Municipality Qeqertalik, located north of the Arctic Circle, covers a small part of the northwestern part of Greenland with an area of approximately 57,500 square kilometers. The municipality is one of the smallest in the country in terms of area and has a coastline of approximately 7,850 km, where the municipality's towns and settlements are located.
Although the majority of the municipality is covered by the Greenland Ice Sheet, there is considerable variation in climate as well as in fauna and vegetation from north to south. There are also significant differences in the length of the polar night and the period of the midnight sun. The Arctic climate means that the sea is frozen for most years from December until April/May. Consequently, maritime transport is not possible in large parts of the municipality during this period, and the transport of goods and passengers must therefore take place by air. In addition to the natural variations, there is also considerable diversity in culture and dialect across the municipality.
The Main Structure is based on the planning strategy and the Municipal Council’s visions for the development of the municipality. It contains a description of the overall characteristics and structures of the Municipality of Qeqertalik considered as a whole, including the settlement pattern, business structure and infrastructure, as well as key functions within education and public service provision, etc. The Main Structure is intended both to provide a description of the current situation and to outline how it is envisaged to develop in the future.
The physical structures are planned in close coordination with trends in population development as well as developments in settlement patterns and the labour market, in order to ensure the best possible conditions for an appropriate and sustainable development – including with regard to climate change.
