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Faroe Islands Tourism - Travel to Faroe Islands

        

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The population of the Faroe Islands is largely descended from Viking settlers who arrived in the 9th century. The islands have been connected politically to Denmark since the 14th century. A high degree of self-government was attained in 1948.

Table of contents

1 Geography 2 People 3 Government 4 Economy 5 Communications 6 Transportation 7 Military 8 Transnational Issues

Geography in Faroe Islands

Location

Northern Europe, island group between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Iceland to Norway

Geographic coordinates

62 00 N, 7 00 W

Map references

Europe

Area

total: 1,399 sq km
water: 0 sq km (some lakes and streams)
land: 1,399 sq km

Area - comparative

eight times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

1,117 km

Maritime claims

continental shelf: 200 NM or agreed boundaries or median line
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM or agreed boundaries or median line
territorial sea: 3 NM

Climate

mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy

Terrain

rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Slaettaratindur 882 m

Natural resources

fish, whales, hydropower

Land use

arable land: 2.14%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 97.86% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land

0 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards

NA

Environment - current issues

NA

Geography - note

archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one uninhabited island, and a few uninhabited islets; strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands

People in Faroe Islands

Population

46,011 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 22.3% (male 5,149; female 5,110)
15-64 years: 64% (male 15,650; female 13,801)
65 years and over: 13.7% (male 2,818; female 3,483) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate

0.74% (2002 est.)

Birth rate

13.74 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate

8.69 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate

2.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate

6.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 78.74 years
female: 82.21 years (2002 est.)
male: 75.28 years

Total fertility rate

2.27 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

Nationality

noun: Faroese (singular and plural)
adjective: Faroese

Ethnic groups

Scandinavian

Religions

Evangelical Lutheran

Languages

Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish

Literacy

definition: NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%
note: similar to Denmark proper

Government in Faroe Islands

Country name

conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Faroe Islands
local short form: Foroyar
local long form: none

Dependency status

part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1948

Government type

NA

Capital

Torshavn

Administrative divisions

none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 49 municipalities

Independence

none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

National holiday

Olaifest, 29 July

Constitution

5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)

Legal system

Danish

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Birgit KLEIS, chief administrative officer (since 1 November 2001)
election results: Anfinn KALLSBERG elected prime minister; percent of parliamentary vote - 52.8%
note: coalition of People's Party, Republican Party, and Home Rule Party
elections: the monarch is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the Faroese Parliament; election last held 30 April 1998 (next to be held no later than April 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister Anfinn KALLSBERG (since 15 May 1998)
cabinet: Landsstyri appointed by the prime minister

Legislative branch

unicameral Faroese Parliament or Logting (32 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis from the seven constituencies to serve four-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - Union Party 26%, Republican Party 23.7%, Social Democrats 20.9%, People's Party 20.8% Independence Party 4.4%, Center Party 4.2%; seats by party - Union Party 8, Republican Party 8, Social Democrats 7, People's Party 7, Independence Party 1, Center Party 1
note: election of 2 seats to the Danish Parliament was last held on 20 November 2001 (next to be held no later than November 2005); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 1, Union Party 1
elections: last held 30 April 2002 (next to be held no later than April 2006)

Judicial branch

none

Political parties and leaders

Center Party [Tordur NICALSEN]; Home Rule Party [Helena Dam a NEYSTABO]; Independence Party [leader NA]; People's Party [Oli BRECKMANN]; Republican Party [Finnabogi ISAKSON]; Social Democratic Party [Joannes EIDESGAARD]; Union Party [Edmund JOENSEN]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

International organization participation

NC, NIB

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Flag description

white with a red cross outlined in blue extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted toward the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)

Economy in Faroe Islands

Economy - overview

The Faroese economy has had a strong performance since 1994, mostly as a result of increasing fish landings and high and stable export prices. Unemployment is falling and there are signs of labor shortages in several sectors. The positive economic development has helped the Faroese Home Rule Government produce increasing budget surpluses which in turn help to reduce the large public debt, most of it owed to Denmark. However, the total dependence on fishing makes the Faroese economy extremely vulnerable, and the present fishing efforts appear in excess of what is a sustainable level of fishing in the long term. Oil finds close to the Faroese area give hope for deposits in the immediate Faroese area, which may eventually lay the basis for a more diversified economy and thus lessen dependence on Denmark and Danish economic assistance. Aided by a substantial annual subsidy (15% of GDP) from Denmark, the Faroese have a standard of living not far below the Danes and other Scandinavians.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $910 million (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $20,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 27%
industry: 11%
services: 62% (1999)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

5.1% (1999)

Labor force

24,250 (October 2000 )

Labor force - by occupation

fishing, fish processing, and manufacturing 33%, construction and private services 33%, public services 34%

Unemployment rate

1% (October 2000 )

Budget

revenues: $488 million
expenditures: $484 million, including capital expenditures of $21 million (1999)

Industries

fishing, fish processing, shipbuilding, construction, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate

8% (1999 est.)

Electricity - production

165 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 61%
hydro: 39%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption

153.45 million kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products

milk, potatoes, vegetables; sheep; salmon, other fish

Exports

$471 million f.o.b. (1999)

Exports - commodities

fish and fish products 94%, stamps, ships (1999)

Exports - partners

Denmark 32%, UK 21%, France 9%, Germany 7%, Iceland 5%, US 5% (1996)

Imports

$469 million c.i.f. (1999)

Imports - commodities

machinery and transport equipment 29%, consumer goods 36%, raw materials and semi-manufactures 32%, fuels, fish and salt (1999)

Imports - partners

Denmark 28%, Norway 26%, Germany 7%, UK 6% Sweden 5%, Iceland 4%, US (1999)

Debt - external

$64 million (1999)

Economic aid - recipient

$135 million (annual subsidy from Denmark) (1999)

Currency

Danish krone (DKK)

Currency code

DKK

Exchange rates

Danish kroner per US dollar - 8.418 (January 2002), 8.323 (2001), 8.083 (2000), 6.976 (1999), 6.701 (1998), 6.604 (1997)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use

24,851 (1999)

Telephones - mobile cellular

10,761 (1999)

Telephone system

general assessment: good international communications; good domestic facilities
domestic: digitalization was completed in 1998; both NMT (analog) and GSM (digital) mobile telephone systems are installed
international: satellite earth stations - 1 Orion; 1 fiber-optic submarine cable to the Shetland Islands, linking the Faroe Islands with Denmark and Iceland; fiber-optic submarine cable connection to Canada-Europe cable

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

26,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations

3 (plus 43 low-power repeaters) (September 1995)

Televisions

15,000 (1997)

Internet country code

.fo

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

2 (2000)

Internet users

3,000 (2000)

Transportation in Faroe Islands

Railways

0 km

Highways

total: 463 km
paved: 454 km
unpaved: 9 km (1999)

Waterways

none

Ports and harbors

Torshavn, Klaksvik, Tvoroyri, Runavik, Fuglafjordhur

Merchant marine

total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 100,951 GRT/139,396 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Denmark 3, Norway 1, United Kingdom 1 (2002 est.)
ships by type: cargo 2, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea passenger 1

Airports

1 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)

Military

Military branches

no regular indigenous military forces; small Police Force and Coast Guard are maintained

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of Denmark

Transnational Issues in Faroe Islands

Disputes - international

Faroese are considering proposals for full independence; Denmark dispute with Iceland over the Faroe Islands fisheries median line boundary of 200 NM; Denmark disputes with Iceland, the UK, and Ireland over the Faroe Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 NM

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