Nuuk

Nuuk (nk), formerly Godthåb (gôt`hôp), town (1996 pop. 12,882), Nuuk dist., W Greenland, on the Godthåbfjord. The largest town and capital of Greenland, it is the seat of the national council and of the supreme court, and it has foreign consulates. Nuuk also has radio stations and newspapers, is a fishing center, and has oil and liquid gas storage facilities. An airfield was built there in the late 1970s. The town was founded in 1721 by Hans Egede, a Norwegian missionary. The Godthåbfjord region has fine pastures and supports reindeer herds. At the head of the fjord are the remains of Vesterbygd, a 10th-century Norse settlement.

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Nuuk

 or Godthåb

City (pop., 2000 est.: 13,838), capital of Greenland. Located on the southwestern coast near the mouth of Godthåb Gulf, it is Greenland's main port. The modern city dates from 1721, when a Norwegian missionary founded a colony near the site of Vesterbygden, a 10th-century Norse settlement. It is the seat of the parliament and supreme court and has foreign consulates, a teachers' college, and research stations. Government administration, hunting, fishing, and farming are the main occupations. Most transportation is by boat or helicopter.