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99-640: Based in the country's capital city, Nuuk , KNR is an independent state-owned corporation headed by a five-person board. Its activities are funded from a mixture of sources, mainly direct government funding but also limited on-air advertising. In 2012–13, all elements of KNR Radio and TV relocated to a new building in Nuuk. The broadcasts come from various sources, including Naalakkersuisut (the Greenland government), various associations, collaborations with private local broadcasters and broadcasts abroad, especially DR . KNR

198-402: A monopoly on the electricity in Greenland. Since 1993, Nuuk has received its electric power mainly from Buksefjord hydroelectric power plant by way of a 132 kV powerline crossing Ameralik fjord over a distance of 5,376 m (17,638 ft), the world's longest free span. Nuuk has several educational institutions of higher learning. The University of Greenland (Ilisimatusarfik),

297-561: A culture that conflicted with the ways of the native Greenlanders. Many Greenlanders were living in poverty. In 1853, Hinrich Johannes Rink came to Greenland and was surprised at how local Greenlandic culture and identity had been suppressed under Danish influence. In response, in 1861, he started the Atuagagdliutt , Greenland's first newspaper, with a native Greenlander as editor. This newspaper based in Nuuk later became an important token of Greenlandic identity. During World War II , there

396-511: A different field under the city council's authority. The most important board is the City Board that wields the executive rights along with the City Mayor. The City Mayor is the senior public official and also the director of city operations. Other public officials control city institutions under the mayor's authority. Thus, the administration consists of two different parts: The Independence Party

495-497: A distance of 5,376 m (17,638 ft), the world's longest free span. The site has a long history of habitation. The area around Nuuk was first occupied by the ancient, pre-Inuit, Paleo-Eskimo people of the Saqqaq culture as far back as 2200 BC when they lived in the area around the now abandoned settlement of Qoornoq . For a long time, it was occupied by the Dorset culture around

594-678: A halt in the following economic crash of 2008 . There are 14 embassies in Reykjavik, in addition to ambassadorial residences, and representative offices for Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and the European Union. Per capita car ownership in Iceland is among the highest in the world at roughly 522 vehicles per 1,000 residents, though Reykjavík is not severely affected by congestion . Several multi-lane highways (mainly dual carriageways ) run between

693-453: A large number of companies and three investment banks. Reykjavík has been at the centre of Iceland's economic growth and subsequent economic contraction over the 2000s, a period referred to in foreign media as the "Nordic Tiger" years, or "Iceland's Boom Years". The economic boom led to a sharp increase in construction, with large redevelopment projects such as Harpa concert hall and conference centre and others. Many of these projects came to

792-572: A more continental climate, including the Bothnian Bay basin in Scandinavia. Nonetheless, Reykjavík is one of the cloudiest and coolest capitals of any nation in the world. The highest temperature recorded in Reykjavík was 25.7 °C (78 °F), reported on 30 July 2008, while the lowest-ever recorded temperature was −24.5 °C (−12 °F), recorded on 21 January 1918. The coldest month on record

891-698: A native of Greenland and the second woman in Denmark to become a bishop. The Herrnhut House was the center of the Moravian mission of New Herrnhut . Other landmarks include the Hans Egede Church and the Statue of Hans Egede . Greenland National Museum is in Nuuk and was one of the first museums established in Greenland, inaugurated in the mid-1960s. The museum has many artifacts and exhibits related to Greenland's archaeology, history, art, and handicrafts, and contains

990-593: A new political party, The Best Party , win six of 15 seats, and it formed a coalition with the Social Democratic Alliance; comedian Jón Gnarr became mayor. At the 2014 election, the Social Democratic Alliance had its best showing yet, gaining five seats in the council, while Bright Future (successor to the Best Party) received two seats and the two parties formed a coalition with the Left-Green movement and

1089-476: A quarter of the country's native population. As the capital of Greenland, Nuuk is the administrative center of the country, containing all of the important government buildings and institutions. The public sector bodies are also the town's largest employer. As of January 2021, the mayor of Nuuk is Charlotte Ludvigsen. She replaced former mayor Asii Chemnitz Narup in 2019 following a social media scandal involving posts criticizing her party. Like Narup, Ludvigsen

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1188-401: A result of the high cost of flying goods to Greenland, Nuuk and other towns in Greenland are connected to Denmark by cargo vessels which sail mainly from Aalborg during the warmer months after the winter ice has melted. They bring clothing, flour, medicine, timber and machinery and return with deep-frozen shrimp and fish. For most of the year, Nuuk is served twice-weekly by the coastal ferry of

1287-457: A small fishing settlement with a harbor, but as the economy developed rapidly during the 1970s and 1980s, the fishing industry in the capital declined. The port is nevertheless still home to almost half of Greenland's fishing fleet. The local Royal Greenland processing plant absorbs landed seafood amounting to over DKK 50 million (US$ 7 million) per annum, mainly (80%) shrimp , but also cod , lumpfish and halibut . Seafood, including seal,

