Why is there a big Denmark next to Canada?

Canada is a North American country. Although Denmark is a small country in Europe, it owns Greenland, the largest island in the world. Denmark owns Greenland, which is inseparable from the plundering of its ancestors, the Vikings. The Vikings are a branch of the ancient Germanic people who lived in Northern Europe. The local climate is severely cold most of the year and the living conditions are harsh. In order to survive and develop in such harsh conditions, some Nordic residents drove ships out to plunder. These were the "Vikings" who terrified the entire European continent. During the 10th century AD, the Vikings accidentally discovered the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland and other places during their raids.

In the 11th century AD, the Vikings occupied Greenland, which was considered the first time Europeans reached the Americas.

▲The Vikings plundered and discovered the Faroe Islands, Greenland and other places

In the process of plundering, the Vikings came into contact with advanced Christian civilization. Different Viking states were formed - Denmark (expanding west and south), Norway (raiding north) and Sweden (raiding east).

Among them, Denmark, which expanded to the west and south, was the first to establish a feudal country and became the most powerful among the Viking countries.

Relying on its strong strength, Denmark took Greenland as its own in the 16th century AD.

▲The Danish Empire in History

Greenland has a high latitude, low temperature, and severe cold all year round. From the time when the Vikings discovered Greenland in the 10th century to the 15th century, the Vikings only established settlements in Greenland.

At that time, the Vikings' exploration of America was limited to their logbooks, and they knew little about the American continent west of the Atlantic Ocean. America and Europe remained isolated.

With the arrival of Columbus’s fleet in the 15th century, the relative isolation between the American continent and Europe was broken. European powers set off a frenzy to carve up the Americas. Britain and France occupied northern North America, and the competition between Britain and France in North America became increasingly fierce.

▲Britain and France carve up North America

From 1756 to 1763, Britain defeated France through the Seven Years' War and seized France's colonies in North America.

▲After the Seven Years' War between Britain and France, France's colonies in North America were cleared

In 1783, the 13 British North American colonies (the United States) became independent. The United States then targeted the British colonies in the north (Canada) for expansion.

In order to prevent Canada from being annexed by the United States, the United Kingdom gave Canada autonomous status. At this time, Canada covered an area of ??only 1 million square kilometers.

In order to counter the United States, Britain gave most of its northern North America, the Northwest Territories and British Columbia to Canada.

Canada’s area has increased from 1 million square kilometers to more than 9 million square kilometers (Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949), changing from an Atlantic country to a country spanning three oceans.

After Canada obtained the Arctic Ocean coastline, it became closer and closer to Denmark's Greenland.

▲After Canada (Brown) merged the Hudson's Bay Company, the Northwest Company and the Province of British Columbia, the area expanded

But the area around the Nares Strait between Canada and Greenland The geographical conditions are harsh and people know little about it.

This situation was broken in the 1850s. From 1850 to 1874, Canadian explorers crossed the Nares Strait and began their exploration of the Arctic.

Among them, the island located in the middle of the strait is named after the explorer Hans Hendrick - Hans Island.

▲Hans-Hendrik

As the exploration progresses, the face of the Nares Strait is gradually revealed.

Dispute between Denmark and Canada

After occupying Greenland in the 16th century, Denmark sent a governor-general to garrison Greenland. The Nares Strait is regarded by Denmark as its own territorial waters and foreigners are not allowed to interfere.

After entering the 20th century, with the improvement of polar exploration technology, more and more polar explorers crossed the Nares Strait to explore the passage into the Arctic.

▲Arctic Expedition

Canada has organized expedition teams to enter here many times. The activities of many countries in the Nares Strait have caused dissatisfaction in Denmark.

From 1920 to 1923, the Danish organization drove the "Celebration Expedition" to accurately map the entire area of ??the northern coast of Greenland from Cape York (Perlernerit, Kap York) to Danmarks Fjorden (Danmarks fjorden) . Denmark has also begun to march towards the Arctic. The Nares Strait islands have become an area of ??contention between the two countries.

▲Nares Strait

Canada believes that the islands near the Nares Strait were first discovered by Canadian expeditions, and Canada should occupy all the islands near the strait.

Denmark believes that as early as the 11th century AD, the Vikings, the ancestors of the Danes, had discovered Greenland and arrived near the Nares Strait. Denmark had established rule in Greenland as early as the 16th century. Therefore, the islands in the Nares Strait should belong to Denmark.

▲ Legend has it that the Vikings arrived in the Americas earlier than Columbus

According to the definition of territorial sea under international law at the time, it was generally defined as 3 kilometers, and the islands in the Nares Strait were 3 kilometers away from their respective continents. All are 3 kilometers away.

