Eqalugaarsuit (old spelling: ''Eqalugârssuit'') is a settlement in the

Kujalleq Kujalleq (Greenlandic language, Greenlandic: , ) is a municipality on the southern tip of Greenland, operational from 1 January 2009. The administrative center of the municipality is in Qaqortoq (formerly called Julianehåb). Creation The munic ...

municipality in southern Greenland, located southeast of

Qaqortoq Qaqortoq (), also known as Julianehåb, is the capital city of the Kujalleq municipalities of Greenland, municipality in southern Greenland, located near Cape Thorvaldsen. With a population of 3,050 in 2020, it is the most populous town in sout ...

and northwest of

Alluitsup Paa Alluitsup Paa (old spelling prior to the orthography reform in 1973: ''Agdluitsup pâ'') is a village in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. Alluitsup Paa had 202 residents in 2020. Presently, the community's religious activities ...

. It had a population of 49 in 2020. Until January 2009, the settlement — along

Qassimiut Qassimiut, also known by its Danish name Bødker, is a settlement in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. The settlement was founded in 1835 as a trading station. With a population of 14 in 2024, it is the smallest organised, perma ...

and

Saarloq Saarloq is a settlement in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. Its population was 21 in 2020. It is located on a small island with the same name off the Labrador Sea coast, at the mouth of the Qaqortoq Fjord, west of Alluitsup Paa a ...

, as well as 13 sheep farms — belonged to the Qaqortoq municipality. On 1 January 2009 the settlement became part of the Kujalleq municipality, and the

Narsaq Narsaq ( Danish: ''Nordprøven'') is a town in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland. The name ''Narsaq'' is Kalaallisut for "Plain", referring to the shore of Tunulliarfik Fjord where the town is located. History People have liv ...

, and

Nanortalik Nanortalik (, ), formerly Nennortalik, is a town in Nanortalik Island, Kujalleq municipalities of Greenland, municipality, southern Greenland. With 1,072 inhabitants as of 2024, it is the List of cities and towns in Greenland, eleventh-largest ...

municipalities ceased to exist. The settlements are presently governed by a joint settlement council.

Economy

The main occupations in Eqalugaarsuit are hunting and fishing. There are currently plans of introducing

muskox The muskox (''Ovibos moschatus'') is a hoofed mammal of the family Bovidae. Native to the Arctic, it is noted for its thick coat and for the strong odor emitted by males during the seasonal rut, from which its name derives. This musky odor ha ...

to the surrounding area, as a source of food and traditional hide, called ''qiviut'', and as a tourist attraction.

Infrastructure

The settlement has two general stores, operated by KNI. There is also a

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

, a service house, and a home for the elderly. The settlement has its own school--''Daanialiup atuarfia''— with approximately 30 pupils. The school consists of three classrooms, a kitchen, and an office.Ilinniartitsisoq Report 2008
/ref> The settlement has its own

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

field. There are no cars in the settlement. The only form of motorized transportation is by tractors or 4-wheel-drive buggies. The settlement has a heliport. The

harbour A harbor (American English), or harbour (Commonwealth English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences), is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be Mooring, moored. The t ...

has a

wharf A wharf ( or wharfs), quay ( , also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more Berth (mo ...

, a

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Hamburg, Manch ...

, and a separate fishing

dock The word dock () in American English refers to one or a group of human-made structures that are involved in the handling of boats or ships (usually on or near a shore). In British English, the term is not used the same way as in American Engl ...

Population

Most towns and settlements in southern Greenland exhibit negative growth patterns over the last two decades, with many settlements rapidly depopulating. The population of Eqalugaarsuit has decreased nearly a third relative to the 1990 levels, and over 12 percent relative to the 2000 levels.

References

{{Authority control Populated places in Greenland Kujalleq