Faroe Islands

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The Faroe Islands (Faroese: Føroyar, Danish: Færøerne, meaning "Sheep Islands") are a group of islands in the north Atlantic Ocean between Scotland and Iceland. They are a territory of Denmark. Since 1948 they have had self-government in almost all matters except defence and foreign affairs.

Føroyar

() (Full Size)
Motto: None
Official language	Faroese, Danish
Capital	Torshavn
Monarch	Margrethe II
Prime Minister	Joannes Eidesgaard
Area  - Total  - % water	Ranked 189th 1,399 km² 0.0%
Population  - Total (2004)  - Density	Ranked 211th 48,228 33.1/km²
Independence	None (Danish dependency. Self governing since 1948.)
Currency	Danish krone
Time zone	UTC +0
National anthem	Tu alfagra land mitt
Internet TLD	.FO
Calling Code	298

Table of contents

1 History 2 Politics 3 Geography 4 Economy 5 Demographics 6 Culture 7 See also 8 External links

History

Main article: History of the Faroe Islands The early history of the Faroe Islands is not clear. It appears that about the beginning of the 9th century Grimur Kamban, a Norwegian emigrant who had left his country to escape the tyranny of Harald I of Norway, settled in the islands. Early in the 11th century Sigmund or Sigmundur Brestisson, whose family had flourished in the southern islands but had been almost exterminated by invaders from the northern, was sent from Norway, whither he had escaped, to take possession of the islands for Olaf Tryggvason, king of Norway. He introduced Christianity, and, though he was subsequently murdered, Norwegian supremacy was upheld, and continued till 1386, when the islands became part of the Kalmar Union and later the double monarchy Denmark-Norway. Denmark retained possession of the Faroe Islands at the Treaty of Kiel in 1815.

On April 12, 1940, 3 days after Denmark was invaded by Nazi Germany, the British occupied the Faroe Islands to prevent the Germans establishing outposts there.

Politics

Main article: Politics of the Faroe Islands A high degree of self-government was attained in 1948 and the Faroese are supported by a substantial annual subsidy from Denmark. The islanders are about evenly split between those favoring complete independence and those who prefer continued presence in the Danish state.

Geography

Main article: Geography of the Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands are an island group consisting of 18 islands, off the coast of Northern Europe, between the Norwegian Sea and the north Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Iceland to Norway. Its coordinates are 62 00 N, 7 00 W. It is 1,399 square kilometers in area, and includes no major lakes or rivers. There are 1,117 kilometers of coastline, and no land boundaries with any other country. The 18 islands are Fugloy, Svinoy, Borooy, Viooy, Kunoy, Kalsoy, Eysturoy, Streymoy, Vagar, Mykines, Hestur, Koltur, Nolsoy, Sandoy, Skuvoy, Stora Dimun, Litla Dimun and Suouroy. The only island that is uninhabited is Litla Dimun.

The Faroe Islands generally have cool summers and mild winters, with a usually overcast sky and frequent fog and heavy winds. The islands are rugged and rocky with some low peaks; the coasts are mostly bordered by cliffs. The lowest point is at sea level, and the highest is at Slaettaratindur, which is 882 meters above sea level.

Economy

Main article: Economy of the Faroe Islands After the severe economic troubles of the early 1990s, brought on by a drop in the vital fish catch, the Faroe Islands have come back in the last few years, with unemployment down to 5% in mid-1998. Nevertheless, the almost total dependence on fishing means the economy remains extremely vulnerable. The Faroese hope to broaden their economic base by building new fish-processing plants. Oil finds close to the Faroese area give hope for deposits in the immediate area, which may lay the basis to sustained economic prosperity.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of the Faroe Islands

Culture

Main article: Culture of the Faroe Islands The language is Faroese - more closely related to Icelandic than to Danish. The phrase "Faroe Islands" is tautological, since øerne or oyar means islands.

See also

• Communications in the Faroe Islands
• Transportation in the Faroe Islands
• Military of the Faroe Islands

External links

• Prime Minister's Office - Official site
• Visit Faroe Islands - Official tourist site
• Faroe Islands - CIA World Factbook 2003