The 'Free Hans Island' meme stems from the long-standing, tongue-in-cheek territorial dispute between Canada and Denmark over a tiny, uninhabited rock located in the Nares Strait. Known as the 'Whiskey War,' the conflict involved soldiers from both nations visiting the island to swap flags and leave behind bottles of Canadian whiskey or Danish schnapps. The 'Free' movement satirizes traditional independence slogans by applying them to a barren rock where the only 'casualties' are empty liquor bottles. It is widely used by history and geography buffs to joke about international relations, polite warfare, and the absurdity of border conflicts between peaceful nations.