Map of Faroe Islands | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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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.


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Location:

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Arctic Region

Area
Total: 1,400 km²
Land: 1,400 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 764 km
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm

Maritime claims

Climate: mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy

Terrain: rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast

Elevation

Natural resources: fish

Land use
Arable land: 2%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 0%
Other: 98%

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 48,065 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 0.67% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Faroese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Faroese

Ethnic groups: Scandinavian

Languages: Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish
Total population: NA%
Male: NA%
Female: NA%

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.67% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 18.45 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 7.57 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: -4.2 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands; archipelago of 18 inhabited islands and a few uninhabited islets
Current issues note:

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 8.3 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.92 years
Male: 74.51 years
Female: 81.45 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.52 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Faroe Islands
Local long form: none
Local short form: Foroyar

Government type: part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark

Capital: Torshavn

Administrative divisions: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Dependent areas

Independence: none (part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

National holiday
Birthday of the Queen 16 April 1940 threeparty ruling coalition:
Opposition:

Constitution: Danish

Legal system: Danish

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch: Danish monarch, high commissioner, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet (Landsstyri)

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Lgting)

Judicial branch: none

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: none

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
From the us: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Flag description: white with a red cross outlined in blue that extends to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the DANNEBROG (Danish flag)

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The Faroese, who have long enjoyed the affluent living standards of the Danes and other Scandinavians, now must cope with the decline of the all-important fishing industry and one of the world's heaviest per capita external debts of nearly $30,000. When the nations of the world extended their fishing zones to 200 nautical miles in the early 1970s, the Faroese no longer could continue their traditional long-distance fishing and subsequently depleted their own nearby fishing areas. The government's tight controls on fish stocks and its austerity measures have caused a recession, and subsidy cuts will force nationalization in the fishing industry, which has already been plagued with bankruptcies. Copenhagen has threatened to withhold its annual subsidy of $130 million - roughly one-third of the islands' budget revenues - unless the Faroese make significant efforts to balance their budget. To this extent the Faroe government is expected to continue its tough policies, including introducing a 20% VAT in 1993, and has agreed to an IMF economic-political stabilization plan. In addition to its annual subsidy, the Danish government has bailed out the second largest Faroe bank to the tune of $140 million since October 1992.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3% (1989 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: accounts for 27% of GDP and employs 27% of labor force; principal crops - potatoes and vegetables; livestock - sheep; annual fish catch about 360,000 metric tons

Industries: fishing, shipbuilding, handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate NA%

Labor force: 17,585
Note: largely engaged in fishing, transportation and commerce

Unemployment rate: 5%-6% (1991 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $425 million; expenditures $480 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $386 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
Commodoties: fish and fish products 88%, animal feedstuffs, transport equipment (ships) (1989)
Partners:

Imports: $322 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.) food and livestock 19%, fuels 12%, chemicals 6.5%
Partners: Denmark 43.8%, Norway 19.8%, Sweden 4.9%, Germany 4.2%, US 1.3%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1 - 6.236 (January 1993), 6.036 (1992), 6.396 (1991), 6.189 (1990), 7.310 (1989), 6.732 (1988)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 80,000 kW capacity; 280 million kWh produced, 5,760 kWh per capita (1992)

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1
Usable: 1
With permanentsurface runways: 1
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 0
With runways 1220-2439 m: 1

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine:

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs