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Faroe Islands

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Great
Britain

   Føroyar
   Færøerne
   Faroe Islands

   Flag of Faroe Islands Coat of arms of Faroe Islands
   Flag                  Coat of arms
   Anthem: Tú alfagra land mítt
   "You, my most beauteous land"
   Location of Faroe Islands
   Capital
   (and largest city) Tórshavn
   62°00′N 06°47′W
   Official languages Faroese
   Government
    - Monarch Margrethe II
    - Prime Minister Jóannes Eidesgaard
   Independence None
   (part of the  Kingdom of Denmark)
    - Home rule 1948
   Area
    - Total 1,399 km² ( 180th)
   540 sq mi
    - Water (%) 0.5
   Population
    - August 2006 estimate 47,017 ( 208th)
    - 2004 census 48,470
    - Density 34/km² ( 169th)
   88/sq mi
   GDP ( PPP) 2005 estimate
    - Total $1.0 billion ( not ranked)
    - Per capita $22,000 (2001 estimate) ( not ranked)
   HDI  (2003) 0.941^1 (high) ( 14th)
   Currency Faroese króna^2 ( DKK)
   Time zone GMT ( UTC)
    - Summer ( DST) EST ( UTC+1)
   Internet TLD .fo
   Calling code +298
   ^1 Information for Denmark including the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
   ^2 The currency is issued at par to the Danish kroner printed with
   Faroese motifs, but following same standard (size and security features
   of the Danish coins and banknotes). Faroese krónur (singular króna) use
   the Danish ISO 4217 code DKK.

   The Faroe Islands or simply Faroes ( Faroese: Føroyar, meaning "Sheep
   Islands", Danish: Færøerne) are a group of islands in Northern Europe,
   between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half
   of the way from Iceland to Norway. They have been an autonomous region
   of the Kingdom of Denmark since 1948 and have, over the years, taken
   control of most matters, except defence (they have a small organized
   native military in Mjørkadalur, including a small Police force and
   Coast Guard) and foreign affairs which is the responsibility of
   Denmark.

   The Faroes have close traditional ties to Iceland, Shetland, Orkney,
   the Outer Hebrides and Greenland. The archipelago was detached from
   Norway in 1814. The Faroes are represented in the Nordic Council as a
   part of the Danish Delegation.

History

   The early history of the Faroe Islands is not very clear. The earliest
   text which is believed to include a description of the Faroe Islands,
   was written by an Irish monk named Dicuil. Dicuil had met a "man worthy
   of trust" who related to his master, the abbot Sweeney (Suibhne), how
   he had landed on the Faroe Islands after having navigated "two days and
   a summer night in a little vessel of two banks of oars." Around A.D.
   825, Dicuil wrote a book, Liber de Mensura Orbis Terrae,
   (Measure/description of the sphere of the earth) in which he states:

          "Many other islands lie in the northerly British Ocean. One
          reaches them from the northerly British islands, by sailing
          directly for two days and two nights with a full sail in a
          favourable wind the whole time.... Most of these islands are
          small, they are separated by narrow channels, and for nearly a
          hundred years hermits lived there, coming from our Scotland
          (i.e. Ireland) by boat. But just as these islands have been
          uninhabited from the beginning of the world, so now the
          Norwegian pirates have driven away the monks; but countless
          sheep and many different species of sea-fowl are to be found
          there..."

   The physical description of these islands and the travel time
   described, fits the Faroe Islands, and the name Faeroe is thought to
   mean Sheep Islands. According to this, the first settlers in the Faroe
   Islands were Irish monks, who introduced sheep and oats to Faroe.
   Proving this theory, recent pollen analysis show that oats were grown
   in the Faroes about the year 650 A.D.

