Aasiaat

Aasiaat (Greenlandic pronunciation: [aːsiaːt]), also known as Egedesminde, is a town in the Qeqertalik municipality in western Greenland, located on its namesake island in the heart of Aasiaat Archipelago at the southern end of Disko Bay. With a population of 2,992 as of 2025, it is Greenland's fifth-largest town. In Greenlandic, Aasiaat means "Spiders" (Danish: Edderkopper). The exact explanation for this is yet to be determined because of the lack of historical facts of the origin of the name. The most common assumption is that when the town was founded as a settlement, spiders were abundant. Alternatively it might be a relic of Inuit mythology, wherein spiders bring good luck. Similar to the rest of Greenland, spiders are rarely seen in the town. Aasiaat is sometimes referred to as the Town of the Whales, since marine mammals, such as whales and seals, are a common sight. 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.