Later the glaciers of the ice period restructured the original plateau, to an archipelago with high mountains, deep valleys and narrow fjords. The basalt covers older geological deposits, where the presence of hydro carbons cannot be dismissed. Plant and Animal Life Plants and vegetation growth are sparse, influenced by the islands' geographical location and climate. There are no true woods or forests, but grass is plentiful. There are some cattle and horses.
Animal life is also sparse, but there is a rich and varied bird life, especially seabirds.
The sea surrounding the Faroes is greatly influenced by the meeting between the warm Gulf stream current and the plankton-rich cold ocean currents from the North. This creates relatively stable sea temperatures, with excellent conditions for fish and animal life. The population at the end of 1995 was 44,400. With a population density of 31 per square kilometer, the Faroes have the second highest population density of the Nordic countries after Denmark. The Faroese settlement pattern is characterized by a large number of densely populated villages of varying size.