6. Epidemics and Demographic Shifts
European contact introduced diseases like smallpox to Greenland, leading to devastating epidemics among the Inuit population. Historical records indicate that a smallpox outbreak in the 18th century reduced the population from 8,000 to 6,000. The World Health Organization describes smallpox as an acute contagious disease caused by the variola virus, with fatality rates up to 30% (who.int). These epidemics caused significant population declines and profound social disruptions, altering Greenlandic demographics and societal structures.
