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Qaanaaq (Greenland, Denmark)

Qaanaap Kommunia, Thule

Last modified: 2020-02-16 by rob raeside
Keywords: qaanaaq | thule | avanersuaq | narwhale |
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image by Jan Oskar Engene, 24 October 2005



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Overview

Qaanaaq (officially Qaanaaq Kommunea) is the only municipality in North Greenland (in Inuit "Avanersuaq"). I draw the image by copying the seal that I found at www.qaanaaq.gl. It represents a white narwhale with a white four-pointed star in a blue field. If you want to have information and see pictures of Qaanaaq area, you can find it at www.turistqaanaaq.gl.
Fabio Facoetti, 24 July 2003

Photo of the city hall at www.turistqaanaaq.gl show only coat of arms but no flag. Therefore, this reported flag probably don't exist (yet?). For information about the Coat of Arms, see www.ngw.nl.
Dov Gutterman, 10 July 2004

I recently researched municipal flags in Greenland by correspondence with municipal authorities in Greenland. The results have just been published in the Fall 2005 issue of Nordisk Flaggkontakt, the journal of the Nordic Flag Society [joe05].
I managed to get confirmation from 15 of 18 municipalities all using the same flag model - the coat of arms on a white field (the colour white carries no symbolism). Qaanaaq is one of them. In response I was told that Qaanaaq adds the name of the municipality in black letters below the arms in their flag.
Jan Oskar Engene, 24 October 2005

Qaanaaq, Upenaviuq and Uummannaq have merged to form Avannaata Kommunia.
Valentin Poposki, 8 October 2019


Coat of Arms


image by Antonio Martins, 10 January 2006

The blazon of Thule/Qaanaaq (in NW Greenland) would be either: Azure, a narwhale hauriant, in honour point a four-pointed star argent.
According to discussions in rec.heraldry, narwhales are fish, when talking heraldry. The lack of hindlegs prevent them from being rampant and such, so it is hauriant.
Ole Andersen, 3 September 1999 and 2 January 2000