   Later the Vikings replaced the Irish settlers, bringing the Old Norse
   language to the islands, which locally evolved into the modern Faroese
   language spoken today. Although the settlers were Norwegians, most of
   them probably didn't come from Norway, but rather from the Norwegian
   settlements in Shetland, Orkney and around the Irish Sea, so-called
   Norse-Gaels.
   The first Norwegian settler in the Faroe Isles mentioned in the "
   Landnama Bók" was called Grímr Camban. While his fist name "Grímr" is
   obvious Norwegian, his surname "Cambán" is Gaelic. Thus he most likely
   was a so-called Norse-Gael from the British Isles. These Norse-Gaels
   had intermarried with the local Gaelic speaking people in Britain, a
   feature that is still visible in the Faroese genes today, which prove
   to be mixed Scandinavian-British.

   The fact that settlers from Norway also settled in the Faroe Islands is
   proven by a rune stone found in the village of Sandavágur on Vágoy
   Island. It says: "Þorkil Ønundsson, austmaðr af Hrua landi, byggði
   þennan stað fystr". I.e. "Thorkil Oenundsson, eastman (Norwegian) from
   Rogaland, settled first in this place (Sandavágur)".
   This description "eastman" (from Norway) has to be seen together with
   the discription "westman" (From Ireland/Scotland) which is to be found
   in local place-names such as " Vestmanna-havn" i.e. "Irish-mens
   harbour" in the Faroe Isles, and " Vestmannaeyjar" i.e. "Irish-mens
   islands" in Iceland.

   According to Færeyinga Saga emigrants who left Norway to escape the
   tyranny of Harald I of Norway settled in the islands about the
   beginning of the 9th century. Early in the 11th century, Sigmund, whose
   family had flourished in the southern islands but had been almost
   exterminated by invaders from the northern islands, escaped to Norway
   and was sent back to take possession of the islands for Olaf
   Tryggvason, king of Norway. He introduced Christianity and, though he
   was subsequently murdered, Norwegian supremacy was upheld. Norwegian
   control of the islands continued until 1380, when Norway entered into a
   union with Denmark, which gradually evolved into Danish control of the
   islands. The reformation reached the Faroes in 1538. When the union
   between Denmark and Norway was dissolved as a result of the Treaty of
   Kiel in 1814, Denmark retained possession of the Faroe Islands.

   The monopoly trade over the Faroe Islands was abolished in 1856. Since
   then, the country developed towards a modern fishery nation with its
   own fleet. The national awakening since 1888 was first based on a
   struggle for the Faroese language, and thus more culturally oriented,
   but after 1906 was more and more politically oriented after the
   foundation of the political parties of the Faroe Islands.

   On April 12, 1940, the Faroes were invaded and occupied by British
   troops. The move followed the invasion of Denmark by Nazi Germany and
   had the objective of strengthening British control of the North
   Atlantic (see Second Battle of the Atlantic). In 1942– 43 the British
   Royal Engineers built the only airport in the Faroes, the Vágar
   Airport. Control of the islands reverted to Denmark following the war,
   but in 1948 a home rule regime was implemented granting a high degree
   of local autonomy. The Faroes declined to join Denmark in entering the
   European Community (now European Union) in 1973. The islands
   experienced considerable economic difficulties following the collapse
   of the fishing industry in the early 1990s, but have since made efforts
   to diversify the economy. Support for independence has grown and is the
   objective of the government.
   Faroe islands map with island names.
   Enlarge
   Faroe islands map with island names.

Politics

   Tinganes in Tórshavn, seat of the government
   Enlarge
   Tinganes in Tórshavn, seat of the government

   The islands are administratively divided into 34 municipalities with
   about 120 cities and villages.

   Traditionally, there are also the 6 sýslur ( Norðoyar, Eysturoy,
   Streymoy, Vágar, Sandoy and Suðuroy). Sýsla means district and although
   it is only a police district today, it is still commonly understood as
   a geographical region. In earlier times, each sýsla had its own ting,
   the so called várting (spring ting).

