Faroe Islands

The **Faroe Islands** or **faerae Isles** or **Faroes** (Faroese: *Føroyar*, meanin *Hogg Isles*, Dens: Færøerne) is a smaw curn o islands in the Nor' Atlantic Ocean atween Scotland, Norawa an Iceland. It haes close tradeetional an cultural ties wi the ither Nordic kintras, as weel as Shetland an Orkney. The Faroe Islands are a sel-govrenin territory athin the Kinrick o Denmark, alang wi Denmark proper an Greenland. The total aurie is approximately 1,400 km² (540 sq mi) wi a 2010 population o amaist 50,000.

## History
Tho the Islands micht hae been settelt bi Irish monks in the sievent century, this canna be pruiven. Whit is certain, an weel documentit is that bi the middle o the aicht century Norse settlers cam til the Islands an made it an important centre fir vaiges atween Ireland, Iceland, The Hebrides, Shetland, Orkney an Scandinavie. They begoud their ain pairlaments, cried *things*, the maist important ane bein in Tórshavn, that's the caipital ceety o the Faroe Islands the day. Christianity wis brocht til the Islands at the hint-end o the first millennium, replacin the auld Norse paganism. No lang efter, the Faroes cam unner the waldin o the Norwegian kings. Efter the Norwegian croun cam unner Dens waldin, the Faroes becam pairt o Denmark, an hae bid sae sinsyne.

In the middle o the 19t century, the Faroese fowk stairtit tae become kenspeckle fir bein dab-haundit at the fishin, as weel as bein braw sailors, an sinsyne the fishin haes been the heidmaist soorce o siller incomin til the kintra.

The Hame Waldin Constitution o 1948 gied faur-raxin richts tae the Faroese fowk, tho mony Faroese fowk aye wants tae become unthirled frae Denmark awthegither. Housome'er, the jaloused ile resoources affshore haes yet tae kythe, an till they dae (gin they iver dae) the muivment fir fou unthirldom isna likely tae win.

## Releegion
Releegion is a gey important pairt o Faroese cultur, the muckle feck o fowk in the kintra is Christians; mair nor 80% o the kintra's indwallers belangs the Evangelical Lutheran Kirk. 10% belangs the Christian Brethren. Tho the kintra haes Viking Pagan ruits, there isna ony orginised Ásatrú body, unlike in Iceland an ither Noric kintras. 

Gaun bi tradeetion, Christianity wis brocht til the Islands in 999 bi a chiel cried Sigmundur Brestisson, tho some scholars threaps that Celtic monks micht hae taen it there 150 year afore that. The Reformation in the Faroes wis throu bi 1540 - twinty year afore Scotland. The first fou translate o the Bible frae the oreeginal leids intil Faroese wis duin in 1961.

## Industry
The maist important soorce o siller fir the kintra is the fishin industry. Mair nor 97% o the kintra's export vollum is fish products. The seicont maist muckle industry is tourism, an then oo an ither manufactured products.

## Status
It is pairt o the Kinrick o Denmark, but haes haed autonomous status syne 1948. Langsyne it wis pairt o Norrowey, but became unthirled frae that kintra in 1814. Alang wi Greenland it is pairt o the Rigsfællesskab, an unoffeecial Dens term fir the autonomous relationship atween Denmark, Greenland an the Faroes. It haes representation on the *Nordic Cooncil* as pairt o the Dens delegation.

Ower time maist maiters haes been resered tae the hame rule o the Faroes, cept defence (tho they hae their ain coast gaird), fremmit affairs an the legal seestem is aw govrened bi Denmark.

## Leids
The ofeecial leids o the Faroes is Faroese an Dens. Forby thon maist fowk haes a guid ken o Inglis an mony haes German an aw.

Faroese comes frae the Auld Norse, an there is anecdotal evidents that Faroese an Norn wis mutually intelligable, an that whan fishermen frae the Faroes met wi fowk frae Shetland an Orkney they coud unnerstaund ilk ither gey weel gin they spak their ain leids.

## Antrin bitties
As wi the ither Nordic kintras, the Faroe Islands hae a heich staundart o bydin, an guid life exspectancy - 79.49 year. The HIV/AIDS rate is unco laich, an the percentage o fowk bidin ablo the puirtith-line is negligable.

The Islands haes nae raigular airmy, defence issues bein the responsibeelity o Denmark. 

## Gallery

File:Tinganes, Tórshavn 2004.1.jpg|Tinganes in Tórshavn, seat of a part of the Faroese government
File:Suðuroy.Vágur.8.jpg|Queen Margrethe in Vágur
File:Suðuroy.FaroeIslands.2.jpg|Beinisvørð, on the west coast o Suðuroy
File:Faroese sheep Sumba 1.jpg|Faroe sheep with the town of Sumba in the background
File:Dreierprofil.jpg|Atlantic puffins are very common and a part of the local cuisine: Faroese puffin


## References

## Fremmit airtins
* Offeecial Wabsteid anent the kintra
* The Naitional Librar o the Faroe Islands 
* CIA ordinar information page anent the Faroe Islands