Kangilinnguit
Encyclopedia
Kangilinnguit is a settlement and a naval base in the Sermersooq
municipality, located at the mouth of Arsuk Fjord in southwestern Greenland
. The settlement had 160 inhabitants in 2010, most of whom are Danish Navy
personnel, attached to Island Command Greenland headquarters. A road, roughly 5 kilometers long, between Kangilinnguit and Ivittuut
make them the only towns in Greenland
connected by roads.
during the Second World War to protect the highly strategic cryolite
quarry in the former settlement of Ivittuut
. The U.S. Navy turned the base over to the Danish Navy in August 1951. During the early years of the Cold War
, the base was used by anti-submarine warfare
(ASW) ships of NATO, which tracked Soviet Navy
submarine
s in the North Atlantic.
Since at least the mid-1990s, the Danish Navy has proposed saving money by the headquarters staff of Island Command Greenland out of isolated Grønnedal, relocating most of the 65 to either the Greenlandic capital at Nuuk
, or, bring them back to Aarhus
in Jutland
. However, the Greenlandic government has successfully lobbied to keep the command intact, in order to boost the local economy.
Under the terms of the "2010-2014 Danish Defense Agreement" approved by the Danish parliament on 24 June 2009, the Greenland Command will absorb the (nearly defunct) Faroe Island Command
. It is unknown whether the combined command will retain the name Greenland Command, or, change to some variant of North Atlantic Command.
Sermersooq
Sermersooq is a new municipality in Greenland, operational from 1 January 2009. It is home to Nuuk , the capital of Greenland, and is the most populous municipality in the country, with 21,232 inhabitants as of January 2010...
municipality, located at the mouth of Arsuk Fjord in southwestern Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
. The settlement had 160 inhabitants in 2010, most of whom are Danish Navy
Royal Danish Navy
The Royal Danish Navy is the sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force. The RDN is mainly responsible for maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese territorial waters...
personnel, attached to Island Command Greenland headquarters. A road, roughly 5 kilometers long, between Kangilinnguit and Ivittuut
Ivittuut
Ivittuut, was a municipality , located on the coast of Arsuk fjord in southern Greenland. With an area of just 100 km² , it was the smallest municipality of Greenland, bordering on the former Narsaq municipality in the north, east, and south, and on the west by the Labrador Sea...
make them the only towns in Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
connected by roads.
History
Kangilinnguit was founded as 'Green Valley' by the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during the Second World War to protect the highly strategic cryolite
Cryolite
Cryolite is an uncommon mineral identified with the once large deposit at Ivigtût on the west coast of Greenland, depleted by 1987....
quarry in the former settlement of Ivittuut
Ivittuut
Ivittuut, was a municipality , located on the coast of Arsuk fjord in southern Greenland. With an area of just 100 km² , it was the smallest municipality of Greenland, bordering on the former Narsaq municipality in the north, east, and south, and on the west by the Labrador Sea...
. The U.S. Navy turned the base over to the Danish Navy in August 1951. During the early years of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, the base was used by anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
(ASW) ships of NATO, which tracked Soviet Navy
Soviet Navy
The Soviet Navy was the naval arm of the Soviet Armed Forces. Often referred to as the Red Fleet, the Soviet Navy would have played an instrumental role in a Warsaw Pact war with NATO, where it would have attempted to prevent naval convoys from bringing reinforcements across the Atlantic Ocean...
submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s in the North Atlantic.
Since at least the mid-1990s, the Danish Navy has proposed saving money by the headquarters staff of Island Command Greenland out of isolated Grønnedal, relocating most of the 65 to either the Greenlandic capital at Nuuk
Nuuk
Nuuk, is the capital of Greenland, the northernmost capital in North America and the largest city in Greenland. Located in the Nuup Kangerlua fjord, the city lies on the eastern shore of the Labrador Sea and on the west coast of Sermersooq. Nuuk is the largest cultural and economic center in...
, or, bring them back to Aarhus
Aarhus
Aarhus or Århus is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark...
in Jutland
Jutland
Jutland , historically also called Cimbria, is the name of the peninsula that juts out in Northern Europe toward the rest of Scandinavia, forming the mainland part of Denmark. It has the North Sea to its west, Kattegat and Skagerrak to its north, the Baltic Sea to its east, and the Danish–German...
. However, the Greenlandic government has successfully lobbied to keep the command intact, in order to boost the local economy.
Under the terms of the "2010-2014 Danish Defense Agreement" approved by the Danish parliament on 24 June 2009, the Greenland Command will absorb the (nearly defunct) Faroe Island Command
Island Command Faroes
Island Command Faroes is the military unit on the Faroe Islands. It is the military command of the Faroe Islands, the Faroe Islands airspace and the Faroe Islands territorial waters...
. It is unknown whether the combined command will retain the name Greenland Command, or, change to some variant of North Atlantic Command.
Population
External links
- Website of the Greenland Command at Kangilinnguit
- arsukfjorden.gl − local web site with maps