   Today, elections are held in the municipalities, on a national level
   for the Løgting, and inside the Kingdom of Denmark for the Folketing.
   For the Løgting elections there are 7 electoral districts, each one
   comprising a sýsla, while Streymoy is divided into a northern and
   southern part (Tórshavn region).

   The Government of the Faroes holds the executive power in local
   government affairs. The Head of the government is called the Løgmaður
   or Prime Minister in English. Any other member of the cabinet is called
   a landsstýrismaður.

The Faroes and Denmark

   The Treaty of Kiel in 1814 terminated the Danish-Norwegian union.
   Norway came under the rule of the King of Sweden, but the Faroe
   Islands, Iceland and Greenland remained as possessions of Denmark. In
   continuation of this the Løgting was abolished ( 1816), and the Faroe
   Islands were to be governed as a regular Danish amt, with the Amtmand
   as its head of government. In 1851 the Løgting was resurrected, but
   served mainly as an advisory power until 1948.

   At the end of the Second World War a portion of the population favoured
   independence from Denmark, and on September 14, 1946 a public election
   was held on the question of secession. It is not considered a
   referendum, as the parliament was not bound to follow the decision of
   the vote. This was the first time that the Faroese people were asked if
   they favoured independence or if they wanted to continue as a part of
   the Danish Kingdom. The outcome of the vote produced a small majority
   in favour of secession, but the coalition in parliament could not reach
   a resolution on how this election should be interpreted and
   implemented, and because of these irresolvable differences the
   coalition fell apart. A parliament election was held just a few months
   later, in which the political parties who favoured staying in the
   Danish Kingdom went up in votes and formed a coalition. Based on their
   growth in votes they chose not to pass the secession. Instead a
   compromise was made and the Folketing passed a home-rule law which came
   into effect in 1948. The Faroe Islands' status as a Danish amt was
   brought to an end with the home-rule law; the Faroe Islands were given
   a high degree of self-governance, supported by a substantial annual
   subsidy from Denmark.

   The islanders are about evenly split between those favouring
   independence and those who prefer to continue as a part of the Kingdom
   of Denmark. Within both camps there is, however, a wide range of
   opinions. Of those who favour independence some are in favour of an
   immediate unilateral declaration. Others see it as something to be
   attained gradually and in full consent with the Danish government and
   the Danish nation. In the unionist camp there are also many who foresee
   and welcome a gradual increase in autonomy even as strong ties to
   Denmark are maintained.

The Faroes and the EU

   The Faroe Islands are not part of the EU, as explicitly asserted by
   both Rome treaties. Moreover, a protocol to the treaty of accession of
   Denmark to the European Communities stipulates that Danish nationals
   residing in the Faroe Islands are not to be considered as Danish
   nationals within the meaning of the treaties. Hence, Danish people
   living in the Faroes are not citizens of the European Union (however,
   other EU nationals living there remain EU citizens). The Faroes are not
   covered by the Schengen free movement agreement but there are no border
   checks when travelling between the Faroes and any Schengen country.

Geography

   Faroe Islands NASA satellite image.
   Enlarge
   Faroe Islands NASA satellite image.
   The uninhabited island Lítla Dímun.
   Enlarge
   The uninhabited island Lítla Dímun.

   The Faroe Islands are an island group consisting of 18 islands, off the
   coast of Northern Europe, between the Norwegian Sea and the north
   Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Iceland to Norway. Its
   coordinates are 62°00′N 06°47′W, and it has 1,399 square kilometres
   (540  sq. mi) in area, and includes no major lakes or rivers. There are
   1,117 kilometres (694  mi) of coastline, and no land boundaries with
   any other country. The only island that is uninhabited is Lítla Dímun.

   The Faroe Islands generally have cool summers and mild winters, with a
   usually overcast sky and frequent fog and heavy winds. The fog often
   causes delays of aeroplanes. The islands are rugged and rocky with some
   low peaks; the coasts are mostly bordered by cliffs. The highest point
   is Slættaratindur, 882 metres (2,894  ft) above sea level.