1386-403: A third since 1990, and risen by almost 21% since 2000. In addition to those born in Greenland, data from 2015 showed 3,826 were born outside the country. Attracted by good employment opportunities with high wages, Danes have continued to settle in the town. Today, Nuuk has the highest proportion of Danes of any town in Greenland. Half of Greenland's immigrants live in Nuuk, which also accounts for

1485-436: A vital role in all cultural life in the country. The city is home to Iceland's main cultural institutions, boasts a flourishing arts scene and is renowned as a creative city with a diverse range of cultural happenings and dynamic grassroots activities. Most of the country's writers live in the city, and it also provides the setting for the majority of contemporary Icelandic literature – a development that has gone hand in hand with

1584-458: Is 68 km/h. The average monthly temperature (7.4 °C (45.3 °F) in July) is colder than what is considered the limit for trees (10 °C (50 °F) during the warmest month). There are a few planted trees which do not sustain well. With 19,872 inhabitants as of January 2024, Nuuk is by far the largest town in Greenland. The population of Nuuk has doubled since 1977, increased by over

1683-464: Is Inuit, and at least eight in 10 live in urban settlements. Nuuk also celebrates Inuit culture and history to an extent that is unprecedented in many cities with higher total aboriginal populations. By proportion and by cultural authority and impact, it may well be tiny Nuuk that is the most indigenous city in the world. Nuuk is located at approximately 64°10′N 51°44′W  /  64.167°N 51.733°W  / 64.167; -51.733 at

1782-440: Is January 1918, with a mean temperature of −7.2 °C (19 °F). The warmest is July 2019, with a mean temperature of 13.4 °C (56 °F). The Reykjavík City Council governs the city of Reykjavík and is directly elected by those aged over 18 domiciled in the city. The council has 23 members who are elected using the open list method for four-year terms. The council selects members of boards, and each board controls

1881-602: Is a member of the Inuit Ataqatigiit party. Greenland's self-government parliament , the Inatsisartut, is in Nuuk. It has 31 seats and its members are elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve four-year terms. All of Greenland's major political parties have their headquarters in Nuuk, including the Inuit Ataqatigiit, Siumut , Democrats , Atassut , Association of Candidates and

1980-601: Is a multi-purpose stadium, used mostly for football games. The stadium has a capacity of 2,000. The stadium can also be used as an entertainment venue: the Scottish rock band Nazareth performed at the venue. Nuuk also has the Godthåbhallen , a handball stadium. It is the home of the Greenland men's national handball team and has a capacity of 1,000. There is a hill for alpine skiing with an altitude difference around 300 meters on

2079-454: Is a popular tourist destination among foreigners. It is among the cleanest, greenest, and safest cities in the world. According to legend, the first permanent Norse settlement in Iceland was established at Reykjavík by Ingólfr Arnarson circa AD 870, as described in the Book of Settlement . Ingólfr is said to have decided the location of his settlement using a traditional Norse method: when land

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2178-533: Is a result of exposure to the maritime winds in its exposed west coast location that causes it to be much cooler in summer than similar latitudes in mainland Scandinavia . Contrasting this, winter days are milder than anywhere in far southern Sweden and the vast majority of Denmark . In fact, winter temperatures are comparable to those of New York City , which is more than 20 degrees further south. Reykjavík averages 147 days of rain (more than 1mm) per year. Droughts are uncommon, although they occur in some summers. In

2277-408: Is also sold in abundance in Nuuk's fish markets, the largest being Kalaaliaraq Market . Minerals including zinc and gold have contributed to the development of Nuuk's economy. The city, like much of Greenland, is heavily dependent upon Danish investment and relies on Denmark for block funding. All of Greenland's electricity is supplied by the government-owned company Nukissiorfiit , which has

2376-511: Is an associate member of Nordvision , an association of state broadcasters in the Nordic countries . As of April 2022, a fifth of KNR's positions are vacant due to low salaries; the station has had to reduce its internet and radio reporting. KNR offers two channels nationwide, KNR1 and KNR2 . They are available via digital terrestrial television (DVB-T), and digital cable television (DVB-C). Both channels are also streamed online via YouTube. KNR1

2475-535: Is around 830MW, and the city has an average heating demand of 473 MW. Hot water for Reyjavík's district heating comes from two combined heat and power (CHP) geothermal power plants as well as lower temperature geothermal fields: Safnahúsið (the Culture House) was opened in 1909 and has a number of important exhibits. Originally built to house the National Library and National Archives and also previously

2574-542: Is available on FM , AM , and on line . It broadcasts mainly in the Greenlandic language but some programming is also in Danish . In Nuuk, KNR also provides a direct relay of DR P1 via FM. Nuuk Nuuk ( Greenlandic pronunciation: [nuːk] ; Danish : Nuuk , formerly Godthåb [ˈkʌtˌhɔˀp] ) is the capital of and most populous city in Greenland , an autonomous territory in

