Uummannaq Fjord

[3] Favourable weather conditions, good harbours, and proximity to the coastal route made the fjord system attractive to numerous southbound Inuit migrations in the past−the area has been settled and resettled for the last 4.500 years.

[5] Recent DNA samples from human hair suggest that the ancient Saqqaq people came from Siberia about 5,500 years ago and independent of the migration that gave rise to the modern Native Americans and the Inuit.

Ikerasak, Illorsuit, Nuugaatsiaq, and Saattut are small island settlements, whereas Ukkusissat lies on the mainland in the inner parts of the fjord.

The northeastern coastline of Nuussuaq Peninsula is sparsely inhabited or uninhabited in the south, with Qaarsut and Niaqornat near the mouth of the fjord being the only settlements.

Sigguup Nunaa peninsula and adjacent lands between the mouth of the fjord and Upernavik Archipelago in the north are uninhabited.

Geography of Uummannaq Fjord
Sarqarput Strait in southwestern Uummannaq Fjord separates Nuussuaq Peninsula from Uummannaq Island
Northeastern Uummannaq Fjord is bounded by steep mountain walls, some nearly 2000 metres high
In the summer, numerous small icebergs , bergy bits, and growlers float freely in the Uummannaq Fjord
The mummy of a six-month-old boy found in Qilakitsoq
Uummannaq town is the largest settlement in the area
Aerial view of the central expanse of Uummannaq Fjord, with Salleq Island, Appat Island, and Perlerfiup Nunaa in the background