Upernavik

▪ Greenland

      town, western Greenland, situated on a small island in Baffin Bay, about 100 miles (160 km) north of Nordost Bay. It was founded by Danes as a whaling and sealing base in 1772. During the 20th century fisheries expanded, and halibut fishing and processing became a major contributor to the economy. The town also serves as a municipal administrative centre. Graphite deposits are located nearby. On Kingittoq (Kingigtoq) Island to the northwest was found an early 14th-century runic stone, which tells of three men wintering there. Qaarsorsuaq Island to the south is known for its huge, vertical bird cliffs. Upernavik Fjord, a 30-mile- (48-km-) long inlet of Baffin Bay, extends southeast to the inland ice cap, where it receives Upernavik Glacier. Pop. (2007) 1,157.

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