   See also:
     * List of regions in the Faroe Islands
     * Maps of the Faroe Islands

Natural history and biology

   A collection of the marine algae from the Faroes resulting from a
   survey sponsored by NATO, the British Museum (Natural History) and
   Carlsberg Foundation is preserved in the Ulster Museum catalogue
   numbers: F3195 - F3307. It is one of 10 exsiccatae sets.

Economy

   After the severe economic troubles of the early 1990s, brought on by a
   drop in the vital fish catch and poor management of the economy, the
   Faroe Islands have come back in the last few years, with unemployment
   down to 5% in mid- 1998. In 2006 unemployment declined to 3%, one of
   the lowest rates in Europe. Nevertheless, the almost total dependence
   on fishing means the economy remains extremely vulnerable. The Faroese
   hope to broaden their economical base by building new fish-processing
   plants. Petroleum found close to the Faroese area gives hope for
   deposits in the immediate area, which may lay the basis to sustained
   economic prosperity.

   Since 2000, new information technology and business projects have been
   fostered in the Faroe Islands to attract new investment. The result
   from these projects is not yet known but is hoped to bring a better
   market economy to the Faroe Islands.

   The Faroes have one of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe, but
   this is not necessarily a sign of a recovering economy, as many young
   students move to Denmark and other countries once they are finished
   with high school. This leaves a largely middle-aged and elderly
   population that may lack the skills and knowledge to take IT positions
   on the Faroes.

Transportation

   Vágar Airport has scheduled service to destinations from Vágoy Island.
   The largest Faroese airline is Atlantic Airways; there is also the new
   rival FaroeJet.

   Due to the rocky terrain and relatively small size of the Faroe
   Islands, its transportation system was not as extensive as other places
   of the world. This situation has changed, and today the infrastructure
   has been developed extensively. Some 80% of the population in the
   islands is connected by under-ocean tunnels, bridges and embankments
   which binds the 3 largest islands and 3 comparatively large islands to
   the northeast together, while the other two large islands to the south
   of the main area are connected to the main area with brand new modern,
   fast ferries. There are good roads that lead to every village in the
   islands except 7 of the smaller islands with only one village each.

Demographics

   The vast majority of the population are ethnic Faroese, of Norse and
   Celtic descent.

   Recent DNA analyses have revealed that the male genes are 87%
   Scandinavian and the female genes are 84% British.

   Of the approximately 48,000 inhabitants of the Faroe Islands (16,921
   private households (2004)) 98% are realm citizens, meaning Faroese,
   Danish or Greenlandic. By birthplace one can derive the following
   origins of the inhabitants: born on the Faroes 91.7%, in Denmark 5.8%
   and in Greenland 0.3%. The largest group of foreigners are Icelanders
   comprising 0.4% of the population, followed by Norwegians and Polish
   which each comprising 0.2%. Altogether, on the Faroe Islands there are
   people from 77 different nationalities.

   Faroese is spoken in the entire country. It is not possible to say
   exactly how many people speak the Faroese language. This is because of
   two reasons: Firstly, many ethnic Faroese live in Denmark and few who
   are born there return to the Faroes with their parents or as adults.
   Secondly, there are some established Danish families on the Faroes who
   speak Danish at home.

   The Faroese language is the smallest of the Germanic languages. In the
   20th Century Faroese became the host language; Danish only has the
   purpose of a language of commerce.

   Also, the Faroese language policy provides for an active creation of
   new terms in Faroese suitable for modern life.

Population trends

   If the first inhabitants of the Faroe Islands were Irish monks, then
   they must have lived as a very small group of settlers. Later, when the
   Vikings colonised the Islands, there was a considerable increase in the
   population. However, it never exceeded 5000 until the 18th Century.
   Around 1349 about half of the islands' people died of the plague.

