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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. |
|
Location:
|
Northern Europe,
island group between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic
Ocean, about one-half of the way from Iceland to Norway |
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Map references:
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Europe |
|
Area:
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total:
1,399 sq km
water: 0 sq km (some lakes and streams)
land: 1,399 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
|
eight times the
size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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1,117 km |
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Climate:
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mild winters,
cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy |
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Terrain:
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rugged, rocky,
some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Slaettaratindur 882 m |
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Natural resources:
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fish, whales,
hydropower, possible oil and gas |
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Land use:
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arable land:
2.14%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 97.86% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
|
0 sq km (1998
est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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NA |
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Environment - current issues:
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NA |
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Geography - note:
|
archipelago of 17
inhabited islands and one uninhabited island, and a few
uninhabited islets; strategically located along important sea
lanes in northeastern Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits
habitation to small coastal lowlands |
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Population:
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46,662 (July 2004
est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years:
21.6% (male 5,056; female 5,041)
15-64 years: 64.6% (male 15,975; female 14,187)
65 years and over: 13.7% (male 2,877; female 3,526)
(2004 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total:
35.1 years
male: 34.6 years
female: 35.8 years (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
0.66% (2004 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
13.89
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
|
8.68 deaths/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
|
1.41 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2004 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
at birth:
1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total:
6.38 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 7.72 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: 79.05 years
male: 75.6 years
female: 82.51 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
NA% |
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Nationality:
|
noun:
Faroese (singular and plural)
adjective: Faroese |
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Ethnic groups:
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Scandinavian |
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Religions:
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Evangelical
Lutheran |
|
Languages:
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Faroese (derived
from Old Norse), Danish |
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Literacy:
|
definition:
NA
total population: NA%
male: NA%
female: NA%
note: probably the same as Denmark proper |
|
Country name:
|
conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Faroe Islands
local short form: Foroyar
local long form: none |
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Dependency status:
|
part of the
Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative
division of Denmark since 1948 |
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Government type:
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NA |
|
Capital:
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Torshavn |
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Administrative divisions:
|
none (part of the
Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing 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) |
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National holiday:
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Olaifest, 29 July |
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Constitution:
|
5 June 1953
(Danish constitution) |
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Legal system:
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Danish |
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Executive branch:
|
chief of
state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January
1972), represented by High Commissioner Birgit KLEIS, chief
administrative officer (since 1 November 2001)
election results: Anfinn KALLSBERG elected prime
minister; percent of parliamentary vote - 52.8%
note: coalition of Social Democrats, Union Party, and
People's Party
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 30 April 2002 (next to be held
no later than April 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Joannes EIDESGAARD
(since 3 February 2004)
cabinet: Landsstyri appointed by the prime minister |
|
Legislative branch:
|
unicameral
Faroese Parliament or Logting (32 seats; members are elected
by popular vote on a proportional basis from the seven
constituencies to serve four-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - Union
Party 23.7%, Social Democrats 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 Democrats 7,
Republican Party 8, People's Party 7, Center Party 2,
Independence Party 1
note: election of 2 seats to the Danish Parliament was
last held on 20 November 2001 (next to be held no later than
November 2005); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats
by party - Republican Party 1, Union Party 1
elections: last held 20 January 2004 (next to be held
no later than January 2008) |
|
Judicial branch:
|
none |
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
Center Party [Tordur
NICLASEN]; Independence Party [Helena Dam a NEYSTABO];
People's Party [Oli BRECKMANN]; Republican Party [Finnabogi
ISAKSON]; Social Democratic Party [Joannes EIDESGAARD]; Union
Party [Edmund JOENSEN] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
NA |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
none
(self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
none
(self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) |
|
Economy - overview:
|
The Faroese
economy has had a strong performance since 1994, mostly as a
result of increasing fish landings and high and stable export
prices. Unemployment is falling 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 help to
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 (15% of GDP) from Denmark, the
Faroese have a standard of living not far below the Danes and
other Scandinavians. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power
parity - $1 billion (2001 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
10% (2001 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power
parity - $22,000 (2001 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture:
27%
industry: 11%
services: 62% (1999) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
NA% |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
5.1% (1999) |
|
Labor force:
|
24,250 (October
2000) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
fishing, fish
processing, and manufacturing 33%, construction and private
services 33%, public services 34% |
|
Unemployment rate:
|
1% (October 2000) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues:
$488 million
expenditures: $484 million, including capital
expenditures of $21 million (1999) |
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Industries:
|
fishing, fish
processing, shipbuilding, construction, handicrafts |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
8% (1999 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
160.4 million kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel:
62.4%
hydro: 37.6%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
149.1 million kWh
(2001) |
|
Oil - production:
|
0 bbl/day (2001
est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
4,500 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
|
milk, potatoes,
vegetables; sheep; salmon, other fish |
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Exports:
|
$408 million
f.o.b. (2002) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
fish and fish
products 94%, stamps, ships (1999) |
|
Exports - partners:
|
Denmark 37.7%, UK
33.8%, Norway 6.6%, Netherlands 6.4% (2002) |
|
Imports:
|
$466 million
c.i.f. (2002) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
machinery and
transport equipment 29%, consumer goods 36%, raw materials and
semi-manufactures 32%, fuels, fish and salt (1999) |
|
Imports - partners:
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Denmark 57.7%,
Norway 21%, Iceland 5.6% (2002) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$64 million
(1999) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
|
$135 million
(annual subsidy from Denmark) (1998) |
|
Currency:
|
Danish krone (DKK) |
|
Currency code:
|
DKK |
|
Exchange rates:
|
Danish kroner per
US dollar - 6.59 (2003), 7.89 (2002), 8.32 (2001), 8.08
(2000), 6.98 (1999) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
calendar year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
23,000 (2002) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
30,700 (2002) |
|
Telephone system:
|
general
assessment: good international communications; 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 broadcast stations:
|
AM 1, FM 13,
shortwave 0 (1998) |
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
3 (plus 43
low-power repeaters) (September 1995) |
|
Internet country code:
|
.fo |
|
Internet users:
|
25,000 (2002) |
|
Railways:
|
0 km |
|
Highways:
|
total: 463
km
paved: 454 km
unpaved: 9 km (1999) |
|
Waterways:
|
none |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
Torshavn,
Klaksvik, Tvoroyri, Runavik, Fuglafjordhur |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total: 7
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 24,051 GRT/11,998 DWT
foreign-owned: Denmark 2, Norway 1, United Kingdom 1
registered in other countries: 1 (2003 est.)
by type: cargo 3, container 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll
on/roll off 1, short-sea/passenger 1 |
|
Airports:
|
1 (2003 est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
|
Military branches:
|
no regular
military forces |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
NA |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
NA |
|
Military - note:
|
defense is the
responsibility of Denmark |
|
Disputes - international:
|
Faroese are
considering proposals for full independence; Denmark dispute
with Iceland over the Faroe Islands fisheries median line
boundary of 200 NM; Denmark disputes with Iceland, the UK, and
Ireland the Faroe Islands claim extending its continental
shelf boundary beyond 200 NM |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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