Independence Fjord

Independence Fjord Independence Sound
Independence Fjord Location in Greenland
Location	Arctic
Coordinates	82°08′N 28°00′W / 82.133°N 28.000°W / 82.133; -28.000Coordinates: 82°08′N 28°00′W / 82.133°N 28.000°W / 82.133; -28.000
Ocean/sea sources	Wandel Sea
Basin countries	Greenland
Max. length	130 km (81 mi)
Max. width	16 km (9.9 mi)

Independence Fjord or Independence Sound is a large fjord or sound in the eastern part of northern Greenland. It is about 200 km (120 mi) long and up to 30 km (19 mi) wide. Its mouth, opening to Wandel Sea of the Arctic Ocean is located at 82°15′N 21°54′W / 82.250°N 21.900°W / 82.250; -21.900. Jørgen Brønlund Fjord is a smaller fjord branching northwest from Independence Fjord.

This fjord marks the northern boundary of King Frederick VIII Land. The Marie Sophie Glacier and the Academy Glacier have their terminus at the head of the fjord.Princess Thyra Island and Princess Margaret Island are two islands located at the confluence of Denmark Fjord and Independence Fjord.

In the area around the fjord are traces of two paleo-Eskimo cultures known as Independence I culture and Independence II culture after this fjord.

The area has been the subject of research since the beginning of the 20th century. The first notable research results about traces of human settlement have been published in 1911 by Christian Bendix Thostrup.

North of the fjord, in southern Peary Land, there are remains of dwellings with elliptical floor plan, built by Early Paleoeskimo Independence I culture. These people used tools made from rocks and bones, and subsisted from hunting wildlife like musk oxen and Arctic hares. Bones of musk oxen hunted down in Peary Land show that the area was inhabited at 2000 BC. The oldest discoveries are dated at 2400 BC. Discoveries of the time starting around 1800 BC until 1300 BC were mostly made south of Independence Fjord. It is unknown whether the Independence I culture vanished or the people moved south.