Godthaab

By the late 1970s, the capital was called Nuuk and no longer Godthaab, its official name for well over two centuries.

It was visited by whalers, chiefly Dutch, but nothing in the form of permanent European settlements was established until the year 1721, when the first missionary, the Norwegian clergyman Hans Egede, landed, and established a settlement near Godthaab.

Other settlers followed and in a few years two colonies had been formed, one called �sterbygd in the present district of Julianehaab comprising later about 190 farms, and another called Vesterbygd farther north on the west coast in the present district of Godthaab, comprising later about 90 farms.

In order to meet the double purposes of government and trade the west coast, up to nearly 74� N., is divided into two inspectorates, the southern extending to 67� 40′ N., the northern comprising the rest of the country; the respective seats of government being at Godthaab and Godhavn.

On land reindeer were formerly hunted, to their practical extinction in the south, but in the districts of Godthaab, Sukkertoppen and Holstensborg there are still many reindeer.