Faroe Islands

The **Faroe Islands** or **Føroyar** (that meaning "Sheep Islands") are a group of eighteen islands in the north Atlantic Ocean between Scotland, Norway, and Iceland.

They are a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, but have had local (autocratic) rule since 1948, and people in the Faroe Islands have had the right to do business with people from all countries since 1856. Most government matters are controlled by the Faroese government, except for military defense. The Faroes have similarities to Iceland, Shetland, the Orkney Islands, the Outer Hebrides and Greenland. The island group, or archipelago, left Norway in 1815. The Faroes have their own representatives in the Nordic Council.

, 54,885 people lived there.

## History

The first recorded evidence of people living in the Faroe Islands was written in the 9th century. Irish monks had lived here.

## Regions and municipalities

Administratively, the islands are divided into 34 municipalities within which there are 120 or so cities and villages. Traditionally, there are also the six _sýslur_ ("regions"; Norðoyar, Eysturoy, Streymoy, Vágar, Sandoy and Suðuroy).

## Geography

The Faroe Islands are eighteen islands off the coast of Northern Europe, between the Norwegian Sea and the north Atlantic Ocean. Its area is 1,399 square kilometres (540 sq.  mi), and has no major lakes or rivers.  There are 1,117  kilometres (694 mi) of coastline, and no land boundaries with any other country. The only island that does not have anybody living on it is Lítla Dímun.

### Distances to nearest countries and islands

- Sula Sgeir (uninhabited, Scotland): 240 km (149 mi)
- Shetland (Scotland): 280 km (174 mi)
- Scotland (British Mainland): 310 km (193 mi)
- Iceland: 450 km (280 miles)
- Norway: 675 km (419 miles)
- Ireland: 678 km (421 miles)

## Economy

Fish, raising sheep, and tourism are important parts of the economy of the Faroe Islands. The economy was in trouble around 1990. Unemployment decreased in the later 1990s. It was down to about 6% at the end of 1998.  By June 2008 unemployment had declined to 1. 1%, before rising to 3. 4% in early 2009.  However, since fishing is so important to the economy, if there are problems with fishing, the economy could be in trouble Since 2000, new business projects have been created in the Faroe Islands to attract new investment. The introduction of Burger King in Tórshavn was widely publicized, but no one knows how things will go for this company. Trades on the islands are easy by the bridges or the tunnels that connect 80% of the population in the islands.

### Population (1327-2004)

Source:
|Year|Inhabitants||
| --- | --- | --- |
|{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"|||
|ca. 4,000|||
|ca. 2,000|||
|4,773|||
|5,255|||
|6,928|||
|7,314|||
|7,782|||
|8,137|||
|8,651|||
|11,220|||
|15,230|||
|ca. 18,800|||
|22,835|||
|31,781|}|{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"|
|ca. 38,000|||
|40,441|||
|45,749|||
|47,787|||
|43,358|||
|43,784|||
|44,262|||
|44,817|||
|45,409|||
|46,196|||
|46,996|||
|47,704|||
|48,214|||
|48,353|}|{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"|
|48,270|||
|48,288|||
|48,605|||
|48,406|||
|48,246|||
|48,616|||
|50,380|||
|51,679|||
|52,991|||
|54,380|||
|}|||

### Ólavsøka

The national holiday Ólavsøka, is on 29 July. It commemorates the death of Saint Olaf. The celebrations are held in Tórshavn. They start on the evening of the 28th, and go until 31 July.

The official part of the celebration starts on the 29th, with the opening of the Faroese Parliament. In the day there is a procession with many people from the churches in the islands.

### The Nordic House in the Faroe Islands

The Nordic House in the Faroe Islands () is the most important cultural institution in the Faroes. It supports Nordic and Faroese culture, locally and in the Nordic region. The House is managed by a director changed every four years.

### Music

In the islands there are many artists and musicians, with the most famous listed below:

Musicians:
- Eivør (Eivør Pálsdóttir)
- Lena (Lena Andersen)
- Teitur (Teitur Lassen)
- Høgni Lisberg
- Brandur Enni

Bands:
- Týr
- Gestir
- 200
- Clickhaze.

In the Islands, there are music festivals, where international musicians participating, like:
- _Summartónar, each_ summers.
- G! Festival in Gøta in July.
- Summarfestivalurin in Klaksvík in August.

