2 countries have been fighting over an uninhabited island by leaving each other bottles of alcohol for over 3 decades
Creative Commons
The uninhabited, half square mile of land, possessing no apparent natural resources, is a bizarre sliver of territory for two countries to fight over.
However, since the early 1930s, this nondescript rock has been at the center of an ongoing disagreement between Canada and Denmark.
According to World Atlas, Hans Island is located in the middle of the 22 mile wide Nares Strait, which separates Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, from Canada. Due to international law, all countries have the right to claim territory within 12 miles of their shore.
As such, Hans Island is located technically in both Danish and Canadian waters. World Atlas notes that the island was decided to be Danish territory by the Permanent Court of International Justice of the League of Nations in 1933.
However, as the League of Nations fell apart in the 1930s and was then replaced by the United Nations, the ruling on the status of Hans Island carries little to no weight.
The issue of Hans Island then loss traction in popular consciousness and the concerns of the Canadian and Danish governments throughout World War II and the heights of the Cold War, only to reemerge into popular consciousness in 1984.
On that year, Denmark's minister of Greenland affairs visited the island and planted a Danish flag. At the base of the flag, he left a note saying "welcome to the Danish island" and a bottle of brandy, CBC reports.
And with that, the two countries have waged a not-quite-serious "whiskey war" over Hans Island.
Although the two countries have continued to disagree over the territorial status of the island, the governments have managed to continue the 'whiskey war' and keep a good sense of humor over the incident.
Peter Takso Jensen, the Danish Ambassador to the United States, has said that "when Danish military go there, they leave a bottle of schnapps. And when [Canadian] military forces come there, they leave a bottle of Canadian club and a sign saying, 'Welcome to Canada.'"
Currently, a plan is in the works that could turn Hans Island into a shared territory that could be jointly managed by the Canadian and Danish municipalities bordering it.
- I spent $2,000 for 7 nights in a 179-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my cabin.
- Colon cancer rates are rising in young people. If you have two symptoms you should get a colonoscopy, a GI oncologist says.
- Saudi Arabia wants China to help fund its struggling $500 billion Neom megaproject. Investors may not be too excited.
- Catan adds climate change to the latest edition of the world-famous board game
- Tired of blatant misinformation in the media? This video game can help you and your family fight fake news!
- Tired of blatant misinformation in the media? This video game can help you and your family fight fake news!
- JNK India IPO allotment – How to check allotment, GMP, listing date and more
- Indian Army unveils selfie point at Hombotingla Pass ahead of 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas
- JNK India IPO allotment date
- JioCinema New Plans
- Realme Narzo 70 Launched
- Apple Let Loose event
- Elon Musk Apology
- RIL cash flows
- Charlie Munger
- Feedbank IPO allotment
- Tata IPO allotment
- Most generous retirement plans
- Broadcom lays off
- Cibil Score vs Cibil Report
- Birla and Bajaj in top Richest
- Nestle Sept 2023 report
- India Equity Market