Siorapaluk

Submitted by editor on Mon, 06/06/2011 - 19:09

Siorapaluk

Siorapaluk
Siorapaluk
Siorapaluk is located in Greenland
Siorapaluk
Location within Greenland
Coordinates: 77°47′08″N 70°38′00″W / 77.78556°N 70.6333333°W / 77.78556; -70.6333333Coordinates: 77°47′08″N 70°38′00″W / 77.78556°N 70.6333333°W / 77.78556; -70.6333333
State  Kingdom of Denmark
Constituent country  Greenland
Municipality Qaasuitsup
Population (2010)
 - Total 68
Time zone UTC-04
Postal code 3971 Qaanaaq

Siorapaluk (Hiurapaluk in Inuktun) is a settlement in the Qaanaaq area of the Qaasuitsup municipality, in northern Greenland and is one of the world's northernmost inhabited settlements. It has a population of 68 speaking the Inuktun language of the Polar Inuit as well as Standard West Greenlandic. Many of the inhabitants are direct descendants of the last migration from Canada which took place in the last century.

Contents

Fauna

There is good hunting in the area of the settlement, and the cliffs around it function as breeding grounds for Dovekie (Alle alle) -known further south as "auk"- and the Thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia), plainly called "murre". There are many Arctic foxes and Arctic hares in the area and an abundance of seals and walruses which are vigorously hunted.

Infrastructure

Siorapaluk has an electrical power plant, direct satellite radio and TV-broadcasting, a well stocked store and telephone service. The settlement's school is combined with its church and a small public library. Although there are no resident medical facilities, the settlement is visited regularly by a physician and a dentist.

Transport

Main article: Siorapaluk Heliport

Air Greenland operates settlement flights to Qaanaaq Airport and to Savissivik Heliport via Thule Air Base. The twice-weekly flights are subsidized by the Government of Greenland. Transfers at the airbase are subject to access restrictions by the Danish Foreign Ministry.

Population

The population of Siorapaluk has been stable in the last two decades.

Siorapaluk population dynamics
Siorapaluk population growth dynamics in the last two decades. Source: Statistics Greenland

  1. ^ Statistics Greenland (Danish)
  2. ^ "Booking system". Air Greenland. http://book.airgreenland.com/. Retrieved 9 June 2010. 
  3. ^ Air Greenland
  4. ^ a b Statistics Greenland
Cities, towns, and villages in Greenland
Kujalleq Greenland-muni-names.svg
Qaasuitsup
Qeqqata
Sermersooq
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