Faroe islands

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Introduction - Faroe Islands:
Country	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.


Location - 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 land: 1,399 sq km water: 0 sq km (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 sq km

Natural hazards	NA

Environment current issues	NA

Environment international agreements	party to: Marine Dumping -associate member to the London Convention and Ship Pollution

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	47,511 (July 2007 est.)

Age structure	0-14 years: 20.6% (male 4,882/female 4,904) 15-64 years: 65.3% (male 16,353/female 14,668) 65 years and over: 14.1% (male 3,041/female 3,663) (2007 est.)

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

Median age	total: 35 years male: 34.8 years female: 35.3 years (2007 est.)

Population growth rate	0.543% (2007 est.)

Birth rate	14.12 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate	8.69 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

Sex ratio	at birth: 1 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.996 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.115 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1.045 male(s)/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate	total: 6.01 deaths/1,000 live births male: 7.25 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth	total population: 79.49 years male: 76.06 years female: 82.93 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate	2.15 children born/woman (2007 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

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

Government type	NA

Capital	name: Torshavn geographic coordinates: 62 01 N, 6 46 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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 34 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	the laws of Denmark, where applicable, apply

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

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%, Peoples Party 20.6%, Center Party 5.2%, Independence Party 4.6%, other 2.4%; seats by party - Republican Party 8, Union Party 7, Social Democratic Party 7, Peoples 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 in February 2009); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 1, Peoples Party 1

Judicial branch	none

Political parties and leaders	Center Party [Jenis A. RANA]; Independence Party [Kari P. HOJGAARD]; Peoples Party [Anfinn KALLSBERG]; Republican Party [Hogni HOYDAL]; Social Democratic Party [Joannes EIDESGAARD]; Union Party [Kaj Leo 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)

Economy - Faroe Islands:
Economy overview	The Faroese economy is dependent on fishing, which makes the economy vulnerable to price swings. Since 2003 the Faroese economy has picked up as a result of higher prices for fish and for housing. Unemployment is minimal and government finances are relatively sound. Oil finds close to the Islands give hope for economically recoverable deposits, which could eventually lay the basis for a more diversified economy and 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	$1.7 billion (2005 est.)

Gdp real growth rate	2.4% (2005 est.)

Gdp per capita ppp	$31,000 (2001 est.)

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

Labor force	24,250 (October 2000)

Labor force by occupation	agriculture: 33% industry: 33% services: 34%

Unemployment rate	2.1% (2006)

Population below poverty line	NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate consumer prices	1.8% (2005)

Budget	revenues: $588 million expenditures: $623 million; including capital expenditures of $34 million (2005)

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	292.6 million kWh (2004)

Electricity consumption	272.1 million kWh (2004)

Electricity exports	0 kWh (2004)

Electricity imports	0 kWh (2004)

Oil production	0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil consumption	4,550 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil exports	NA bbl/day

Oil imports	NA bbl/day

Oil proved reserves	0 bbl

Natural gas production	0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas consumption	0 cu m (2004 est.)

Exports	$598 million f.o.b. (2005 est.)

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

Exports partners	Denmark 31.6%, UK 26.8%, Norway 10.1%, Nigeria 9.2%, Netherlands 5.4% (2006)

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 52.4%, Norway 20.4%, Iceland 5.9%, Sweden 4.2% (2006)

Debt external	$64 million (1999)

Economic aid recipient	$105 million; note - annual subsidy from Denmark (2005)

Currency code	Danish krone (DKK)

Exchange rates	Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.9468 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004), 6.5877 (2003), 7.8947 (2002)

Communications - Faroe Islands:
Fiscal year	calendar year

Telephones main lines in use	23,000 (2006)

Telephones mobile cellular	50,000 (2006)

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 repeaters) (September 1995)

Internet country code	.fo

Internet hosts	6,915 (2006)

Internet users	34,000 (2006)

Transportation - Faroe Islands:
Airports	1 (2006)

Airports with paved runways	total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)

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

Merchant marine	total: 18 ships (1000 GRT or over) 19,265 GRT/9,171 DWT by type: cargo 10, container 2, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 2 foreign-owned: 8 (Iceland 4, Norway 4) (2006)

Ports and terminals	Torshavn

Military - Faroe Islands:
Military branches	no regular military forces

Manpower available for military service	males age 18-49: 10,695 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service	males age 18-49: 8,852 (2005 est.)

Military note	defense is the responsibility of Denmark

Manpower reaching military service age annually	males age 18-49: 366 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures percent of gdp	NA