Tartupaluk (Hans Island)
Hans Island (Tartupaluk) is a high Arctic island in the Kennedy Channel of the Nares Strait, shared between the Canadian territory of Nunavut and the Danish autonomous republic of Greenland. The island is named after Hans Hendrik, whose native Greenlandic name was Suersaq. The island has likely been part of Inuit hunting grounds since the 14th century.
American and British expeditions studied the area where Hans Island is located from 1850 to 1880. These voyages were launched in reaction to the widespread hunt for the missing British explorer John Franklin, as well as in quest of the elusive Northwest Passage and/or reaching the North Pole.
In 1984, Canadian troops "provoked" Denmark by planting the Canadian flag and leaving a bottle of Canadian whiskey on the island. The same year, the Danish Minister of Greenland Affairs visited the island with the Danish flag, a bottle of Schnapps, and a message that said, "Welcome to the Danish Island." Following that, the two countries took turns placing their flags on the island and exchanged alcoholic beverages. Google advertising have also been used to "promote their claims." In 2005, both nations agreed on a mechanism to address the matter, which was eventually resolved in 2022.
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