Faroe Islands

§1. Faroe Islands Introduction

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.

§2. Faroe Islands Geography

Location:
  Northern Europe, island group between the Norwegian Sea and the North
  Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Iceland to Norway

Geographic coordinates:
  62 00 N, 7 00 W

Map references:
  Europe

Area:
  total: 1,399 km²
  land: 1,399 km²
  water: 0 km² (some lakes and streams)

Area - comparative:
  eight times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
  0 km

Coastline:
  1,117 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
  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 (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
  NA

Environment - current issues:
  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

§3. Faroe Islands People

Population:
  47,246 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 20.9% (male 4,940/female 4,952)
  15-64 years: 65.1% (male 16,247/female 14,522)
  65 years and over: 13.9% (male 2,976/female 3,609) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 35 years
  male: 34.7 years
  female: 35.5 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  0.58% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  14.05 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
  total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 6.12 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 7.4 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 4.85 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 79.35 years
  male: 75.91 years
  female: 82.8 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  2.17 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  NA

Nationality:
  noun: Faroese (singular and plural)
  adjective: Faroese

Ethnic groups:
  Scandinavian

Religions:
  Evangelical Lutheran

Languages:
  Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish

Literacy:
  definition: NA
  total population: NA%
  male: NA%
  female: NA%
  note: probably 100%, the same as Denmark proper

§4. Faroe Islands Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Faroe Islands
  local long form: none
  local short form: Foroyar

Dependency status:
  part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative
  division of Denmark since 1948

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 (Olavasoka), 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)
  head of government: Prime Minister Joannes EIDESGAARD (since 3 February
    2004)
  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 20 January 2004
    (next to be held no later than January 2008)
  election results: Joannes EIDESGAARD elected prime minister; percent of
    parliamentary vote - NA
  note: coalition of Social Democrats, Union Party, and People's Party

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Faroese Parliament or Logting (32 seats; members are elected by
  popular vote on a proportional basis from the seven constituencies to serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: last held 20 January 2004 (next to be held no later than January
    2008)
  election results: percent of vote by party - Union Party 23.7%, Social
    Democratic Party 21.8%, Republican Party 21.7%, People's Party 20.6%,
    Center Party 5.2%, Independence Party 4.6%; seats by party - Union Party
    7, Social Democratic Party 7, Republican Party 8, People's Party 7,
    Center Party 2, Independence Party 1
  note: election of two seats to the Danish Parliament was last held on 8
    February 2005 (next to be held February 2009); results - percent of vote
    by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 1, People's Party 1

Judicial branch:
  none

Political parties and leaders:
  Center Party [Jenis A. RANA]; Independence Party [Kari P. HOJGAARD];
  People's Party [Anfinn KALLSBERG]; Republican Party [Hogni HOYDAL]; Social
  Democratic Party [Joannes EIDESGAARD]; Union Party [Kaj Oeo JOHANNESEN]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

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

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Diplomatic representation 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)

§5. Faroe Islands Economy

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 minimal 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 have helped
  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 (about
  15% of GDP) from Denmark, the Faroese have a standard of living not far
  below the Danes and other Scandinavians.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $1 billion (2001 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  NA

GDP - real growth rate:
  10% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $22,000 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 27%
  industry: 11%
  services: 62% (1999)

Labor force:
  24,250 (October 2000)

Labor force - 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%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  5.1% (1999)

Budget:
  revenues: $488 million
  expenditures: $484 million; including capital expenditures of $21 million
    (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.)

Electricity - production:
  260.2 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  242 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  4,500 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Exports:
  $533 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  fish and fish products 94%, stamps, ships (1999)

Exports - partners:
  Denmark 33.5%, UK 29.7%, Norway 8.4%, Nigeria 7.1% (2004)

Imports:
  $639 million c.i.f. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  consumer goods 36%, raw materials and semi-manufactures 32%, machinery and
  transport equipment 29%, fuels, fish, salt (1999)

Imports - partners:
  Denmark 52.5%, Norway 18.2%, Iceland 5%, Sweden 4.2% (2004)

Debt - external:
  $64 million (1999)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $135 million (annual subsidy from Denmark) (1998)

Currency (code):
  Danish krone (DKK)

Exchange rates:
  Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004), 6.5877 (2003),
  7.8947 (2002), 8.3228 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Faroe Islands Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  24,000 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  41,300 (2004)

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

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 1, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:
  3 (plus 43 low-power repeaters) (September 1995)

Internet country code:
  .fo

Internet hosts:
  3,146 (2005)

Internet users:
  31,000 (2005)

§7. Faroe Islands Transportation

Airports:
  1 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 458 km
  note: no roads between towns (2003)

Merchant marine:
  total: 19 ships (1000 GRT or over) 93,905 GRT/58,764 DWT
  by type: cargo 9, container 2, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 2
  foreign-owned: 9 (Germany 1, Iceland 3, Norway 4, UK 1) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Torshavn

§8. Faroe Islands Military

Military branches:
  no regular military forces

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  NA

Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of Denmark

§9. Faroe Islands Transnational Issues

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


<Factbook 2006>