   Only through the rise of the deep sea fishery (and thus independence
   from the difficult agriculture) and with general progress in the health
   service was a rapid population growth possible in the Faroes; beginning
   in the 18th Century, the population increased tenfold in 200 years.

   At the beginning of the 1990s the Faroe Islands entered a heavy
   economic crisis with heavy, noticeable emigration; however this trend
   reversed in subsequent years to a net immigration.
         Year       Inhabitants
   1327               ca. 4,000
   1350               ca. 2,000
   1769                   4,773
   1801                   5,255
   1834                   6,928
   1840                   7,314
   1845                   7,782
   1850                   8,137
   1855                   8,651
   1880                  11,220
   1900                  15,230
   1911              ca. 18,800
   1925                  22,835
   1950                  31,781
   1970              ca. 38,000
   1975                  40,441
   1985                  45,749
   31 December 1989      47,787
   31 December 1995      43,358
   31 December 1996      43,784
   31 December 1997      44,262
   31 December 1998      44,817
   31 December 1999      45,409
   31 December 2000      46,196
   31 December 2001      46,996
   31 December 2002      47,704
   31 December 2003      48,214
   1 December 2004       48,353

Urbanization

   The Faroese population is spread across most of the country; and it was
   not until recent decades that significant urbanization occurred.
   Industrialization has been remarkably decentralized and the country has
   therefore maintained quite a viable rural culture. Nevertheless,
   villages with poor harbour facilities have been the losers of the
   development from agriculture to fishing, and in the most peripheral
   agricultural areas there are scarcely any young people left. This
   includes areas such as Fugloy, Svínoy, Mykines, Skúvoy and Dímun, which
   have extremely poor connections to the rest of the country, and cannot
   always be reached every day, often due to bad weather. In recent
   decades, the village-based social structure has nevertheless been
   placed under pressure; instead there has been a rise in "centres" that
   are able to provide goods in demand in the periphery. This has meant
   that shops and services are now relocating en masse from the villages
   into the centres.

Religion

   Tórshavn Dome
   Enlarge
   Tórshavn Dome

   According to Færeyinga Saga, Sigmundur Brestisson brought Christianity
   to the islands in 999. However, a find at a dig site in Leirvík
   suggests that the Faroes were Christian maybe 150 years before that.
   The reformation was completed in the Faroe Islands on 1 January 1540.
   According to official statistics from 2002, 84.1% of the Faroese
   population are members of the state church, the Faroese People's Church
   (Fólkakirkjan), a form of Lutheranism. Faroese members of the clergy
   who have had historical importance include V. U. Hammershaimb
   (1819-1909), Frederik Petersen (1853-1917) and perhaps most
   significantly Jákup Dahl (1878-1944) who had a great influence in
   making sure that the Faroese language was spoken in the church instead
   of Danish.

   In the late 1820s the Christian Evangelical religious movement the
   Plymouth Brethren was established in England. Around 1860 a member of
   this movement William Gibson Sloan travelled to the Faroes from
   Shetland. At the turn of the 19th Century the Faroese Plymouth Brethren
   counted 30 members. Today, approximately 10% of the Faroese population
   are members of the Brethren Community (in Faroese, Brøðrasamkoman), as
   they now call themselves. About 5% belong to other Christian churches,
   e.g. the Adventists who operate a private school in Tórshavn. The
   Catholic clergy comprises approximately 170 members. The municipality
   of Tórshavn operates their old Franciscan school. There are also around
   fifteen Bahá'í who meet at four different places. Unlike Iceland, there
   is no organized Ásatrú community.
   The modern Frederik´s Church in Nes.
   Enlarge
   The modern Frederik´s Church in Nes.

