Ittoqqortoormiit

Ittoqqortoormiit

Ittoqqortoormiit, which was formerly known as Scoresbysund, is a settlement in the municipality of Sermersooq, in the eastern part of Greenland. The village is known as one of the most remote settlements on Earth. Its former name Scoresbysund comes from the English Arctic explorer and whaler William Scoresby, who explored the area as the first European in 1822. In the East Greenlandic dialect, the name Ittoqqortoormiit translates as " Big-House Dwellers". The wildlife of the region is well known, among them Polar Bears, Musk Oxen and seals. Ittoqqortoormiit was founded in 1925 by Ejnar Mikkelsen and about 80 Inuit settlers. They arrived on a ship called the Gustav Holm and settled about 400 kilometers south of the last known settlement of Inuit in northeast Greenland. The Danish colonizers encouraged the colonization of the region, and the settlers soon thrived on the hunting opportunities in the new area, which was rich in seals, walruses, narwhals, Polar Bears and Arctic Foxes. Previously, the area itself had been inhabited by a dense Inuit population, as evidenced by ruins and other archaeological remains. Tourism is becoming increasingly important, as the settlement is attractive to researchers and extreme Arctic expeditions both on land and at sea. Ittoqqortoormiit is Greenland's closest town to Iceland, and its ecosystem, hunting culture and remoteness attract increasing numbers of travelers, especially from Europe. A local company, Nanu Travel, is the owner of the only guesthouse in the village and organizes tours for visitors.