Denmark, Canada Resolve Dispute Over Arctic Isle
On Tues., Canada and Denmark signed an agreement to end a 49-year territorial dispute over Hans Island, which is located in the center of the border between Canada and Greenland - an autonomous territory of Denmark....
Facts
- On Tues., Canada and Denmark signed an agreement to end a 49-year territorial dispute over Hans Island, which is located in the center of the border between Canada and Greenland - an autonomous territory of Denmark.1
- The dispute began in 1973 when Canada and Denmark agreed to create a border through Nares Strait, halfway between the two nations, but couldn't agree on which country would have sovereignty over the island2
- In 1984, Denmark raised a Danish flag on the island and buried a bottle of Danish schnapps at the flagpole's base. Canadians then planted their own flag and left a bottle of Canadian brandy. This back and forth continued for years and the dispute was nicknamed the 'whisky war.'3
- Under the new agreement, a border will be drawn across the 1.3-square-km island, with about 60% going to Denmark and the rest to Canada.1
- The deal will take effect after each country completes its internal procedures. In Denmark, the parliament must first give its approval.3
Sources: 1New York Times, 2Forbes Advocate and 3Al Jazeera.
Narratives
- Narrative A, as provided by Washington Post. This is how you properly handle an international dispute. In a time when we have witnessed so much war and destruction, Canada and Denmark worked out the dispute through diplomacy and peaceful negotiations. This should send a message to the rest of the globe that taking up arms isn't always the answer.
- Narrative B, as provided by Guardian. The so-called 'whiskey war' was never really a conflict at all, but more of a diplomatic afterthought. The island has no mineral resources or anything else of interest, and the back-and-forth between the two nations was largely good-natured.
