Map of Faroe Islands | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | 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: Nordic States, Northern Europe in the north Atlantic Ocean, located half way between Norway and Iceland

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Arctic Region

Area
Total area total: 1,400 km²
Land: 1,400 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 764 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm

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%
Forest and woodland: 0%
Other: 98%

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: NA

Geography
Note: defense is the responsibility of Denmark


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Population: 48,427 (July 1994 est.)
Growth rate: 0.83% (1994 est.)

Nationality: noun:Faroese (singular and plural)

Ethnic groups: Scandinavian

Languages: Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.83% (1994 est.)

Birth rate: 17.97 births/1000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate: 7.56 deaths/1000 population (1994 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.09 migrant(s)/1000 population (1994 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA
International agreements: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 8.1 deaths/1000 live births (1994 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.1 years
Male: 74.71 years
Female: 81.62 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.47 children born/woman (1994 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
Total population: NA%
Male: NA%
Female: NA%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form:

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)

Constitution: 5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)

Legal system: Danish

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Bent KLINTE (since NA)
Head of government: Prime Minister Marita PETERSEN (since 18 January 1993)

Legislative branch: small Police Force, no organized native military forces
Faroese Parliament Lgting: elections last held 17 November 1990 (next to be held November 1994); results - Social Democratic 27.4%, People's Party 21.9%, Cooperation Coalition Party 18.9%, Republican Party 14.7%, Home Rule 8.8%, PFIP-CPP 5.9%, other 2.4%; seats - (32 total) two-party coalition 17 (Social Democratic 10, People's Party 7), Cooperation Coalition Party 6, Republican Party 4, Home Rule 3, PFIP-CPP 2
Danish Parliament: elections last held on 12 December 1990 (next to be held by December 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) Social Democratic 1, People's Party 1; note - the Faroe Islands elects two representatives to the Danish Parliament

Judicial branch: none

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: none

Diplomatic representation
From the us:

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% value-added tax (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: $14,000 (1989 est.)

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: NA%

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

Unemployment rate: 2.5% (1993 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

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

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.)
Commodities: fish and fish products 88%, animal feedstuffs, transport equipment (ships) (1989)
Partners: Denmark 20%, Germany 18.3%, UK 14.2%, France 11.2%, Spain 7.9%, US 4.5%

Imports: $322 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment 24.4%, manufactures 24%, 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: $1.3 billion (1991)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1 - 6.771 (January 1994), 6.484 (1993), 6.036 (1992), 6.396 (1991), 6.189 (1990), 7.310 (1989)


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Electricity
Capacity: 80,000 kW
Production: 280 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 5,760 kWh (1992)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

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

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 19,943 GRT/18,399 DWT, cargo 5, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1, short-sea passenger 1
Note: a subset of the Danish register

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs