Ilulissat Icefjord
Ilulissat Icefjord is the first site in Greenland and one of the first in the Arctic, to be included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List amongst numerous other world famous localities. The formal approval of the Ilulissat Isfjord area for inclusion on the prestigious list took place at the 28th meeting of the World Heritage Committee in the summer of 2004.
The Ilulissat Icefjord site is situated in the bottom of Disko Bugt, in the central part of western Greenland. In addition to the icefjord, which is named Kangia, the world heritage site comprises surrounding land areas and a part of the Greenland ice sheet. The site covers an area of 4024 square kilometres.
The Ilulissat Icefjord site is noted for its unique glaciological characteristics and its scenic beauty. The spectacular icebergs that fill the fjord derive from the ice stream at the head of the fjord, Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the fastest moving and most productive glacier in Greenland. In addition to its direct beauty, the area also contains several of Greenland’s most important cultural sites. At the mouth of the icefjord lies the archaeological site Sermermiut, where the earliest settlement was established 4400 years ago. It is the rich marine life of the icefjord that has supported the existence of a succession of cultures for thousands of years, and fishing is still today the most important commercial activity in Ilulissat. In recent years, due to the unique scenic attraction of the area, tourism has grown to become the second most important business activity.
The stunning beauty of the Ilulissat region is due to the unique combination of the enormous production of icebergs from Sermeq Kujalleq at the head of Kangia and the presence of Isfjeldsbanken (the ‘iceberg bank’), the threshold across the mouth of the fjord where the icebergs run aground. An unending drama of changing forms, colours and sounds is created as the icebergs melt, collapse and collide with each other.
Further information and photos from the book