2673-576: Is characterized by peninsulas , coves, straits, and islands. During the Ice Age (up to 10,000 years ago) a large glacier covered parts of the city area, reaching as far out as Álftanes . Other parts of the city area were covered by sea water. In the warm periods and at the end of the Ice Age, some hills like Öskjuhlíð were islands. The former sea level is indicated by sediments (with clams) reaching (at Öskjuhlíð, for example) as far as 43 m (141 ft) above

2772-714: Is commonly found in Greenlandic place names. It is so named because of its position at the end of the Nuup Kangerlua fjord on the eastern shore of the Labrador Sea . Its latitude , at 64°11' N, makes it the world's northernmost capital , only a few kilometres farther north than the Icelandic capital Reykjavík . When home rule was established in 1979, the authorization of place names was transferred to Greenlandic authorities, who subsequently preferred Greenlandic names over Danish ones. The name Godthåb mostly went out of use over

2871-445: Is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. With a latitude of 64°08′ N, the city is the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. Reykjavík has a population of around 140,000 as of 2023 (up from 121,822 in 2015). The Capital Region has a population of around 248,000. Reykjavík is believed to be the location of the first permanent settlement in Iceland, which, according to Landnámabók ,

2970-486: Is the central hospital of Greenland. The Nuuk Tourist Office was built in 1992 to house the headquarters of the new National Tourist Board of Greenland. Shops in Nuuk offer local art and craftwork. In July 2012, Greenland's first shopping center, Nuuk Center (NC) , opened. The center has Greenland's first underground parking. Several supermarkets exist, such as Nuuk Center, Pisiffik , Brugseni , and Spar . Nuuk has an international airport 4 km (2.5 mi) to

3069-521: Is the centre of this heritage. It preserves manuscripts, conducts research on them and publishes texts for the public, in addition to offering research facilities and tutoring to foreign scholars and students. The Arnamagnæan Manuscript Collection was added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register on 31 July 2009. Reykjavík city was designated as a UNESCO City of Literature in 2011 and joined then

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3168-767: Is the primary channel and most of its programming is in the Greenlandic language ( Kalaallisut ). KNR2 goes on air only to broadcast live from specific events. In 2006, KNR TV installed a complete digital SD-SDI production and editing facility with the infrastructure needed to provide for the local production of talk shows, news, and remote broadcasts. Prior to January 2013, KNR1 also featured programming from Danish television networks DR and TV 2 but when several of DR's channels were made free-to-air in Greenland, KNR decided to focus on original Greenlandic programming. On 21 June 2020, both KNR1 and KNR2 switched to 720p HD resolution. The KNR radio station broadcasts nationwide. It

3267-539: The Alþingi , the general assembly formed in 930 AD, was re-established in Reykjavík; it had been suspended a few decades earlier when it was located at Þingvellir . At the time it functioned only as an advisory assembly, advising the king about Icelandic affairs. The location of Alþingi in Reykjavík effectively established the city as the capital of Iceland. In 1874, Iceland was given a constitution ; with it, Alþingi gained some limited legislative powers and in essence became

3366-470: The Arctic Umiaq Line , which links the communities of the western coast. The majority of buses and cars owned in Greenland operate in Nuuk. There are no roads connecting Nuuk with other areas of Greenland. The main street in Nuuk is Aqqusinersuaq , with a number of shops and the 140-room Hotel Hans Egede . Since 2009, the city bus service Nuup Bussii provides city transport services in Nuuk for

3465-507: The Kingdom of Denmark . Nuuk is the seat of government and the territory's largest cultural and economic center. Nuuk is also the seat of government for the Sermersooq municipality . In January 2024, it had a population of 19,872, - more than a third of the country’s population - making it one of the smallest capital cities in the world by population . Nuuk is considered a modernized city after

3564-545: The Pirate Party , which won one seat each. The Independence Party had its worst election ever, with only four seats. The mayor is appointed by the city council; usually one of the council members is chosen, but they may also appoint a mayor who is not a member of the council. The post was created in 1907 and advertised in 1908. Two applications were received, from Páll Einarsson , sheriff and town mayor of Hafnarfjörður and from Knud Zimsen , town councillor in Reykjavík. Páll

3663-738: The Qilakitsoq mummies. Examples of modern architecture include the Katuaq cultural center by Schmidt Hammer Lassen (1997), the campus of the University of Greenland by Tegnestuen Nuuk and KHR Arkitekter (2008), the Nuuk Center by KHR Arkitekter (2012) and the Anstalten Correctional Facility by Friis & Moltke and Schmidt Hammer Lassen (2019). Katuaq is a cultural center used for concerts, films, art exhibitions, and conferences. It

