from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Faroe Islands
Introduction
Background: 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.
Geography
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 62 00 N, 7 00 W
coordinates:
Map Europe
references:
Area: total: 1,399 sq km
land: 1,399 sq km
water: 0 sq km (some lakes and streams)
Area - eight times the size of Washington, DC
comparative:
Land 0 km
boundaries:
Coastline: 1,117 km
Maritime territorial sea: 3 nm
claims: continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or
median line
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or
median line
Climate: mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy,
windy
Terrain: rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of
coast
Elevation lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
extremes: highest point: Slaettaratindur 882 m
Natural fish, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas
resources:
Land use: arable land: 2.14%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 97.86% (2005)
Irrigated 0 sq km
land:
Natural NA
hazards:
Environment - NA
current
issues:
Geography - archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one uninhabited
note: island, and a few uninhabited islets; strategically
located along important sea lanes in northeastern
Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits habitation to
small coastal lowlands
People
Population: 47,246 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 20.9% (male 4,940/female 4,952)
15-64 years: 65.1% (male 16,247/female 14,522)
65 years and over: 13.9% (male 2,976/female 3,609)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 35 years
male: 34.7 years
female: 35.5 years (2006 est.)
Population 0.58% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 14.05 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration 0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 6.12 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 7.4 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 4.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 79.35 years
expectancy at male: 75.91 years
birth: female: 82.8 years (2006 est.)
Total 2.17 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - NA
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - NA
deaths:
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: probably 100%, the same as Denmark proper
Government
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Faroe Islands
local long form: none
local short form: Foroyar
Dependency part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas
status: administrative division of Denmark since 1948
Government NA
type:
Capital: name: Torshavn
geographic coordinates: 62 01 N, 6 46 W
time difference: UTC (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC
during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in
March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing
divisions: 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 Olaifest (Olavasoka), 29 July
holiday:
Constitution: 5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)
Legal system: Danish
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14
branch: January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Birgit
KLEIS, chief administrative officer (since 1 November
2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Joannes EIDESGAARD
(since 3 February 2004)
cabinet: Landsstyri appointed by the prime minister
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 20 January 2004 (next to be held no later than
January 2008)
election results: Joannes EIDESGAARD elected prime
minister; percent of parliamentary vote - NA
Legislative unicameral Faroese Parliament or Logting (32 seats;
branch: members are elected by popular vote on a proportional
basis from the seven constituencies to serve four-year
terms)
elections: last held 20 January 2004 (next to be held
no later than January 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - Union
Party 23.7%, Social Democratic Party 21.8%, Republican
Party 21.7%, People's Party 20.6%, Center Party 5.2%,
Independence Party 4.6%; seats by party - Union Party
7, Social Democratic Party 7, Republican Party 8,
People's Party 7, Center Party 2, Independence Party 1
note: election of two seats to the Danish Parliament
was last held on 8 February 2005 (next to be held
February 2009); results - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - Republican Party 1, People's Party
1
Judicial none
branch:
Political Center Party [Jenis A. RANA]; Independence Party [Kari
parties and P. HOJGAARD]; People's Party [Anfinn KALLSBERG];
leaders: Republican Party [Hogni HOYDAL]; Social Democratic
Party [Joannes EIDESGAARD]; Union Party [Kaj Leo
JOHANNESEN]
Political NA
pressure
groups and
leaders:
International Arctic Council, IMO (associate), NC, NIB, UPU
organization
participation:
Diplomatic none (self-governing overseas administrative division
representation of Denmark)
in the US:
Diplomatic none (self-governing overseas administrative division
representation of Denmark)
from the US:
Flag white with a red cross outlined in blue extending to
description: 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
Economy - The Faroese economy has had a strong performance since
overview: 1994, mostly as a result of increasing fish landings
and high and stable export prices. Unemployment is
minimal 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 have helped
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 Danish economic assistance. Aided
by a substantial annual subsidy (about 15% of GDP) from
Denmark, the Faroese have a standard of living not far
below the Danes and other Scandinavians.
GDP $1 billion (2001 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official NA
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 10% (2001 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $22,000 (2001 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 27%
composition by industry: 11%
sector: services: 62% (1999)
Labor force: 24,250 (October 2000)
Labor force - agriculture: 33%
by occupation: industry: 33%
services: 34%
Unemployment 1% (October 2000)
rate:
Population NA%
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Inflation rate 5.1% (1999)
(consumer
prices):
Budget: revenues: $488 million
expenditures: $484 million; including capital
expenditures of $21 million (1999)
Agriculture - milk, potatoes, vegetables; sheep; salmon, other fish
products:
Industries: fishing, fish processing, small ship repair and
refurbishment, handicrafts
Industrial 8% (1999 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 260.2 million kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 62.4%
production by hydro: 37.6%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 242 million kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2003 est.)
production:
Oil - 4,500 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Exports: $533 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - fish and fish products 94%, stamps, ships (1999)
commodities:
Exports - Denmark 38.2%, UK 29.6%, Nigeria 8.9%, Norway 6.1%,
partners: Netherlands 4.3% (2005)
Imports: $639 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)
Imports - consumer goods 36%, raw materials and semi-manufactures
commodities: 32%, machinery and transport equipment 29%, fuels,
fish, salt (1999)
Imports - Denmark 46.2%, Norway 18.2%, Germany 8.2%, Spain 7.5%,
partners: Iceland 4.8% (2005)
Debt - $64 million (1999)
external:
Economic aid - $135 million (annual subsidy from Denmark) (1998)
recipient:
Currency Danish krone (DKK)
(code):
Currency code: DKK
Exchange Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911
rates: (2004), 6.5877 (2003), 7.8947 (2002), 8.3228 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 23,800 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 42,500 (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: good international communications;
system: good domestic facilities
domestic: digitalization was completed in 1998; both
NMT (analog) and GSM (digital) mobile telephone systems
are installed
international: country code - 298; 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 AM 1, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 26,000 (1997)
Television 3 (plus 43 low-power repeaters) (September 1995)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 15,000 (1997)
Internet .fo
country code:
Internet 6,915 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 2 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 33,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 1 (2006)
Airports - total: 1
with paved 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
runways:
Roadways: total: 458 km
note: no roads between towns (2003)
Merchant total: 18 ships (1000 GRT or over) 19,265 GRT/9,171 DWT
marine: by type: cargo 10, container 2, passenger/cargo 4,
petroleum tanker 2
foreign-owned: 8 (Iceland 4, Norway 4) (2006)
Ports and Torshavn
terminals:
Military
Military no regular military forces
branches:
Manpower males age 18-49: 10,695 (2005 est.)
available for
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 8,852 (2005 est.)
for military
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 366 (2005 est.)
reaching
military
service age
annually:
Military NA
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military NA
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Military - defense is the responsibility of Denmark
note:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - because anticipated offshore hydrocarbon resources have
international: not been realized, earlier Faroese proposals for full
independence have been deferred; Iceland disputes the
Faroe Islands' fisheries median line boundary; Iceland,
the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the
Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm