What do the military forces of Canada and Denmark do to assert their national sovereignty during the ongoing dispute over the possession of Hans Island?
Question #148287. Asked by unclerick.
Last updated Feb 10 2021.
Originally posted Feb 09 2021 8:10 PM.
AyatollahK
Answer has 5 votes
Currently Best Answer
AyatollahK 18 year member
717 replies
Answer has 5 votes.
Currently voted the best answer.
Unlike most military disputes over sovereignty, this one has gone on long enough (and with low enough stakes) to become funny. According to a lawyer at the Danish Foreign Ministry, who discussed this in the book "Who Owns the Arctic? Understanding Sovereignty Disputes in the North" by Michael Byers, Danish forces claim the island by leaving a bottle of schnapps there when they visit. And Canadian forces leave a bottle of Canadian Club and a sign reading "Welcome to Canada". https://books.google.com/books?id=XGjutK8lFeUC&q=bottle#v=snippet&q=bottle&f=false