### Food

Traditional Faroese food is mainly based on meat and potatoes and uses few fresh vegetables. A very important meat in the islands is lamb, the first ingredient of many dishes. Other typical dishes from the islands are fresh fish, blubber, whale, seabirds, and Faroese puffins and their eggs.

## Climate

The climate is defined as subarctic oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa), with cool summers, and with cold winters. Usually there is fog or a heavy wind that causes air traffic problems.

## Animals and vegetation in the islands

There are more sheep than people in the Faroe Islands.  The islands have no native mammals, because the islands are far away from land.  Many species of birds live sometimes in the islands, like eider, starling, wren, guillemot, and black guillemot. Only a few species of wild land seals live in the Faroe Islands today, the grey seals. Sometimes tourists can see whales in the waters near the islands.
Grey Seals are very common around the Faroese shores. The natural vegetation of the Faroe Islands is like in the Scottish islands or in Ireland. It is mostly wild flowers, grasses, moss and lichen.

## Other websites

- Flick photo set
- National Library of the Faroe Islands
- Introduction to the Faroe Islands
- Photo-gallery of Faroe Islands
- Official site of the Nordic House in the Faroe Islands
- Faroephotos
- Pictures from the Faroe Islands

## Infobox (country)

- **native name**: **' <small></small>
**' <small></small>
- **conventional long name**: Faroe Islands
- **common name**: Faroe Islands
- **image flag**: Flag of the Faroe Islands.svg
- **image coat**: Coat_of_arms_of_the_Faroe_Islands.svg
- **image map**: Faroe Islands in its region.svg
- **map caption**: Location of the **Faroe Islands** in Northern Europe
- **national motto**: Vivre Libre ou Mourir ("Live free or die")
- **national anthem**: _Tú alfagra land mítt_
_Thou, my most beauteous land_
- **official languages**: Faroese language, Faroese,
- **capital**: Tórshavn
- **largest city**: Tórshavn
- **ethnic groups**: 91% Faroese people, Faroese
5.8% Danish people, Danish
 0.7% British people, British
0.4% Iceland, Icelandic
0.2% Norwegian people, Norwegian
0.2% Poles
- **demonym**: Faroese
- **government type**: Parliamentary democracy within a constitutional monarchy
- **leader title1**: Monarchy of the Faroe Islands, King
- **leader name1**: Frederik X
- **leader title2**: List of Danish High Commissioners in the Faroe Islands, High Commissioner
- **leader name2**: Dan M. Knudsen
- **leader title3**: Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands, Prime Minister
- **leader name3**: Aksel V. Johannesen
- **sovereignty type**: Autonomy
- **sovereignty note**: within the Denmark, Kingdom of Denmark
- **established event1**: History of the Faroe Islands, Unified with Norway
- **established date1**: 1035
- **established event2**: Treaty of Kiel, Ceded to Denmark
- **established date2**: 14 January 1814
- **established event3**: Home rule
- **established date3**: 1 April 1948
- **area rank**: 180th
- **area km2**: 1,399
- **area sq mi**: 540
- **percent water**: 0.5
- **population estimate**: 50,730
- **population estimate rank**: 211th
- **population estimate year**: July 2017
- **population census**: 48,346
- **population census year**: 2011
- **population density km2**: 35
- **population density sq mi**: 91
- **gdp ppp**: $1.642 billion
- **gdp ppp year**: 2008
- **gdp ppp per capita**: $33,700
- **gdp nominal**: $2.45 billion
- **gdp nominal year**: 2008
- **gdp nominal per capita**: $50,300
- **hdi year**: 2006
- **hdi**: 0.943
- **currency**: Faroese króna
- **currency code**: DKK
- **time zone**: Western European Time, WET
- **utc offset**: +0
- **time zone dst**: Western European Summer Time, WEST
- **utc offset dst**: +1
- **cctld**: .fo
- **calling code**: 298
- **footnotes**: a.  Danish monarchy reached the Faeroes in 1380 with the reign of Olav IV of Norway, Olav IV in Norway.

b.  The Faeroes, Greenland and Iceland were formally Norwegian possessions until 1814 despite 400 years of Danish monarchy beforehand.

c.  Information for Denmark including the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
d.  The currency, printed with Faroese motifs, is issued at par with the Danish krone, incorporates the same security features and uses the same sizes and standards as Danish coins and banknotes. Faroese _krónur_ (singular _króna_) use the Danish ISO 4217 code "DKK".