(Danish: Scoresbysund) is a town in East
Greenland The town is located at
approximately 70°31 N 22°00 W near the mouth of Kangertittivaq (Danish: Scoresbysund). It is
one of the most remote of Greenland's towns, only reachable by helicopter or by
boat a few months a year.
Population
is 537 (as of 2005). The place is known for its wildlife which includes polar bears moskoxen, and seals.
The Danish name Scoresbysund derives from the name of the Arctic explorer and
whaler William
Scoresby, who was the first to map the area in 1822. The Greenlandic name
Ittoqqortoormiit means "Big House".
Local hunters have for generations made a living from whale and polar bear hunting, and it
remains, up to the present, a significant cultural-economical factor in the
area. Flesh and by-products play a direct part in the economy of the hunting
families. Income is gained by trading these products, but these options are
seasonal and variable. Ittoqqortoormiit lies near large populations of shrimp and Greenland halibut, but the presence of sea ice prevents the exploitation of
these resources year-round, and as a result fishing has never been extensively
developed in the municipality. Tourism, on the other hand, is growing in
importance.
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