In one place Canada and Greenland are separated by only one small strait, in which there are small islands. The smallest of them - Hans - is in the middle and therefore is a disputed territory. Representatives of both countries visit Hans in turn to plant their flag.
History
Until 1984, there was no enmity towards Hans. In the 1930s, by decision of the League of Nations, the island was assigned to Denmark, but after World War II this became irrelevant.
In 1973, it was decided to determine the border between Canada and Iceland, but no agreement was reached, leaving this issue until better times. 10 years later, Canadian troops reached Hans, planted a Canadian flag there and left the whiskey. Thus, they said hello to their opponent.
The Greenlanders call the island Tartupaluk , however, the place received a more familiar name in honor of a traveler from Greenland, whose name was Hans Hendrik. The island was first mentioned in 1876, where the name Hans Island is indicated.
Equality of rights
Greenland and Ellesmere (the island of Canada in the north) are separated by the Kennedy Strait. Its width is approximately 36 kilometers. Hans Island is only 1.3 sq. km. - just over a kilometer in both directions. Nobody lives there: it's just a rock of stone in the cold sea. The strait is part of the Arctic Ocean.
The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea states: both countries can claim the island. It says that the state owns a part of the sea 22 km from the coast. It turns out that both countries fit the prescription: on both sides, the distance to Hans is 18 km. Although who needs an uninhabited deserted island where nothing even grows?
An ironic tradition
Apparently, it's a matter of principle. The Danes accepted the challenge and planted their own flag instead of the Canadian one. Taking the whiskey, they delivered Danish schnapps and a "welcome to the island of Denmark " note. By the way, this was done by the Prime Minister himself!
Since then, a tradition has arisen: representatives of both countries come to the island every few months to change their flag and alcohol. A logical question: where does the alcohol go? Maybe he drinks right on the spot, or maybe they take him with them. Moreover, no one cares where the flags go! If they are taken away, it is difficult to imagine how many flags have already accumulated on each side. It would be interesting to arrange a whole exhibition of them. The dispute about the territory has not yet been resolved, so the collection, apparently, is being replenished.