3762-531: The Sermersooq municipality, linking the town center with the airport, the outlying districts and neighborhoods of Nuussuaq , Qinngorput , as well as Qernertunnguit in Quassussuup Tungaa . In 2012, the buses transported more than 2 million passengers around the city of Nuuk. Hans Egede's House , built in 1721 by the Norwegian missionary Hans Egede, is the oldest building in Greenland. Standing close to

3861-474: The UNESCO Creatives Cities network. Iceland is one of the smallest linguistic areas in the world, with only around 330,000 inhabitants and very few speakers outside the country. The language has not changed much since the time of settlement in the 9th century and modern Icelanders can still read the original medieval texts with relative ease. Literature plays a vital role in cherishing and cultivating

3960-986: The United States or parts of Eastern Siberia . Instead, peak winter is similar to identical latitudes in the Nordic countries . On 21 December, the shortest day and longest night of the year, the sun rises at 11:22 am and sets at 3:28 pm. By contrast, on the longest day and shortest night of the year, 21 June, the sun rises at 3:53 am and does not set until 1:03 am, producing constant civil twilight . Nuuk can have mild temperatures on brief occasions year-round, with each month having recorded 13 °C (55 °F) or warmer, although only June, July, August, and September have recorded what could be considered hot weather (defined as 22.5 °C (72.5 °F) or higher). The monthly averages range from −9 °C (16 °F) to 7 °C (45 °F), whereas all-time extremes range from −32.5 °C (−26.5 °F) on 14 January 1984 to 26.3 °C (79.3 °F) on 6 July 2008. The record wind in Nuuk

4059-465: The Women's Party . KANUKOKA ( Greenlandic : Kalaallit Nunaanni Kommunit Kattuffiat ) was based in Nuuk. It was an association of Greenland's municipalities, led by Enok Sandgreen. The aim of the organisation was to facilitate cooperation among all five municipalities of Greenland: Avannaata , Kujalleq , Qeqertalik , Qeqqata , and Sermersooq. However, Sermersooq and Qeqertalik both withdrew and KANUKOKA

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4158-440: The world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state ( Nuuk , the capital of Greenland , is slightly further north at 64°10' (about 4 km) but Greenland is a constituent country , not an independent state). Reykjavík has a subpolar oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfc , Trewartha : Eolk ) closely bordering on a subarctic climate ( Köppen : Dfc ) in the 0°C isotherm. The city has had its present climate classification since

4257-520: The 1950s when Denmark began to modernize Greenland. As in Greenland as a whole, Nuuk is populated today by both Inuit and Danes . Over a third of Greenland's total population lives in the Nuuk Greater Metropolitan area. An article examining indigenous influences on cities worldwide suggested, One city... stands out. Nuuk... has probably the highest percentage of aboriginal people of any city: almost 90% of Greenland's population of 58,000

4356-638: The Independence Party. Ólafur F. Magnússon , the leader of the F-list, was elected mayor on 24 January 2008, and in March 2009 the Independence Party was due to appoint a new mayor. This changed once again on 14 August 2008 when the fourth coalition of the term was formed, by the Independence Party and the Social Democratic Alliance, with Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir becoming mayor. The City Council election in May 2010 saw

4455-466: The Republic of Iceland was founded and a president , elected by the people, replaced the king; the office of the president was placed in Reykjavík. In the post-war years, the growth of Reykjavík accelerated. An exodus from the rural countryside began, largely because improved technology in agriculture reduced the need for manpower, and because of a population boom resulting from better living conditions in

4554-455: The Seltjarnarnes peninsula, but the suburbs reach far out to the south and east. Reykjavík is a spread-out city: most of its urban area consists of low-density suburbs, and houses are usually widely spaced. The outer residential neighbourhoods are also widely spaced from each other; in between them are the main traffic arteries and a lot of empty space. The city's latitude is 64°08' N, making it

4653-506: The University of Greenland, is in Nuuk and is the national university of Greenland. Most courses are taught in Danish , although a few are in Kalaallisut as well. As of 2007 , the university had approximately 150 students (almost all Greenlanders), around 14 academic staff, and five administrators. Its library holds approximately 30,000 volumes. The National Library of Greenland in Nuuk is

4752-523: The administration was unified in Godthaab. In 1733, Moravian missionaries received permission to begin a mission on the island; in 1747, there were enough converts to prompt the construction of the Moravian Brethren Mission House and the formal establishment of the mission as New Herrnhut ( Danish : Nye-Hernhut ). This became the nucleus for present-day Nuuk as many Greenlanders from

4851-483: The arms: Sermitsiaq Island , Qeqertarsuaq Island , and Qoornuup Qeqertarsua . The fjord widens into a bay dotted with skerries near its mouth, opening into Labrador Sea at approximately 64°03′N 51°58′W  /  64.050°N 51.967°W  / 64.050; -51.967 . Some 20 km (12 mi) to the northeast, reaching a height of 1,210 m (3,970 ft), Sermitsiaq can be seen from almost everywhere in Nuuk. The mountain has given its name to

