Aasiaat

Aasiaat or Ausiait, formerly Egedesminde, is a town in the Qaasuitsup municipality in western Greenland, located in the heart of Aasiaat Archipelago at the southern end of Disko Bay. With a population of 3,102 as of 2014, it is Greenland's fifth-largest town.

Archaeological projects in the region have suggested human habitation in the region that includes Aasiaat as far back as the 5th millennium BC. The earliest modern settlers dated to around 1200; these were probably subsistence hunters. These inhabitants hunted harp seals and capelin (ammassaat) near Sydøst Bay in the spring. In the summer, they moved to Nassuttooq for reindeer and halibut. During autumn, the people of Disko Bay returned home to hunt small harp seals. In the winter, the bay froze over, and they hunted narwhals and Beluga whales. These early people designed and built their own kayaks and umiaks when the water freed up; in the winter, they used dogsleds.

Fishing of shrimp and crabs, shipbuilding, and tourism are the primary economic activities of the region. The archipelago area offers many services for tourists, including kayaking, cross-country skiing, dogsledding, and whale-watching.

Aasiaat has several recurrent events which engages most of the habitants and visitors. "Maaji-mi Peqqissuusa" (let's stay healthy in May) is an arrangement with focus on activities which will improve ones health and is based on volunteer organizers.

Aasiaat Midnightsun Marathon takes place in late June with different distances with start/finish in the townsquare with live music.

Nipiaa Rock Festival is usually a 3 day long concert with various musicians. It is known as the best musical event in Greenland. The Rock Festival takes place in the Sportshall at the end of August/beginning of September.

Source: Wikipedia