Map of Faroe Islands | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


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.


top of page


Location: Northern Europe island group between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean about half way between Iceland and Norway

Geographic coordinates: 62 00 N 7 00 W

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 1393 km²
Rank: 182
Land: 1393 km²
Water: 0 km² (some lakes and streams)
Comparative: eight times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1117 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 3 nm
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
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Slaettaratindur 882 m

Natural resources: fish whales hydropower possible oil and gas

Land use
Arable land: 2.14%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 97.86% (2005)

Irrigated land: 0 km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: NA

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


top of page


Population: 48,856 (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 208
Growth rate: 0.397% (2009 est.)
Growth rate rank: 164
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Faroese
Adjective: Faroese

Ethnic groups: Scandinavian

Languages: Faroese (derived from Old Norse) Danish

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 83.8% other and unspecified 16.2% (2006 administrative data)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 21.6%
15-64 years: 64% (male 16,708/female 14,544)
65 years and over: 14.4% (male 3,324/female 3,721) (2009 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 36.9 years
Male: 36.3 years
Female: 37.7 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.397% (2009 est.)
Rank: 164

Birth rate: 13.04 births/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 156

Death rate: 8.66 deaths/1000 population (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 87

Net migration rate: -0.41 migrant(s)/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 106

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 41% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA
International agreements party to: Marine Dumping - associate member to the London Convention and Ship Pollution

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.15 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.09 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 6.32 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 179
Male: 6.56 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 6.06 deaths/1000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 79.44 years
Rank: 28
Male: 77 years
Female: 82.05 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.44 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Rank: 101

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: NA; note - probably 99% the same as Denmark proper

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


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

Government type: NA

Capital
Name: Torshavn
Geographic coordinates: 62 01 N 6 46 W
Time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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 34 municipalities

Dependent areas

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

National holiday: Olaifest (Olavasoka) 29 July

Constitution: 5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)

Legal system: the laws of Denmark where applicable apply

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark represented by High Commissioner Birgit KLEIS chief administrative officer (since 1 November 2001)
Head of government: Prime Minister Kaj Leo JOHANNESSEN (since 26 September 2008)
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 19 January 2008 (next to be held no later than January 2012)
Election results: Joannes EIDESGAARD elected prime minister; governing coalition collapses in September 2008 Kaj Leo JOHANNESSEN becomes Prime Minister

Legislative branch: unicameral Faroese Parliament or Logting (33 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis from the seven constituencies to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held 19 January 2008 (next to be held no later than January 2012)
Election results: percent of vote by party - Union Party 21% Social Democratic Party 19.4% Republican Party 23.3% People's Party 20.1% Center Party 8.4% Self-Government Party 7.2% other 0.6%; seats by party - Republican Party 8 Union Party 7 Social Democratic Party 6 People's Party 7 Center Party 3 Independence Party 2
Note: election of two seats to the Danish Parliament was last held on 13 November 2007 (next to be held no later than November 2011); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 1 Union Party 1

Judicial branch: none

Political parties and leaders: Center Party [Jenis A. RANA]; Independence Party [Kari P. HOJGAARD]; People's Party [Jorgen NICLASEN]; Republican Party [Hogni HOYDAL]; Social Democratic Party [Joannes EIDESGAARD]; Self-Government Party [Kari P. HOJGAARD]; Union Party [Kaj Leo JOHANNESEN]

International organization participation: Arctic Council FAO IMO (associate) NC NIB UPU

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 extending to 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); the flag resembles those of neighboring Iceland and Norway and uses the same three colors - but in a different sequence

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: The Faroese economy is dependent on fishing which makes the economy vulnerable to price swings. The sector accounts for 95% of exports and nearly half of GDP. Since 2003 the Faroese economy has picked up as a result of higher prices for fish and for housing. Unemployment is minimal and government finances are relatively sound. Oil finds close to the Islands give hope for economically recoverable deposits which could eventually lay the basis for a more diversified economy and 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $1 billion (2001 est.)
Rank: 199

Real gdp growth rate: 2.4% (2005 est.)
Rank: 148

Real gdp per capita: $31,000 (2001 est.)
Rank: 43

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 27%
Industry: 11%
Services: 62% (1999)

Agriculture products: milk potatoes vegetables; sheep; salmon other fish

Industries: fishing fish processing small ship repair and refurbishment handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: 8% (1999 est.)
Rank: 21

Labor force: 24,250 (October 2000)
Rank: 199
By occupation agriculture: 11.2%
By occupation industry: 21.9%
By occupation services: 66.9% (2007)

Unemployment rate: 2.1% (2006)
Rank: 7

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $588 million
Expenditures: $623 million (2005)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.8% (2005)
Rank: 14

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: $634 million (2006)
Rank: 160
Commodities: fish and fish products 94% stamps ships (1999)
Partners: Denmark 27.3% UK 18.6% Croatia 12% Norway 11.7% Nigeria 10% Netherlands 5.5% (2008)

Imports: $751 million (2006)
Rank: 180
Commodities: consumer goods 36% raw materials and semi-manufactures 32% machinery and transport equipment 29% fuels fish salt (1999)
Partners: Denmark 50.4% Norway 20.2% Sweden 6.4% UK 4.2% Iceland 4.1% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $64 million (1999)
Rank: 192

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKK) per US dollar - 5.0236 (2008 est.) 5.4797 (2007) 5.9468 (2006) 5.9969 (2005) 5.9911 (2004)


top of page


Electricity
Production: 243.7 million kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 173
Consumption: 226.6 million kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 176
Exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 180
Consumption: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 184
Exports: 0 m³ (2008)
Exports rank: 56
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 181
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2009 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 179

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Main lines in use: 21,800 (2008)
Main lines in use rank: 192
Mobile cellular: 54,900 (2008)
Mobile cellular rank: 192

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

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .fo
Hosts: 8,833 (2009)
Hosts rank: 120
Users: 37,500 (2008)
Users rank: 175

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures: NA

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 (2009)
Rank: 233
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2009)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 463 km
Rank: 192

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 12
Rank: 110
By type: cargo 9 passenger/cargo 3
Foreign owned: 5 (Iceland 1 Norway 4) (2008)

Ports and terminals: Torshavn Vagur


top of page


Disputes international: because anticipated offshore hydrocarbon resources have not been realized earlier Faroese proposals for full independence have been deferred; Iceland the UK and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs