Canada and Denmark settle decades-old ‘whiskey war’ over Arctic island
- The two sides agreed to split Hans Island, a tiny uninhabited outcrop, effectively creating the first land border between Canada and Europe
- The deal ends a largely good-natured dispute fought since 1973 with weapons like flags and bottles of alcohol
Canada and Denmark on Tuesday finally settled the largely good-natured “whiskey war” that was fought for decades with weapons such as flags and bottles of alcohol over a tiny, barren, and uninhabited outcrop in the Arctic.
The two sides formally announced a deal to split Hans Island and effectively create the first land border between Canada and Europe at a signing ceremony in Ottawa with Canadian and Danish foreign ministers.
Dividing up the kidney-shaped island and resolving the 49-year-old benign impasse was held up as a model for peacefully resolving territorial disputes – contrasted with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“The Arctic is a beacon for international cooperation, where the rule of law prevails,” Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said.
“As global security is being threatened, it’s more important than ever for democracies like Canada and Denmark to work together, alongside Indigenous peoples, to resolve our differences in accordance with international law.”
The waggish row over the 1.3 square km (0.5 square mile) Hans Island, which sits between Ellesmere and Greenland, dated back to 1973, when a marine boundary was drawn between Canada and Greenland, part of the Danish kingdom.