   The best known church buildings in the Faroe Islands include St. Olafs
   Church and the unfinished Magnus Cathedral in Kirkjubøur; the
   Vesturkirkjan and the Maria Church, both of which are situated in
   Tórshavn; the church of Fámjin; the octagonal church in Haldarsvík;
   Christianskirkjan in Klaksvík and also the two pictured here.

   In 1948 Victor Danielsen (Plymouth Brethren) completed the first bible
   translation. It was translated into Faroese from different modern
   languages. Jacob Dahl and Osvald Viderø (Fólkakirkjan) completed the
   second translation in 1961. The latter was translated from the original
   languages into Faroese.

Culture

   Technically, the phrase "Faroe Islands" is a pleonasm, since the
   suffixes øerne and oyar mean "islands" in Danish and Faroese,
   respectively. The Faroes have a culture very much their own, but it
   holds elements in common with Norway, Iceland, and Denmark.

   The Faroese language, spoken by Faroese people, is most similar to
   Icelandic and Old Norse.

Ólavsøka

   The national holiday, Ólavsøka, is on the 29th July, commemorating the
   death of Saint Olaf. Festivities commence on the evening of the 28th.
   On the 29th, the Faroese Parliament meets for a service in Tórshavn
   Cathedral prior to a special Parliamentary session. Celebrations are
   marked by rowing competitions (notably in Tórshavn harbour), art
   exhibitions and the famous Faroese dance.

The Nordic House in the Faroe Islands

   The Nordic House in the Faroe Islands (in Faroese Norðurlandahúsið) is
   the most important cultural institution in the Faroes. Its aim is to
   support and promote Nordic and Faroese culture, locally and in the
   Nordic region. Erlendur Patursson (1913-1986), Faroese member of the
   Nordic Council, brought forward the idea of a Nordic cultural house in
   the Faroe Islands. A Nordic competition for architects was held in
   1977, where 158 architects participated. Winners were Ola Steen from
   Norway and Kolbrún Ragnarsdóttir from Iceland. By staying true to
   folklore the architects built the Nordic House to resemble an
   enchanting hill of elves. The building is considered to be one of the
   most beautiful in Scandinavia. The house opened in Tórshavn in 1983.
   The Nordic House is organized as a cultural organization under the
   Nordic Council of Ministers. The Nordic House is run by a steering
   committee of 8, of which 3 are Faroese and 5 from the outside Nordic
   countries. There is also a local advisory body of 15 members,
   representing Faroese cultural organizations. The House is managed by a
   director appointed by the steering committee for a four-year term.

Traditional food

   Traditional Faroese food: Dried mutton and whale meat and blubber.
   Enlarge
   Traditional Faroese food: Dried mutton and whale meat and blubber.
   Skerpikjot
   Enlarge
   Skerpikjot

   Traditional Faroese food is mainly based on meat and potatoes and uses
   few fresh vegetables. Mutton is the basis of many meals, and one of the
   most popular treats is skerpikjøt, well aged, wind-dried mutton which
   is quite chewy. The drying shed, known as a hjallur, is a standard
   feature in many Faroese homes, particularly in the small towns and
   villages. Other traditional foods are ræst kjøt (semi-dried mutton) and
   ræstur fiskur, matured fish. Another Faroese specialty is grind og
   spik, pilot whale meat and blubber. Well into the last century meat and
   blubber from the pilot whale meant food for a long time. Fresh fish
   also features strongly in the traditional local diet, as do seabirds,
   such as puffins, and their eggs.

The Faroe Islands in popular culture

     * In the book Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, a floating
       fortress has been anchored between the Faroe Islands and Iceland on
       ca. 4 April 1984.
     * The climax of John Buchan's novel The Isle of Sheep takes place on
       the Faroes.
     * William R. Trotter's novel Warrener's Beastie is principally set in
       the Faroes.
     * Susanna Kaysen's novel "Far Afield" involves the Faroes and takes
       place in part there.
     * Laureate Dutch writer Bernlef situated his novel "Onder IJsbergen"
       in the Faroes.

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