Archaeological finds at Semermiut, near Ilulissat, show that the area was inhabited by
Inuit peoples from prehistoric times, with evidence of
Saqqaq settlement around 1500 BC and
Dorset occupation from about 300 AD. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Dutch whalers traded extensively with the local population and referred to the area as Maklykout, a name now thought to be a corruption of the Greenlandic magdliukait (“tidal wave”). The town was established as a trading post by
Jacob Severin's company in 1741; it was named in his honor after the
Battle of Jacobshavn, in which Danish forces defeated the Dutch whalers.
Ilulissat Declaration The town was the site of the
Arctic Ocean Conference in May 2008. The joint meeting between
Canada, Denmark,
Norway,
Russia, and the
United States was held to discuss key issues relating to
territorial claims in the Arctic (particularly
Hans Island — eventually settled in 2022 — and
Arktika 2007) and
Arctic shrinkage produced by
climate change. The Ilulissat Declaration arose from the conference. It stated that the law of the sea provided for important rights and obligations concerning the delineation of the outer limits of the
continental shelf, the protection of the marine environment (including ice-covered areas), freedom of navigation, marine scientific research, and other uses of the sea. It also said that it remained committed to this legal framework and to the orderly settlement of any possible overlapping claims. With this existing legal framework providing a solid foundation for responsible management, there was no need to develop a new comprehensive international legal regime to govern the Arctic Ocean. The states involved would continue the developments within the Arctic Ocean and continue to implement appropriate measures to further said developments.
Hotel Ilulissat fire On 7 March 2021 at 20.12 (local time), a major fire broke out in Hotel Ilulissat, which at the time was still under construction. The fire and smoke was seen throughout the city. Police asked everyone in the area to stay home and keep their windows closed, until the fire fighters ended the fire. The police in
Nuuk are to start an investigation. Not long after the fire fighters arrived, a gas cylinder exploded. The explosion was heard throughout the city. ==Geography==