After World War II, Denmark still occupied Greenland. In 1953, Greenland became a state of Denmark. Competition among Arctic nations is becoming increasingly fierce.

The Soviet Union is the only Eastern Bloc country in the Arctic. As the conflict between the Eastern and Western camps became acute. Canada and Denmark, as Western bloc countries, joined NATO to fight against the Soviet Union.

▲Canada and Denmark were the first to join NATO

The post-war period was also a period of collapse of the colonial system. A large number of Asian and African countries became independent from their mother countries. In order to defend the right to development, more and more emerging countries have proposed a 12-nautical mile territorial sea line.

This proposal was supported by the United Nations. In 1973, the 12-nautical mile territorial sea received the support of the United Nations and was included in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

According to this division, the islands east of the Nares Strait - Franklin Island and Crozier Island, close to Greenland, were assigned to Denmark.

However, Hans Island is located exactly on the dividing line. Although the island has always been an uninhabited desert island, it guards the main route into and out of the Arctic.

▲Hans Island in the middle of the strait

The issue of Hans Island has been hotly contested. Because the area is small and it is an uninhabited island without animals or vegetation. Sovereignty of the islands was temporarily suspended.

In 1979, Greenland gained a high degree of autonomy, but its national defense was still in the hands of Denmark.

▲Greenland Autonomy

Canada and Denmark are both NATO members. In order not to affect the alliance, it was decided to shelve the dispute.

In the 1980s, Canada and Denmark signed an agreement on the joint settlement of the Nares Strait and the environment in the Arctic region, and jointly developed and protected the area.

The governments and private individuals of the two countries have adopted alternative methods to resolve island disputes. In 1984, Canadian soldiers landed on Hans Island. The Canadian flag was planted on the island to declare sovereignty, and Canadian whiskey was buried on the island, which angered Denmark.

▲Canada landed on the island

In 1984, the then Danish Minister of Greenland landed on Hans Island, removed the Canadian flag and planted the Danish flag to declare sovereignty. Danish gin was also buried here to declare sovereignty. A slogan was written on it: "Welcome to the Danish island."

▲Denmark's landing on the island

The two countries planted their flags on each other and buried their domestic wine in the Hans Island declares sovereignty. It lasted for nearly half a century and was called the "Whiskey War" and "The Friendliest War" by later generations.

Border Delimitation

With the discovery of diamond and other mineral resources on Hans Island, both sides have repeatedly declared their sovereignty by landing on the island and planting their flags.

▲Minerals discovered on the islands

In recent years, the climate has warmed and navigation times in the Arctic have become longer. The agreement signed by the two parties in 1973 can no longer resolve the current dispute. Influenced relations between Canada, Denmark and Greenland.

▲The Arctic route is increasingly important. Denmark is also one of the Arctic countries because it owns Greenland.

In November 2012, Danish Foreign Minister Serfin Dahl and Canadian Foreign Minister Baird signed an agreement. The delimitation agreement clearly demarcates the boundaries between the two countries in the Arctic Ocean. Replacing the demarcation agreement signed in 1973.

The new agreement avoids Hans Island, but provides favorable conditions for further settlement of Hans Island.

Since then, the two sides have been negotiating for nearly 10 years. In 2018, Canada and Denmark established a special working group to evaluate and focus on resolving the Hans Island dispute.

Finally, Canada and Denmark reached an agreement on how to divide Hans Island on June 14, 2022.

Under the new agreement reached between Canada and Denmark, Hans Island was divided into two parts according to the ravine on the island. Denmark occupies approximately 60% of the land east of the ravine.

Canada obtained 40% of the land on Hans Island. Canada and Denmark have drawn a 1-kilometer-long border on the island.

▲Denmark and Canada divide Hans Island

At this point, the struggle for the ownership of Hans Island has come to an end for the time being. Canada assigned the Canadian portion of Hans Island to Nunavut, and Denmark assigned the portion it controlled to its overseas territory, Greenland.

According to the agreement, Inuit people from Canada and Greenland can freely enter and exit Hans Island.

▲Inuit (Eskimos) are distributed in northern Canada and Greenland

Although Hans Island is an uninhabited island, the division of the island has epoch-making significance. The island (1.3 square kilometers) replaces St. Maarten (86 square kilometers, owned by France and the Netherlands) and becomes the smallest island in the world divided between the two countries.

In addition, the establishment of a border between Canada and Denmark also gives Canada another land neighbor, Denmark, in addition to the United States.

This is the first time in Canada’s history that it has a land border with a country outside the North American continent. It is also an important case in the world in which national territorial sovereignty issues were resolved through negotiation.