Godthaab

Godthaab is the former name of Nuuk, the capital and largest city of Greenland. The name Godthaab, meaning "Good Hope" in Danish, was given to the settlement by the Norwegian missionary Hans Egede when he founded it in 1728. He established the settlement as a place to bring Christianity to the Inuit population of Greenland. The city remained known as Godthaab for centuries, reflecting its Danish colonial past.

In 1979, as Greenland moved towards greater autonomy, the city's name was officially changed to Nuuk, its Greenlandic name, meaning "The Cape." This change was part of a broader effort to reclaim and promote Greenlandic language and culture. While the official name is Nuuk, the historical name Godthaab is still sometimes encountered, particularly in older contexts or when referring to the historical period of Danish rule. The city is situated on a peninsula near the mouth of the Nuup Kangerlua fjord and serves as the primary administrative, cultural, and economic center of Greenland.