Uummannaq is a picturesque island and town in the Qaasuitsup municipality, in northwestern Greenland, located 590 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, and home to the most prominent mountain on the Arctic coast of western Greenland. The entire landscape of the island is dominated by the twin peaks of the 1,170-meters high granite mountain, also named Uummannaq, that occupies almost the entire northern half of the island. The word Uummannaq means “hear-shaped” in Greenlandic, and refers to the twin-peaked mountain that is shaped like a heart. The mountain is a landmark of Greenland and a tourist magnet.

Uummannaq Island is home to one of the most northerly towns in Greenland. The sun never drops below the horizon for nearly three months in summer, and winter brings months of darkness. The town of 1,200 people lies on the southern tip of the island and consist mostly of fishermen and hunters. There is also a canning factory and a marble quarry. The town is also home to a few researchers and scientists that use Uummannaq as a base to conduct field research on nearby outlet glaciers that drain the Greenland Ice Sheet.

Photo credit