4950-602: The beginning of the 20th century. At 64° north, Reykjavík is characterized by extremes of day and night length over the course of the year. From 20 May to 24 July, daylight is essentially permanent as the sun never gets more than 5° below the horizon. Day length drops to less than five hours between 2 December and 10 January. The sun climbs just 3° above the horizon during this time. However, day length begins increasing rapidly during January and by month's end there are seven hours of daylight. Despite its northern latitude, temperatures very rarely drop below −15 °C (5 °F) in

5049-406: The capital and six municipalities around it, was home to 233,034 people; that is about 64% of the country's population. On 1 January 2019, of the city's population of 128,793, immigrants of the first and second generation numbered 23,995 (18.6%), increasing from 12,352 (10.4%) in 2008 and 3,106 (2.9%) in 1998. The most common foreign citizens are Poles , Lithuanians , and Latvians . About 80% of

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5148-484: The city centre, pavements and streets use geothermal snow-melting systems . Many driveways of private residences are also fitted with geothermal snow-melting systems. Geothermal hot water is also used to heat the city's numerous public pools and hot tubs. Natural hot water is used to heat roughly 90% of all buildings in Iceland. Of total annual use of geothermal energy of 39 PJ , space heating accounted for 48%. The total thermal capacity of Reykjavíks hot water production

5247-591: The city's foreign residents originate in European Union and EFTA member states, and over 58% are from the new member states of the EU, mainly former Eastern Bloc countries, which joined in 2004 , 2007 and 2013 . As of 1 January 2023, about 63% of the population was documented to live in the Greater Reykjavik area with a total of 242,995 inhabitants. Children of foreign origin form a more considerable minority in

5346-406: The city's schools: as many as a third in places. The city is also visited by thousands of tourists, students, and other temporary residents, at times outnumbering natives in the city centre. Reykjavík is divided into 10 districts: In addition there are hinterland areas (lightly shaded on the map) which are not assigned to any district. Borgartún is the financial centre of Reykjavík, hosting

5445-422: The city, serves international flights and is the main gateway to the country. Since 1962, there has been some controversy regarding the location of the airport, since it takes up a lot of valuable space in central Reykjavík. Reykjavík has two seaports : the old harbour near the city centre, which is mainly used by fishermen and cruise ships , and Sundahöfn in the east city, which is the largest cargo port in

5544-628: The council which took over in June 2006. In October 2007 a new majority was formed on the council, consisting of members of the Progressive Party, the Social Democratic Alliance , the Left-Greens and the F-list (liberals and independents), after controversy regarding REI, a subsidiary of OR, the city's energy company. However, three months later the F-list formed a new majority together with

5643-484: The country an exclusive trading charter. Reykjavík was one of them and the only one to hold on to the charter permanently. 1786 is thus regarded as the date of the city's founding. Trading rights were limited to subjects of the Danish Crown, and Danish traders continued to dominate trade in Iceland. Over the following decades, their business in Iceland expanded. After 1880, free trade was expanded to all nationalities, and

5742-467: The country and serves larger cruise ships . There are no public railways in Iceland, because of its sparse population, but the locomotives used to build the docks are on display. Proposals have been made for a high-speed rail link between the city and Keflavík . Volcanic activity provides all of Reykjavík and surrounding areas with geothermal district heating systems for both residential and industrial districts. In heavily trafficked areas, mostly in

5841-421: The country. A once-primitive village was rapidly transformed into a modern city. Private cars became common, and modern apartment complexes rose in the expanding suburbs. In 1972, Reykjavík hosted the famous World Chess Championship between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky . The 1986 Reykjavík Summit between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev underlined Reykjavík's international status. Deregulation in

5940-415: The current sea level. The hills of Öskjuhlíð and Skólavörðuholt appear to be the remains of former shield volcanoes which were active during the warm periods of the Ice Age. After the Ice Age, the land rose as the heavy load of the glaciers fell away, and began to look as it does today. The capital city area continued to be shaped by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions , such as the one 4,500 years ago in

6039-507: The estate and farm of Ingólfr Arnarson. This form of the name fell out of use shortly after settlement, and the estate was referred to as Vík á Seltjarnarnesi until the name Reykjavík was revived when urban development began centuries later. The name has been translated as Bay of Smoke in English-language travel guides. The site of the modern city centre was farmland until the 18th century. In 1752, King Frederik V of Denmark donated

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6138-653: The estate of Reykjavík to the Innréttingar  [ is ] corporation. The leader of this movement was Skúli Magnússon  [ is ] . In the 1750s, several houses were built to house the wool industry, which was Reykjavík's most important employer for a few decades and the original reason for its existence. Other industries were undertaken by the Innréttingar, such as fisheries , sulphur mining , agriculture, and shipbuilding. The Danish Crown abolished monopoly trading in 1786 and granted six communities around

