Denmark, Canada Resolve Dispute Over Arctic Isle

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.