37°03′W
/
65.833°N 37.050°W
/
65.833; -37.050
. While the shores of the northern part separate peninsulas of the mainland of Greenland, the southern, progressively wider half of the fjord separates the large
Ammassalik Island
in the west from islands of the eponymous Ammassalik Archipelago in the east and southeast, including the largest,
Apusiaajik Island
.
[1]
The fjord is joined by narrow waterways with other waterbodies in the region: the
Ikaasartivaq Strait
separating Ammassalik Island from the mainland connects the fjord to the wider
Sermilik Fjord
in the west, while the
Torsuut Tunoq
sound and the
Ikaasaartik Strait
connect the fjord to the open North Atlantic.
Settlement
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History
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Gustav Holm
writes that in the winter of 1884?5, there were 225 Inuit living on the fjord in seven villages:
[2]
[3]
- Tasiusarsik kangigdlek
(35), near the western mouth of the fjord
- Kangarsik
(34) and
Norsit
(25), on Kulusuk Island
- Umivik
(19) and
Kumarmiut
(28), on
Apusiaajik Island
- Ingmikertok
(37), on a small island near Kumarmiut
- Norajik
(47), on the island at the end of the wider, outer part of the fjord
Present day
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There are three settlements in the vicinity of the fjord. The only village on the mainland is
Kuummiit
, located on the central fjord's eastern coast, perched on the tip of a partially glaciated peninsula.
[1]
The main settlement of the Ammassalik archipelago is the town of
Tasiilaq
, located on the island of
Ammassalik
, near the mouth of the tributary
Tasiilaq Fjord
(
Danish
:
Kong Oscars Havn
), just south of the mouth of Ammassalik Fjord. Further to the southeast,
Kulusuk
village occupies the northern shore of
Kulusuk Island
.
References
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