1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Area
1,340 km2; less than 5% arable, of which only a fraction cultivated; archipelago consisting of 18 inhabited islands and a few uninhabited islets WATER
Coastline
764 km
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
3 nm; fishing 200 nm
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
homogeneous white population
Labor force
15,000; largely engaged in fishing, manufacturing, transportation, and commerce
Languages
Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish
Literacy
99%
Nationality
noun—Faroese (sing., pl.); adjective—Faroese
Population
45,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 1.2% (current)
Religion
Evangelical Lutheran
Government
Branches
legislative authority rests jointly with Crown, acting through appointed High Commissioner,' and 32-members provincial parliament (Lagting) in matters of strictly Faroese concern; executive power vested in Crown, acting through High Commissioner, but exercised by provincial cabinet responsible to provincial parliament Government leaders: Queen MARGRETHE II; Lagmand (Chairman) Pauli ELLEFSEN; Danish Governor Leif GROTH
Capital
Torshavn on the island of Streymoy
Communists
insignificant number
Elections
held every four years; most recent, 8 November 1980 Political parties and leaders: Coalition, Pauli Effefsen; Peoples, Jogvan Sundstein; Republican, Erlendur Patursson; Home Rule, Tobjern Poulsen; Progressive and Fishermen's, Adolf Hansen; Social Democratic, Atli Dam Voting strength (1980 election): Coalition, 23.8%; Social Democratic, 21.7%; Republican, 17.0%; Peoples, 17.9%; Home Rule, 8.4%; Progressive and Fishermen's, 8.2%
Legal system
based on Danish law; Home Rule Act enacted 1948
Member of
Nordic Council
Official name
Faroe Islands
Political subdivisions
7 districts, 49 communes, 1 town
Suffrage
universal, but not compulsory, over age 21
Type
self-governing province within the Kingdom of Denmark; 2 representatives in Danish parliament
Economy
Agriculture
sheep and cattle grazing
Budget
(FY78) expenditures $73.3 million, revenues $73.3 million
Electric power
48,000 kW capacity (1980); 90 million kWh produced (1980), 2,140 kWh per capita
Exports
$150.7 million (f.o.b., 1979); mostly fish and fish products
Fiscal year
calendar year beginning 1 January 1979
Fishing
catch 261,800 metric tons (1979); exports, $131.6 million (1979 est.)
GDP
$420.8 million (1979), about $8,280 per capita
Imports
$205 8 million (c.i.f., 1979); machinery and transport equipment, petroleum and petroleum products, food products
Major industry
fishing
Major trade partners
48.1% Denmark, 8.9% US, 8.6% Norway, 8.1% UK (1978)
Monetary conversion rate
5.261 Danish Kroner=US$1
Communications
Airfields
1 with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439m
Civil air
no major transport aircraft
Highways
200 km
Ports
1 minor
Railroads
none
Telecommunications
good international communications; fair domestic facilities; 15,000 telephones (35 per 100 popl.); 1 AM and 3 FM stations; 3 coaxial submarine cables
Military and Security
Military manpower
males 15-49 included with Denmark