[syn: Faroe Islands, Faeroe Islands, Faroes, Faeroes]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Faroe Islands
n 1: a self-governing colony that is a possession of Denmark in
the Faroe Islands [syn: Faroe Islands, Faeroe Islands,
Faroes, Faeroes]
2: a group of 21 volcanic islands in the North Atlantic between
Iceland and the Shetland Islands [syn: Faroe Islands,
Faeroe Islands, Faroes, Faeroes]
CIA World Factbook 2002:
Faroe Islands
Introduction Faroe Islands
--------------------------
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.
Geography Faroe Islands
-----------------------
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 sq km
water: 0 sq km (some lakes and
streams)
land: 1,399 sq km
Area - comparative: eight times the size of Washington,
DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 1,117 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
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 sq km (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
People Faroe Islands
--------------------
Population: 46,011 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 22.3% (male 5,149;
female 5,110)
15-64 years: 64% (male 15,650;
female 13,801)
65 years and over: 13.7% (male
2,818; female 3,483) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.74% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 13.74 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 8.69 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: 2.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/
female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 6.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.74 years
female: 82.21 years (2002 est.)
male: 75.28 years
Total fertility rate: 2.27 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ NA
AIDS:
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: similar to Denmark proper
Government Faroe Islands
------------------------
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Faroe
Islands
local short form: Foroyar
local long form: none
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, 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, and Home Rule
Party
elections: the monarch is
hereditary; high commissioner
appointed by the monarch; following
legislative elections, the leader of
the party that wins the most seats
is usually elected prime minister by
the Faroese Parliament; election
last held 30 April 1998 (next to be
held no later than April 2002)
head of government: Prime Minister
Anfinn KALLSBERG (since 15 May 1998)
cabinet: Landsstyri appointed by the
prime minister
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)
election results: percent of vote by
party - NA; seats by party - Union
Party 8, Republican Party 8, Social
Democrats 7, People's Party 7,
Independence 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 NICALSEN]; Home
Rule Party [Helena Dam a NEYSTABO];
Independence Party [leader NA];
People's Party [Oli BRECKMANN];
Republican Party [Finnabogi
ISAKSON]; Social Democratic Party
[Joannes EIDESGAARD]; Union Party
[Edmund JOENSEN]
Political pressure groups and NA
leaders:
International organization NC, NIB
participation:
Diplomatic representation in the US: none (self-governing overseas
administrative division of Denmark)
Diplomatic representation from the none (self-governing overseas
US: 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 Faroe Islands
---------------------
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 Denmark and 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.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $910
million (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $20,000
(2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 27%
industry: 11%
services: 62% (1999)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: NA%
percentage share: highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.1% (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)
Budget: revenues: $488 million
expenditures: $484 million,
including capital expenditures of
$21 million (1999)
Industries: fishing, fish processing,
shipbuilding, construction,
handicrafts
Industrial production growth rate: 8% (1999 est.)
Electricity - production: 165 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 60.61%
hydro: 39.39%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 153.45 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: milk, potatoes, vegetables; sheep;
salmon, other fish
Exports: $471 million (f.o.b., 1999)
Exports - commodities: fish and fish products 94%, stamps,
ships (1999)
Exports - partners: Denmark 32%, UK 21%, France 9%,
Germany 7%, Iceland 5%, US 5% (1996)
Imports: $469 million (c.i.f., 1999)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment
29%, consumer goods 36%, raw
materials and semi-manufactures 32%,
fuels, fish and salt (1999)
Imports - partners: Denmark 28%, Norway 26%, Germany 7%,
UK 6% Sweden 5%, Iceland 4%, US
(1999)
Debt - external: $64 million (1999)
Economic aid - recipient: $135 million (annual subsidy from
Denmark) (1999)
Currency: Danish krone (DKK)
Currency code: DKK
Exchange rates: Danish kroner per US dollar - 8.418
(January 2002), 8.323 (2001), 8.083
(2000), 6.976 (1999), 6.701 (1998),
6.604 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Faroe Islands
----------------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 24,851 (1999)
Telephones - 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
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: 26,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 3 (plus 43 low-power repeaters)
(September 1995)
Televisions: 15,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .fo
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (2000)
Internet users: 3,000 (2000)
Transportation Faroe Islands
----------------------------
Railways: 0 km
Highways: total: 463 km
paved: 454 km
unpaved: 9 km (1999)
Waterways: none
Ports and harbors: Torshavn, Klaksvik, Tvoroyri,
Runavik, Fuglafjordhur
Merchant marine: total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 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
Airports: 1 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2001)
Military Faroe Islands
----------------------
Military branches: no regular indigenous military
forces; small Police Force and Coast
Guard are maintained
Military expenditures - dollar $NA
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of NA%
GDP:
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of
Denmark
Transnational Issues Faroe Islands
----------------------------------
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