6237-434: The financial sector and the computer revolution of the 1990s again transformed Reykjavík. The financial and IT sectors are now significant employers in the city. The city has fostered some world-famous musicians and artists in recent years, including musicians Björk ; Múm and Sigur Rós ; writer Sjón ; and visual artist Ragnar Kjartansson . Reykjavík is located in the southwest of Iceland . The Reykjavík area coastline

6336-487: The first year of scurvy and other ailments. In 1733 and 1734, a smallpox epidemic killed most of the native population as well as Egede's wife. Hans Egede went back to Denmark in 1736 after 15 years in Greenland, leaving his son Poul to continue his work. Godthaab became the seat of government for the Danish colony of South Greenland , while Godhavn (modern Qeqertarsuaq) was the capital of North Greenland until 1940, when

6435-407: The former settlement of Kangeq , but they disappeared from the Nuuk district before AD 1000. The Nuuk area was later inhabited by Norse settlers from around 1000 AD until the disappearance of the settlement for uncertain reasons during the 15th century. ( Western Settlement ). The city proper was founded as the fort of Godt-Haab in 1728 by the royal governor Claus Paarss , when he relocated

6534-629: The great narrative art of Iceland". The House of Halldór Laxness, Gljúfrasteinn , in the capital area can be visited year-round. A number of writers have won the Nordic Council's Literature Prize , among them are Thor Vilhjálmsson , Einar Már Guðmundsson and Sjón , and authors such as Guðrún Helgadóttir , Kristín Steinsdóttir and Ragnheiður Gestsdóttir are winners of The Nordic Children's Literature Prize . Crime writer Arnaldur Indriðason has won prizes abroad, including The Golden Dagger Award. Among other prizes awarded to writers from Reykjavík are

6633-473: The harbor among other old houses, it is now used for government receptions. The Church of Our Saviour of the Lutheran diocese of Greenland was built in 1849, and the tower was added in 1884. The red building with a clock tower and steeple is a prominent site on the landscape. The church received the status of Nuuk Cathedral in 1994, when the first bishop was Kristian Mørk, followed in 1995 by Sofie Petersen,

6732-465: The influence of Icelandic merchants started to grow. Icelandic nationalist sentiment gained influence in the 19th century, and the idea of Icelandic independence became widespread. Reykjavík, as Iceland's only city, was central to such ideas. Advocates of an independent Iceland realized that a strong Reykjavík was fundamental to that objective. All the important events in the history of the independence struggle were important to Reykjavík as well. In 1845

6831-499: The institution that it is today. The next step was to move most of the executive power to Iceland: Home Rule was granted in 1904 when the office of Minister for Iceland was established in Reykjavík. On 1 December 1918, Iceland became a sovereign country, the Kingdom of Iceland , in personal union with the Crown of Denmark . By the 1920s and 1930s, most of the growing Icelandic fishing trawler fleet sailed from Reykjavík; cod production

6930-454: The invasion force, which initially had no motor vehicles. The Icelandic government had received many requests from the British government to consent to the occupation, but it always declined on the basis of its policy of neutrality . For the remaining years of World War II , British and later American soldiers occupied camps in Reykjavík, and the number of foreign soldiers in Reykjavík became about

7029-508: The language, both original Icelandic literature and translations. Language undergoes constant renewal and development in fiction, and translation of foreign work has also been instrumental in conserving this thousand-year-old literary language. Award-winning authors Several Reykjavík writers have received international and Nordic awards. Halldór Laxness was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1955 for "vivid epic power which has renewed

7128-441: The largest reference library in the country, devoted to the preservation of Greenland's cultural heritage and history. The library holdings are split between the public library in the town center and Ilimmarfik, the campus of the University of Greenland. As of 1 January 2008, there are 83,324 items in the library database at Ilimmarfik. Nuuk's sports clubs include Nuuk IL (established in 1934), B-67 , and GSS Nuuk . Nuuk Stadium

7227-557: The location of the National Museum and Natural History Museum, in 2000 it was re-modeled to promote the Icelandic national heritage. Many of Iceland's national treasures are on display, such as the Poetic Edda , and the Sagas in their original manuscripts. There are also changing exhibitions of various topics. Reykjavík is the capital, and in fact Iceland's only city, and as such, it plays

7326-405: The missionary and merchant Hans Egede 's earlier Hope Colony ( Haabets Koloni ) from Kangeq Island to the mainland. At that time, Greenland was formally still a Norwegian colony ( until 1814 ) under the united Dano-Norwegian Crown , but the colony had not had any contact for over three centuries. Paarss's colonists consisted of mutinous soldiers, convicts, and prostitutes and most died within

7425-561: The most heavily populated areas and most frequently driven routes. Parking spaces are also plentiful in most areas. Public transportation consists of a bus system called Strætó bs . Route 1 (the Ring Road) runs through the city outskirts and connects the city to the rest of Iceland. Reykjavík Airport is positioned inside the city, just south of the city centre. It is used for domestic flights, general aviation and medical flights. Keflavík International Airport , located around 40km southwest of

