Pangnirtung

Pangnirtung

Pangnirtung is an Inuit hamlet, located in the Qikiqtaaluk region of Nunavut Territory, Baffin Island, in Canada. The settlement is situated about 45 km south of the Arctic Circle and approximately 2700 km from the North Pole. The hamlet lies on a coastal plain on the shores of Pangnirtung Fjord, which eventually merges into Cumberland Sound. Pangnirtung has gained international fame for the high-quality traditional arts its residents have created in sculpture, and for the adaptation of themes and design in printing and weaving. They refer to Pangnirtung as the Switzerland of the Arctic, or simply Pang. Pangnirtung is the closest town to Auyuittuq National Park. The park contains many features typical of the Arctic wilderness, such as fjords, glaciers and ice fields. Composed of ice sitting on Precambrian granite, the Penny Ice Cap creates a series of glaciers, including the Coronation Glacier. The area's geological history is reflected in the land, with deep valleys between the peaks, including Mount Asgard at 800 m and Mount Thor at 1250 m. And along the coast are deep, narrow fjords. Wildlife is very limited due to the exceptionally low abundance of terrestrial vegetation, but the park is bordered on three sides by the sea, so there is marine life within its periphery. Species include Lemmings, Red Foxes, Snowy Owls, Peregrine Falcons, Ermines, Rough-Legged Hawks, Gyrfalcons, Beluga Whales, Snow Geese, Polar Bears, wolves, Narwhals, Canada Geese, Arctic Foxes, Arctic Hares and Barren-Ground Caribou.