Map of Faroe Islands | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | 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 granted the Faroese in 1948 who have autonomy over most internal affairs while Denmark is responsible for justice defense and foreign affairs. The Faroe Islands are not part of the European Union.


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

Geographic coordinates: 62 00 N 7 00 W

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 1393 km²
Land: 1393 km²
Water: 0 km²
Rank: 183
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
Agricultural land: 2.1%
Forest: 0.1%
Other: 97.8%

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2011)

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


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Population: 50,196 (July 2015 est.)
Rank: 212
Growth rate: 0.51% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 158
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 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 20.1%
15-24 years: 14.96%
25-54 years: 37.04%
55-64 years: 11.73%
65 years and over: 16.17% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 37.7 years
Male: 37.1 years
Female: 38.4 years

Population growth rate: 0.51% (2015 est.)
Rank: 158

Birth rate: 13.77 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 142

Death rate: 8.71 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 72

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 97

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 42% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0.47% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: TORSHAVN (capital) 21,000 (2014)

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
0-14 years: 1.07 male/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male/female
25-54 years: 1.19 male/female
55-64 years: 1.06 male/female
65 years and over: 0.94 male/female
Total population: 1.09 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 5.6 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 5.86 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 5.32 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 170

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 80.24 years
Male: 77.73 years
Female: 82.93 years
Rank: 37

Total fertility rate: 2.37 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 84

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density: 4.7 beds/1000 population (2012)

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

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
Etymology: the archipelgo's name may derive from the Old Norse word 'faer' meaning sheep

Government type: NA

Capital
Name: Torshavn
Geographic coordinates: 62 00 N 6 46 W
Time difference: UTC 0
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 (Olavsoka) 29 July

Constitution: 5 June 1953 (Danish Constitution) 23 March 1948 (Home Rule Act) and 24 June 2005 (Takeover Act) serve as the Faroe Islands constitutional position in the Unity of the Realm (2015)

Legal system: the laws of Denmark where applicable apply

International law organization participation

Citizenship: see Denmark

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark represented by High Commissioner Dan Michael KNUDSEN chief administrative officer (since 2008)
Head of government: Prime Minister Aksel V. JOHANNESEN
Cabinet: Landsstyri appointed by the prime minister
Electionsappointments: the monarchy is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually elected prime minister by the Faroese Parliament; election last held on 14 November 2011
Election results: Aksel V. JOHANNESEN elected prime minister; Parliament vote - NA

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Faroese Parliament or Logting
Note: election of 2 seats to the Danish Parliament was last held on 1 September 2015 ; percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Social Democratic Party 1 Republic 1
Elections: last held on 1 September 2015
Election results: percent of vote by party - Social Democratic Party 25.1% Republic 20.7% People's Party 18.9% Union Party 18.7% Progressive Party 7.0% Center Party 5.5% Self-Government Party 4.1%; seats by party - Social Democratic Party 8 Republic 7 People's Party 6 Union Party 6 Progressive Party 2 Center Party 2 Self-Government Party 2

Judicial branch: the Faroese Court or Raett (Rett - Danish) decides both civil and criminal cases; the Court is part of the Danish legal system

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: Arctic Council IMO (associate) NC NIB UNESCO (associate) 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); referred to as Merkid meaning 'the banner' or 'the mark' the flag resembles those of neighboring Iceland and Norway and uses the same three colors - but in a different sequence; white represents the clear Faroese sky as well as the foam of the waves; red and blue are traditional Faroese colors

National symbols: ram; national colors: red white blue

National anthem
Name: 'Mitt alfagra land'
Lyrics and music: Simun av SKAROI/Peter ALBERG
Note: adopted 1948; the anthem is also known as 'Tu alfagra land mitt' ; as an autonomous overseas division of Denmark the Faroe Islands are permitted their own national anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The Faroese economy is dependent on fishing which makes the economy vulnerable to price fluctuations. The sector normally accounts for about 95% of exports and nearly half of GDP. In early 2008 the Faroese economy began to slow as a result of smaller catches and historically high oil prices. The slowdown in the Faroese economy followed a strong performance since the mid-1990s with annual growth rates averaging close to 6% mostly a result of increased fish landings and salmon farming and high export prices. Unemployment reached its lowest level in June 2008 at 1.1% but gradually increased to about 5.5% in 2012. Total dependence on fishing and salmon farming make the Faroese economy vulnerable to fluctuations in world demand. Initial discoveries of oil in the Faroese area give hope for eventual oil production which may provide a foundation for a more diversified economy and less dependence on Danish economic assistance. Aided by an annual subsidy from Denmark amounting to about 3% of Faroese GDP the Faroese have a standard of living almost equal to that of Denmark and Greenland. The Faroese Government ran relatively large deficits from 2008 to 2010 and budget deficits are forecast for several years ahead. At year-end 2010 gross external debt had reached approximately US$900 million.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 198

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 115

Real gdp per capita: $30,500 (2008 est.)
Rank: 57

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 16%
Industry: 29%
Services: 55%

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

Industries: fishing fish processing small ship repair and refurbishment handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: 3.4% (2009 est.)
Rank: 79

Labor force: 34,710 (November 2010)
Rank: 202
By occupation agriculture: 10.7%
By occupation industry: 18.9%
By occupation services: 70.3%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 58

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: $1.025 billion
Expenditures: $1.301 billion
Note: Denmark supplies the Faroe Islands with almost one-third of their public funds
Surplus or deficit: -11.9% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 209

Taxes and other revenues: 44.2% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 27

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 111

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:
Rank: 165
Commodities: fish and fish products 94% stamps ships (2009 est.)
Partners: UK 21.8% Denmark 18.8% Russia 11.9% Nigeria 10.9% US 9.5% China 7.2% Netherlands 6% (2014)

Imports:
Rank: 187
Commodities: goods for household consumption machinery and transport equipment fuels raw materials and semi-manufactures salt
Partners: Denmark 45.5% Norway 27.7% Germany 5% Iceland 4.4% Sweden 4.1% (2014)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external:
Rank: 168

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 281 million kWh (2012 est.)
Production rank: 181
Consumption: 261.3 million kWh (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 186
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 139
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 150
Installed generating capacity: 108,100 kW (2012 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 173
Generation sources fossil fuels: 60.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 134
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 93
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 36.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 63
Generation sources other renewable sources: 3.8% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 66

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 137
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 126
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 191
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 135

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products production rank: 183
Products consumption: 4,900 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 170
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products exports rank: 178
Products imports: 4,879 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products imports rank: 162

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Production rank: 188
Consumption: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 144
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 99
Imports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 197
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 139

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 753,400 Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 172

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 17,300
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 35
Fixed lines rank: 189
Mobile cellular total: 61,400
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 123
Mobile cellular rank: 199

Telephone system
General assessment: good international communications; good domestic facilities
Domestic: conversion to digital system completed in 1998; both NMT 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: 1 publicly owned TV station; the Faroese telecommunications company distributes local and international channels through its digital terrestrial network; publicly owned radio station supplemented by 2 privately owned stations broadcasting over multiple frequencies (2008)

Internet
Country code: .fo
Users total: 44,000
Users percent of population: 88.2%
Users rank: 188

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 (2013)
Rank: 217
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 463 km
Rank: 197

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 37
By type: cargo 20 chemical tanker 7 container 2 passenger/cargo 3 refrigerated cargo 3 roll on/roll off 2
Foreign owned: 28 (2010)
Rank: 79

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Fuglafjordur Torshavn Vagur


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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