7524-474: The mountain Lille Malene, with the valley station close to the airport terminal. There is also the Nuuk golf course, the only arctic golf course in the world. Nuuk is twinned with: Reykjav%C3%ADk Reykjavík ( / ˈ r eɪ k j ə v ɪ k , - v iː k / RAYK -yə-vik, -⁠veek ; Icelandic: [ˈreiːcaˌviːk] ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland . It

7623-511: The mountain range Bláfjöll , when the lava coming down the Elliðaá valley reached the sea at the bay of Elliðavogur. The largest river to run through Reykjavík is the Elliðaá River, which is non-navigable. It offers salmon fishing within the city limits. Mount Esja , at 914 m (2,999 ft), is the highest mountain in the vicinity of Reykjavík. The city of Reykjavík is mostly located on

7722-532: The mouth of Nuup Kangerlua (formerly Baal's River ), some 10 km (6.2 mi) from the shores of the Labrador Sea on the southwestern coast of Greenland, and about 240 km (150 mi) south of the Arctic Circle . Initially, the fjord flows to the northwest, to then turn southwest at 64°43′N 50°37′W  /  64.717°N 50.617°W  / 64.717; -50.617 , splitting into three arms in its lower run, with three big islands in between

7821-512: The nationwide newspaper Sermitsiaq . Closer to the town are the peaks of Store Malene , 790 m (2,590 ft), and Lille Malene , 420 m (1,380 ft). The magnetic declination at Nuuk is extreme. Nuuk has a maritime-influenced tundra climate ( Köppen ET ) with long, cold, snowy winters and short, cool summers. Although the winters in Nuuk are relatively cold, they are milder compared to other tundra climates, such as in Alaska in

7920-471: The next two decades. The campus of the University of Greenland , hosting Statistics Greenland and the main holdings of the Public and National Library of Greenland , are at the northern end of the district, near the road to Nuuk Airport . Nuuk receives its electric power mainly from the renewable energy-powered Buksefjord hydroelectric power plant by way of a 132 kV powerline crossing Ameralik fjord over

8019-484: The northeast of the town center. Built in 1979, it is a hub for Air Greenland , which is also headquartered in Nuuk and operates its technical base at the airport. There are flights inside Greenland and to Iceland. A decision has been made to extend the runway to allow for flights to European destinations, such as Denmark. Starting in summer 2024, Air Greenland and Canadian North airlines has an agreement with weekly flights between Nuuk and Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada. As

8118-567: The old colonial part of Nuuk ( Nuutoqaq : Old Nuuk). Other notable educational institutions include the Department of Nursing and Health Science, Nuuk Technical College and the Iron & Metal School. The city is served by Queen Ingrid's Health Center . The health center serves as the regional health center for Region Sermersooq. It has an emergency room, and a central clinic with several general practitioners . Nuuk also has Queen Ingrid's Hospital which

8217-415: The only university in Greenland, is in Nuuk. The university was founded in 1987 and expanded in 2007 with the new building, Ilimmarfik , housing departments of journalism, management and economics, language, literature and media, cultural and social history, theology and religion and social work. Nuuk is also home to the Department of Learning (Ilinniarfissuaq), the oldest educational facility in Greenland, in

8316-526: The policy began in 1950. The city was founded in 1728 by the Dano-Norwegian missionary Hans Egede when he relocated from the earlier Hope Colony ( Haabets Koloni ) where he arrived in 1721. The governor Claus Paarss was part of the relocation. The new colony was placed at the Inuit settlement of Nûk and was named Godthaab ("Good Hope"). "Nuuk" is the Greenlandic word for " cape " ( Danish : næs ) and

8415-503: The rapid expansion of the city in the past 100 years or so. Reykjavík is home to Icelandic medieval literature, including the Sagas of the Icelanders and the Poetic Edda , landmarks of world literature still widely read and translated today. This literary heritage is the core of the nation's identity and narrative art is the single most important part of its cultural history. The Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies in Reykjavík

8514-436: The region. The original name was Reykja r -vík , with an "r" suffix for the genitive singular of reykr ; the modern version reykja- uses the genitive plural. The name's meaning is still transparent in modern Icelandic, and in modern Norwegian ( røyk + vik ). The name originally referred to both the bay on the northern shore of the modern city centre, between Örfirisey  [ is ] and Laugarnes , as well as

8613-664: The same as the local population of the city. The Royal Regiment of Canada formed part of the garrison in Iceland during the early part of the war. The economic effects of the occupation were positive for Reykjavík: the unemployment of the Depression years vanished, and construction work began. The British built Reykjavík Airport , which remains in service today, mostly for short-haul flights (to domestic destinations and Greenland). The Americans, meanwhile, built Keflavík Airport , situated 50 km (31 mi) west of Reykjavík, which became Iceland's primary international airport. In 1944,

