Hans Island ‘whisky war’ – described by some as a ‘pseudo-confrontation’ – ends after formal division agreed
Hans Island is uninhabited and has no mineral resources.Last modified on Tue 14 Jun 2022 16.05 BST
between Canada and Denmark – via Greenland’s home rule government – with Copenhagen claiming that geological evidence points to Hans Island being part of Greenland – a claim rejected by Ottawa.Canada and Denmark agreed in 1973 to create a border through Nares Strait, halfway between Greenland and. But they were unable to agree which country would have sovereignty over Hans Island, which lies about 1,100km south of the north pole.
Canadians then planted their own flag and left a bottle of Canadian brandy. Since then, the countries have in turns hoisted their flags and left bottles of various spirits in tit-for-tat moves.In 2002, Nana Flensburg was part of a Danish military crew that stood on the cliff to perform a flag-raising ceremony.