Tasiilaq

Tasiilaq

Tasiilaq, previously known as Ammassalik and Angmagssalik, is a town located in Sermersooq municipality in southeastern Greenland, on the south coast of Ammassalik Island. It is the most populous community on the East Coast with a population of 1,985 in 2020. It is also the seventh largest town in Greenland. Sermilik Station is located close to the town. The station is dedicated to studying the nearby Mittivakkat glacier. The Ammassalik Island is 40 km long and between 19 and 32 km wide, with the highest point at 1,322 meters above sea level. Although Europeans landed in 1472, it was not until 1884 that the Danish explorer Gustav Holm began mapping the coast. In 1895, in order to provide the Greenlandic population with imported food and firearms for hunting, a trading and mission station was established. The town was originally named after a type of fish, known in Greenlandic as ammassat, which breeds in the coastal waters. Nowadays it is the administrative and educational center of southeast Greenland. Although fishing is limited, hunting is an important activity in the area, and tourism is a rapidly growing industry. The main summer activities are ice cave tours, ice climbing, glacier hiking, boat trips, whale watching and kayaking.