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Nuuk
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Katuaq Nuuk, Greenland Map showing the location of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, on the island's southwest coast. Surrounding regions include Canada to the west, Alaska to the northwest, Iceland to the east, and the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. An inset in the upper left highlights the broader Arctic region. Nuuk, Greenland
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Also spelled:
Nûk
Danish:
GodthÄb
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Katuaq
Katuaq Katuaq, the cultural center of Greenland, in Nuuk.

Nuuk

Greenland
Also known as: GodthÄb, Nûk
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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‱History

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Trump's plans for expanded U.S. presence in Greenland • Nov. 6, 2026, 3:31 PM ET (Newsweek)
Nuuk, Greenland
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Nuuk, Greenland
Map showing the location of Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, on the island's southwest coast. Surrounding regions include Canada to the west, Alaska to the northwest, Iceland to the east, and the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. An inset in the upper left highlights the broader Arctic region.
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Nuuk, Greenland

Nuuk, capital and main port of Greenland, on the southwestern coast, near the mouth of the GodthĂ„b Fjord, an inlet of the Davis Strait, and the mountain landmarks Sermitsiaq (“Saddle Island”) and Hjortetakken (“Deer Antlers”). The modern town dates from 1721, when Hans Egede, a Norwegian missionary, founded a colony near the site of Vesterbygden, a 10th-century Norse settlement. Nuuk is the seat of the Parliament (Landsting) and Supreme Court and has foreign consulates, a university, vocational training schools, a hospital, and radio and television stations. Important economic activities include government administrative work, education, health care, and other services, as well as hunting, fishing, fish and shrimp processing, and shipbuilding and repair. Flights link Nuuk with other towns in Greenland and with the airport at Kangerlussuaq, which has connecting flights to Copenhagen. Pop. (2022 est.) 19,261.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Jeff Wallenfeldt.
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