8712-502: The southeastern coast left their territory to live at the mission station. From this base, further missions were established at Lichtenfels (1748), Lichtenau (1774), Friedrichsthal (1824), Umanak (1861), and Idlorpait (1864), before they were discontinued in 1900 and folded into the Lutheran Church of Denmark . Around 1850, Greenland, and especially the area around Nuuk, were in crisis. The Europeans had brought diseases and

8811-496: The summer of 2007, no rain was measured for one month. July and August are the warmest months of the year on average and January and February the coldest. Summer tends to be the sunniest season, although May averages the most sunshine of any individual month. Overall, the city receives around 1,300 annual hours of sunshine, which is comparable with other places in northern and north-western Europe such as Ireland and Scotland , but substantially less than equally northern regions with

8910-743: The winter. The proximity to the Arctic Circle and the strong moderation of the Atlantic Ocean in the Icelandic coast (influence of North Atlantic Current , an extension of the Gulf Stream ) shape a relatively mild winter and cool summer. The city's coastal location does make it prone to wind, however, and gales are common in winter (influence of the Icelandic Low ).  Summers are cool, with temperatures fluctuating between 10 and 15 °C (50 and 59 °F), rarely exceeding 20 °C (68 °F). This

9009-512: Was a reawakening of Greenlandic national identity. The use of written Greenlandic grew, a council was assembled under Eske Brun 's leadership in Nuuk. In 1940, an American and a Canadian Consulate were established in Nuuk. Under new regulations in 1950, two councils amalgamated into one. This Countryside Council was abolished on 1 May 1979, when the city of Godthåb was renamed Nuuk by the Greenland Home Rule government. The city boomed during

9108-453: Was appointed on 7 May and was mayor for six years. At that time the city mayor received a salary of 4,500 ISK per year and 1,500 ISK for office expenses. The current mayor is Einar Þorsteinsson  [ is ] . Reykjavík is by far the largest and most populous settlement in Iceland. The municipality of Reykjavík had a population of 131,136 on 1 January 2020, comprising 36% of the country's population. The Capital Region , which includes

9207-573: Was designed by Schmidt Hammer Lassen and inaugurated on 15 February 1997. Katuaq contains two auditoria , the larger seating 1,008 people and the smaller, 508. The complex also contains an art school, library, meeting facilities, administrative offices and a café. The Nuuk Art Museum is the only private art and crafts museum in Greenland. The museum contains a notable collection of local paintings, watercolors, drawings, and graphics, some by Andy Warhol; and figures in soapstone, ivory, and wood, with many items collected by archaeologists. Ilisimatusarfik,

9306-583: Was dissolved as of Tuesday, 31 July 2018. The organisation ran the municipal elections every four years, with the last election taking place in 2016. All municipal authorities in Greenland were members of the organisation until its 2018 dissolution. The association was overseen by Maliina Abelsen , the Minister for Social Affairs in the Government of Greenland. Although only a small town, Nuuk has developed trade, business, shipping and other industries. It began as

9405-446: Was established by Ingólfur Arnarson in 874 AD . Until the 18th century, there was no urban development in the city location. The city was officially founded in 1786 as a trading town and grew steadily over the following decades, as it transformed into a regional and later national centre of commerce , population, and governmental activities. Reykjavík is the centre of Iceland's cultural , economic , and governmental activity, and

9504-582: Was historically the city's ruling party; it had an overall majority from its establishment in 1929 until 1978, when it narrowly lost. From 1978 until 1982, there was a three-party coalition composed of the People's Alliance , the Social Democratic Party , and the Progressive Party . In 1982, the Independence Party regained an overall majority, which it held for three consecutive terms. The 1994 election

9603-443: Was in sight, he cast his high seat pillars overboard and promised to settle where the gods decided to bring them ashore. Two of his slaves then searched the coasts for three years before finding the pillars in the bay which eventually became the site of Reykjavík. The name is of Old Norse origin, derived from the roots reykr ('smoke') and vík ('bay'). The name is said to be inspired by steam rising from hot springs in

9702-618: Was its main industry, but the Great Depression hit Reykjavík hard with unemployment , and labour union struggles sometimes became violent. On the morning of 10 May 1940, following the German occupation of Denmark and Norway on 9 April 1940, four British warships approached Reykjavík and anchored in the harbour. In a few hours, the Allied occupation of Reykjavík was complete. There was no armed resistance, and taxi and truck drivers even assisted

9801-449: Was won by Reykjavíkurlistinn (the R-list), an alliance of Icelandic socialist parties, led by Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir . This alliance won a majority in three consecutive elections, but was dissolved for the 2006 election when five different parties were on the ballot. The Independence Party won seven seats, and together with the one Progressive Party it were able to form a new majority in

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