Canada and Denmark have agreed to partition a tiny, deserted, and unforested Arctic island, ending decades of amicable conflict called the "whisky war."

Under the terms of the agreement, a border will be drawn across Hans Island in the waterway between the semi-autonomous Danish region of Greenland's northeastern coast and Canada's Ellesmere Island.

The new agreement will also result in Canada sharing a land border with a country other than the United States.

Hans Island is a 1,300-square-kilometer rock in the Arctic sea passage that contains no mineral deposits. It is approximately 1,100 kilometers south of the North Pole.

Danish foreign minister Jeppe Kofod stated, "It sends a clear signal that it is possible to resolve border disputes in a pragmatic and peaceful manner in which all parties win."

He noted that it was "an important signal at a time when there is a great deal of war and unrest in the world."

The controversy dates back to 1973 when Canada and Denmark attempted to establish a border through the Nares Strait, midway between Canada and Greenland. However, they could not reach a consensus on which nation should have authority over Hans Island.

Over the years, the territorial issue became known as the "whisky war," even though the governments agreed to resolve the subject of ownership later.

In 1984, Denmark's minister of Greenland affairs, Tom Hyem, planted a Danish flag on the island, buried a bottle of Danish schnapps at the base of the flagpole, and wrote, "Welcome to the Danish island" on a note.

In retaliation, the Canadians planted their flag and left a bottle of Canadian brandy.

Since then, both nations have reportedly raised their flags and left empty liquor bottles as a tit-for-tat gesture.

After the completion of the two countries' internal procedures, the agreement will be implemented. In Denmark, the deal must first have parliamentary approval.

The president of Nunavut Tunngavik, the legal representative of the Inuit in Canada, Aluki Kotierk, praised the agreement.

"The dispute between Canada and Denmark regarding Tartupaluk or Hans Island has never posed a problem for Inuit." Regardless, it is encouraging to see Canada and Denmark taking steps to address this boundary disagreement, Ms. Kotierk said Globe and Mail in a statement.

"As geographical neighbors with familial ties, the Inuit of Nunavut and Greenland recognize the importance of collaborating toward our shared destiny. She stated that the NTI wants this long-standing link between Inuit in Nunavut and Greenland to symbolize ongoing cooperation between Canada and Denmark.