Paamiut

Paamiut,[2] formerly Frederikshåb,[3] is a town in southwestern Greenland in the Sermersooq municipality.

Paamiut

Frederikshåb
Central Paamiut in early-June 2011
Paamiut
Location within Greenland
Coordinates: 61°59′40″N 49°40′00″W
State Kingdom of Denmark
Constituent country Greenland
Municipality Sermersooq
First settled1500 BC
Founded1742
Population
 (2020)
 • Total1,308[1]
Time zoneUTC-03
Postal code
3940
Website Dead link

Geography

Paamiut is located on the coast of Labrador Sea in the southern end of a small estuary called Kuannersooq ("Inlet").

History
Paamiut (Frederikshåb), 1878
Aerial view of the vicinity of Paamiut

People have lived in the Paamiut area since around 1500 BC. The name Paamiut is Kalaallisut for "Those who Reside by the Mouth (of the fiord)".

The trading post of Frederikshaab (sometimes anglicized as Frederick's Hope[4]) was established by Jacob Severin's company in 1742[5] and named in honor of the Crown Prince Frederick (later King Frederick V of Denmark).[6]

The community prospered on trading fur and whale products. It also became known for its soapstone artists. The town has one of the finest churches in Greenland, built in 1909 from wood in the Norwegian style.[7]

Following the warming climatic trends since the 1920s, Paamiut developed a booming cod industry between the 1950s and 1989, when the stock dwindled.[7] In connection with a development plan called G60 Paamiut was chosen as to be the place to live for the entire population of the former Paamiut municipality. Therefore, the number of people living there rose significantly during that period.

There is local museum downtown in original buildings from the previous century, among them a carpenter workshop and a salt warehouse. The Danish Crown Princely family visited the town as part of an official tour of Greenland in summer 2014.[8]

Economy

As is the case for other towns of western Greenland, the sea is free of ice during the winter,[9] while fishing is the primary occupation of the inhabitants of the region. Icebergs, coming adrift along the east coast of Greenland with the East Greenland Current and continuing up along the west coast with the West Greenland Current normally arrive in the autumn, bringing numerous seals marking this season as a great time for the local hunters.

Population

With 1,308 inhabitants as of 2020,[1] it is the tenth-largest town in Greenland, down from the seventh in 2005. Paamiut has been losing population for almost every year in the last two decades: more than 31% relative to 1990 levels, almost 20% relative to 2000, and more than 16% relative to 2005.[1]

Transport

Paamiut is a port of call for the Arctic Umiaq ferry service.[10] In November 2007, the Paamiut Airport was built by Mittarfeqarfiit. Connections to Nuuk and Narsarsuaq are served by Air Greenland STOL aircraft.[11]

Climate
Climate data for Paamiut 1961-1990, extremes 1958-1999
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 11.5
(52.7)		 12.2
(54.0)		 11.2
(52.2)		 16.6
(61.9)		 20.5
(68.9)		 20.6
(69.1)		 21.2
(70.2)		 20.5
(68.9)		 18.6
(65.5)		 16.5
(61.7)		 15.5
(59.9)		 14.4
(57.9)		 21.2
(70.2)
Average high °C (°F) −3.4
(25.9)		 −3
(27)		 −2.7
(27.1)		 0.6
(33.1)		 4.2
(39.6)		 6.5
(43.7)		 8.8
(47.8)		 8.2
(46.8)		 6.2
(43.2)		 2.9
(37.2)		 0.3
(32.5)		 −2.3
(27.9)		 2.2
(36.0)
Average low °C (°F) −10.1
(13.8)		 −10.2
(13.6)		 −9.9
(14.2)		 −5.7
(21.7)		 −1.1
(30.0)		 1.1
(34.0)		 2.8
(37.0)		 2.7
(36.9)		 0.7
(33.3)		 −2.8
(27.0)		 −6.1
(21.0)		 −8.9
(16.0)		 −4
(25)
Record low °C (°F) −28.9
(−20.0)		 −29.6
(−21.3)		 −20.9
(−5.6)		 −18.5
(−1.3)		 −14.6
(5.7)		 −4.0
(24.8)		 −4.0
(24.8)		 −2.2
(28.0)		 −6.5
(20.3)		 −14.1
(6.6)		 −20.5
(−4.9)		 −25.3
(−13.5)		 −29.6
(−21.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 66
(2.6)		 64
(2.5)		 64
(2.5)		 58
(2.3)		 58
(2.3)		 67
(2.6)		 91
(3.6)		 92
(3.6)		 80
(3.1)		 71
(2.8)		 84
(3.3)		 83
(3.3)		 878
(34.5)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 10.1 9.1 10.4 9.2 8.3 9.5 11.2 10.0 10.9 9.5 11.1 10.6 119.9
Average snowy days 12.7 11.3 12.5 9.6 6.7 1.8 0.2 0.1 2.1 7.2 10.8 12.1 87.1
Source: [12]
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References
  1. "Population by Localities". Statistical Greenland.
  2. The pre-1973 Kalaallisut spelling was Pâmiut.
  3. The pre-1948 Danish spelling was Frederikshaab.
  4. i.a., Lieber, Francis & al. Encyclopædia Americana: A Popular Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature, History, Politics and Biography. "Greenland". B.B. Mussey & Co., 1854.
  5. Marquardt, Ole. "Change and Continuity in Denmark's Greenland Policy" in The Oldenburg Monarchy: An Underestimated Empire?. Verlag Ludwig (Kiel), 2006.
  6. Del, Anden. "Grønland som del af den bibelske fortælling – en 1700-tals studie Archived 2012-07-15 at the Wayback Machine" ["Greenland as Part of the Biblical Narrative – a Study of the 18th-Century"]. (in Danish)
  7. O'Carroll, Etain (2005). Greenland and the Arctic. Lonely Planet. p. 141. ISBN 1-74059-095-3.
  8. "Official visit to Greenland - Qaqortoq, Paamiut and Qeqertarsuatsiaat". Scandinavian Royalty.
  9. Air Greenland Archived 2010-03-06 at the Wayback Machine, Destination overview: Paamiut
  10. AUL, Timetable 2009
  11. Air Greenland, Departures and Arrivals Archived 2010-03-09 at the Wayback Machine
  12. "Klimanormaler for Grønland". Danish Meteorological Institute. Archived from the original on 30 June 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
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