The island of Hans is an uninhabited island in the center of the Kennedy Strait (part of the Nares Strait). The area of the island is 1.3 km². It was named after Hans Hendrik, a famous Danish explorer of Greenland, who lived in the second half of the 19th century.
The island of Hans is located exactly in the middle of the Nares Strait, 35 kilometers wide. The strait separates Greenland (belongs to Denmark) and the Canadian province of Nunavut. According to the international law, the boundary of territorial waters passes in 22,2 km from the coast. It so happened that the island of Hans fell into both Canadian and Danish territorial waters. For this reason, a dispute arose between the two countries.
In 1933, the Permanent Court of International Justice decided on the mapping of the island in favor of Denmark. But this decision was forgotten in 1946, after the dissolved Chamber of Justice was replaced by the UN International Court of Justice.
In 1972-73, Canada and Denmark agreed on the demarcation of maritime boundaries in the Arctic, but the status of the island of Hans remained unresolved. The sea borders were established directly to the north and south of the island but did not affect the island itself. From time to time, politicians, military, international scientific teams of both countries, border guards come to the island. The latter lleaves a bottle of whiskey.
In 1984, the so-called "whiskey war" began between Denmark and Canada. Then the Danish Minister for Greenland Affairs visited the island and left on him a bottle of schnapps under the sign "Welcome to the Danish land!" Canadians cheerfully supported the tradition. "After them we find a bottle of whiskey and a sign" Welcome to Canada! "
When the Danish border guards come to the island, they leave a bottle of schnapps for the Canadians. Canadians for their part bring a bottle of Canadian Club Whiskey for the Danes.
Relations a little aggravated July 13, 2005, when Canadian troops landed on the island of Hans, erected inuksuk (stone sculpture) and raised the national flag. A week later, the Canadian Defense Minister Bill Graham visited the island. Denmark protested, in which the island of Hans was declared "part of the Danish territory," and lodged a complaint about the "uncoordinated visit of the Canadian minister."
In 2012, Canada and Denmark completed negotiations on oil exploration and fishing rights in the Baffin Sea. However, the area around the island was not affected. Then Canada proposed to divide the island of Hans in half, but the Danes did not support the idea.