NUUK, Greenland - The taxis are Mercedes-Benzes. The local discotheque is called Manhattan. And Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End opened here two days earlier than in the United States. This is the modern face of Nuuk, the tiny capital of Greenland, which has 15,000 inhabitants and only a handful of traffic lights.

But for all its westernization and economic development, the fjord city and its denizens try their hardest to preserve their Greenlandic spirit. In the middle of the capital stands a statue of mythical Inuit character Kaassassuk wrestling with the Lord of Mighty Power a symbol of the will and strength of Greenland to take on any challenge.

The leader of the Home Rule government, Premier Hans Enoksen, only gives interviews in Greenlandic, using a translator even for Danish. Locals speak with great hope of the oil exploration projects off Greenlands west coast, which, if successful, could provide the island the funds it needs to wean itself off from yearly grants from Denmark and become independent.

But until the oil starts flowing and Nuuk becomes the Kuwait City of the Arctic, Santa Claus will have to continue to power his sled with reindeer.

Nuuk boasts the worlds largest letter box, and it belongs to Santa. Kids from all over the world send letters addressed simply to Santa Claus, North Pole, Greenland, and they end up here, at Santas Post Office, in a mailbox as big as a house. Its already about half-full, and the sign outside says it will not be emptied until Christmas.

Children play on Kaassassuks statue in downtown Nuuk. Santas mailbox in Nuuk. Photos by Gelu Sulugiuc, Reuters.