Upernavik can be described as a land of contrasts: its 450 km from north to south encompasses huge climatic variations, with an arctic climate in the south and a high arctic climate in the north. The southern part is extremely fertile, with a covering of humus providing ideal conditions for the growth of heather, birch thickets and trees up to 2 metres in height.

The midnight sun and the polar night alternate in an annual cycle, with the midnight sun appearing from 12th May until 1st August, and the polar night extending from 4th November, when the sun peeps out for the last time until it appears again on 5th February. The shift from light to dark and vice versa does not occur suddenly; the days become markedly lighter or darker day by day.

Kommuneqarfik Upernavik consists of Upernavik Town itself and ten outlying settlements. The largest of these settlements is Kullorsuaq, with a population of 400, and the smallest is Tussaaq, with only one inhabitant registered.

In commercial terms, Kommuneqarfik Upernavik is a mixture of ancient hunter culture and high-tech fishing industry, with traditional dogsleds and modern snow scooters working side by side.