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.

Area
Total: 1,400 km²
Land: 1,400 km²
Comparative:

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 764 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Disputes: none

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

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

Natural resources: fish

Land use: arable land: 2%; permanent crops: 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 98%

Population: 48,588 (July 1992), growth rate 0.9% (1992)

Nationality: noun - Faroese (singular and plural; adjective - Faroese

Ethnic groups: homogeneous Scandinavian population

Languages: Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran

Birth rate: 17 births/1000 population (1992)

Death rate: 8 deaths/1000 population (1992)

Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1000 population (1992)

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

Infant mortality rate: 7 deaths/1000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 81 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1992)

Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

Country name
Conventional long form: none

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)

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

National holiday: Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)

Constitution: Danish

Legal system: Danish

Suffrage: universal at age 20
Danish Parliament:
Faroese Parliament:
Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

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

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Lgting)

Judicial branch: none

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)

Economy overview: The Faroese, who have long been enjoying the affluent living standards of the Danes and other Scandinavians, now must cope with the decline of the all-important fishing industry and with an external debt twice the size of annual income. 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 further reductions in the fishing industry, which has already been plagued with bankrupcies. An annual Danish subsidy of 140 million continues to provide roughly one-third of the islands' budget revenues.
GDP: purchasing power equivalent - $662 million, per capita $14,000; real growth rate 3% (1989 est.)

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; largely engaged in fishing, manufacturing, transportation, and commerce
Organized labor: NA

Unemployment rate: 5-6% (1991 est.)

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

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

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

Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1 - 6.116 (January 1992), 6.396 (1991), 6.189 (1990), 7.310 (1989), 6.732 (1988), 6.840 (1987)

Electricity
Production: 80,000 kW capacity; 280 million kWh produced, 5,910 kWh per capita (1991)

Airports: 1 with permanent surface runways 1,220-2,439 m

Merchant marine: