*Faroe Islands, Header
Affiliation: (part of the Danish realm)
*Faroe Islands, Geography
Location:
in the north Atlantic Ocean, located half way between Norway and Iceland
Map references:
Arctic Region
Area:
total area:
1,400 km2
land area:
1,400 km2
comparative area:
slightly less than eight times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
764 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
3 nm
International 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%
Irrigated land:
NA km2
Environment:
precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands; archipelago
of 18 inhabited islands and a few uninhabited islets
Note:
strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic
*Faroe Islands, People
Population:
48,065 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.67% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
18.45 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
7.57 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
-4.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
8.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
77.92 years
male:
74.51 years
female:
81.45 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.52 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Faroese (singular and plural)
adjective:
Faroese
Ethnic divisions:
Scandinavian
Religions:
Evangelical Lutheran
Languages:
Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish
Literacy:
total population:
NA%
male:
NA%
female:
NA%
Labor force:
17,585
by occupation:
largely engaged in fishing, manufacturing, transportation, and commerce
*Faroe Islands, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Faroe Islands local long form:
none
local short form:
Foroyar
Digraph:
FO
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:
none (part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative
division of Denmark)
Constitution:
Danish
Legal system:
Danish
National holiday:
Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)
Political parties and leaders:
three-party ruling coalition:
Social Democratic Party, Marita PETERSEN; Republican Party, Signer HANSEN;
Home Rule Party, Hilmar KASS
opposition:
Cooperation Coalition Party, Pauli ELLEFSEN; Progressive and Fishing
Industry Party-Christian People's Party (PFIP-CPP), leader NA; Progress
Party, leader NA; People's Party, Jogvan SUND-STEIN
Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal
Elections:
Danish Parliament:
last held on 12 December 1990 (next to be held by December 1994); results -
percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) Social Democratic 1, People's
Party 1; note - the Faroe Islands elects two representatives to the Danish
Parliament
Faroese Parliament:
last held 17 November 1990 (next to be held November 1994); results - Social
Democratic 27.4%, People's Party 21.9%, Cooperation Coalition Party 18.9%,
Republican Party 14.7%, Home Rule 8.8%, PFIP-CPP 5.9%, other 2.4%; seats -
(32 total) two-party coalition 17 (Social Democratic 10, People's Party 7),
Cooperation Coalition Party 6, Republican Party 4, Home Rule 3, PFIP-CPP 2
Executive branch:
Danish monarch, high commissioner, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
Cabinet (Landsstyri)
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (Lgting)
Judicial branch:
none
*Faroe Islands, Government
Leaders:
Chief of State:
Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner
Bent KLINTE (since NA)
Head of Government:
Prime Minister Marita PETERSEN (since 18 January 1993)
Member of:
none
Diplomatic representation in US:
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
US diplomatic representation:
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
Flag:
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)