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.

Geographic coordinates: 62 00 N 7 00 W

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 1,399 km²
Water: 0 km² (some lakes and streams)
Land: 1,399 km²
Comparative: eight times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 1117 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200 NM or agreed boundaries or median line
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM or agreed boundaries or median line
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
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Slaettaratindur 882 m

Natural resources: fish whales hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 2.14%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 97.86% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (1998 est.)

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

Population: 46,345 (July 2003 est.)
Growth rate: 0.7% (2003 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

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

Ethnic groups: Scandinavian

Languages: Faroese (derived from Old Norse) Danish

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran

Age structure
0-14 years: 22% (male 5,103; female 5,077)
15-64 years: 64.4% (male 15,822; female 14,002)
65 years and over: 13.7% (male 2,842; female 3,499) (2003 est.)

Median age
Total: 35.1 years
Male: 34.5 years
Female: 35.8 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 0.7% (2003 est.)

Birth rate: 13.81 births/1000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 8.7 deaths/1000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.9 migrant(s)/1000 population (2003 est.)

Environment
Current issues: NA

Sex ratio
At birth: 1 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.01 male/female
15-64 years: 1.13 male/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male/female
Total population: 1.05 male/female (2003 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 6.52 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 5.13 deaths/1000 live births (2003 est.)
Male: 7.9 deaths/1000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.9 years
Male: 75.44 years
Female: 82.36 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.24 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Literacy
Definition: NA
Total population: NA%
Male: NA%
Female: NA%
Note: similar to Denmark proper

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

Government type: NA

Capital: Torshavn

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 49 municipalities

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

National holiday: Olaifest 29 July

Constitution: 5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)

Legal system: Danish

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Birgit KLEIS, chief administrative officer (since 1 November 2001)
Election results: Anfinn KALLSBERG elected prime minister; percent of parliamentary vote - 52.8%
Note: coalition of People's Party, Republican Party, Home Rule Party, and Center Party
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 30 April 2002 (next to be held no later than April 2006)
Head of government: Prime Minister Anfinn KALLSBERG (since 15 May 1998)
Cabinet: Landsstyri appointed by the prime minister

Legislative branch
Election results: percent of vote by party - Union Party 26%, Republican Party 23.7%, Social Democrats 20.9%, People's Party 20.8% Home Rule Party 4.4%, Center Party 4.2%; seats by party - Union Party 8, Republican Party 8, Social Democrats 7, People's Party 7, Home Rule Party 1, Center Party 1
Note: election of 2 seats to the Danish Parliament was last held on 20 November 2001 (next to be held no later than November 2005); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 1, Union Party 1
Elections: last held 30 April 2002 (next to be held no later than April 2006)

Judicial branch: none

Political parties and leaders: Center Party [Tordur NICLASEN]; Home Rule Party [Helena Dam a NEYSTABO]; People's Party [Oli BRECKMANN]; Republican Party [Finnabogi ISAKSON]; Social Democratic Party [Joannes EIDESGAARD]; Union Party [Edmund JOENSEN]

International organization participation: IMO (associate) NC NIB

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)

Economy overview: The Faroese economy has had a strong performance since 1994 mostly as a result of increasing fish landings and high and stable export prices. Unemployment is falling and there are signs of labor shortages in several sectors. The positive economic development has helped the Faroese Home Rule Government produce increasing budget surpluses which in turn help to reduce the large public debt most of it owed to Denmark. However the total dependence on fishing makes the Faroese economy extremely vulnerable and the present fishing efforts appear in excess of what is a sustainable level of fishing in the long term. Oil finds close to the Faroese area give hope for deposits in the immediate Faroese area which may eventually lay the basis for a more diversified economy and thus lessen dependence on Danish economic assistance. Aided by a substantial annual subsidy (15% of GDP) from Denmark the Faroese have a standard of living not far below the Danes and other Scandinavians.

Real gdp growth rate: 10% (2001 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $22,000 (2001 est.)

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 shipbuilding construction handicrafts

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

Labor force: 24,250 (October 2000)
By occupation: fishing fish processing and manufacturing 33% construction and private services 33% public services 34%

Unemployment rate: 1% (October 2000)

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Budget
Revenues: $488 million
Expenditures: $484 million, including capital expenditures of $21 million (1999)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 5.1% (1999)

Exports: $418 million f.o.b. (2001)
Commodities: fish and fish products 94% stamps ships (1999)
Partners: Denmark 39.9% UK 32.1% Norway 7.4% Netherlands 6.1% (2002)

Imports: $469 million c.i.f. (1999)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment 29% consumer goods 36% raw materials and semi-manufactures 32% fuels fish and salt (1999)
Partners: Denmark 53.8% Norway 24.2% Iceland 5.7% (2002)

Debt external: $64 million (1999)

Exchange rates: Danish kroner per US dollar - 7.89 (2002) 8.32 (2001) 8.08 (2000) 6.98 (1999) 6.7 (1998)

Electricity
Production: 160.4 million kWh (2001)
Production by source fossil fuel: 62.4%
Production by source hydro: 37.6%
Production by source other: 0% (2001)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 149.1 million kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 24,851 (1999)
Mobile cellular: 10,761 (1999)

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: 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

Internet
Country code: .fo
Service providers isps: 2 (2000)
Users: 3,000 (2000)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $NA
Percent of gdp: NA%

Airports: 1 (2002)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2002)

Railways: 0 km

Waterways: none

Merchant marine
Total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 100,951 GRT/139,396 DWT
Note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Denmark 3, Norway 1, United Kingdom 1 (2002 est.)
Ships by type: cargo 2, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea passenger 1

Disputes international: Faroese are considering proposals for full independence; Denmark dispute with Iceland over the Faroe Islands fisheries median line boundary of 200 NM; Denmark disputes with Iceland the UK and Ireland over the Faroe Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 NM