Hans Island is uninhabitable and only half-a-square-mile wide. So how did it become the center of a decades-long territorial debate?
, an Inuit guide, assisted on several of these missions and was nicknamed Hans Hendrik by expedition members. In 1872, explorers gave the tiny, inaccessible island his first name.In the 1970s, Canada and Denmark began squabbling over their Arctic boundaries and came to the negotiating table to resolve where exactly the maritime borders of both countries lie. Though Canada claimed it owned Hans Island, Denmark disagreed.
The gesture kicked off a silly “Whisky War” on Hans’ rocky shores, with competing flag-raisings and the burying of bottles of Danish and Canadian liquor. Conducted by both officials and civilians, the ritual has left “a sea of slightly tattered flags and notices” on the island,But the dispute had a serious side, especially given the threat of climate change, Arctic drilling, and Canadian military exercises in the region.
Referring to the “pressure” put on democratic society by violent territorial disputes—a clear nod to Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine—Kofod said the peaceful deal is an important step for the international community. “Diplomacy and the rule of law actually works,” said Kofod. “May this agreement inspire others to follow the same path.”
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