Nuuk is the capital and largest city of Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. It serves as the center of government, culture, and economy for Greenland, as well as the administrative hub of the Sermersooq municipality. As of January 2025, Nuuk had a population of 20,113, accounting for more than a third of Greenland’s total population. Despite this, it remains one of the world’s smallest capital cities by population. The city is known for its modern infrastructure and development.
Nuuk was established in 1728 by Hans Egede, a Dano-Norwegian missionary, after relocating from the Hope Colony (Haabets Koloni), which he had founded in 1721. Governor Claus Paarss was also involved in the move. The new settlement was built on the site of the Inuit village of Nûk and was initially named Godthaab, meaning "Good Hope." The name "Nuuk" comes from the Greenlandic word for "cape" and is commonly used in Greenlandic place names. The city is situated at the end of the Nuup Kangerlua fjord along the eastern coast of the Labrador Sea. At a latitude of 64°11' N, Nuuk is the northernmost capital in the world, positioned slightly farther north than Reykjavík, Iceland. In 1979, when Greenland gained home rule, the responsibility for place names shifted to Greenlandic authorities, who favored using Greenlandic names over Danish ones. Over the following two decades, the name Godthåb largely fell out of use.
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