1988 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1988 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Climate
mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy
Coastline
764 km
Comparative area
slightly larger than Rhode Island
Contiguous zone
4 nm
Continental shelf
200 meters or to depth of exploitation
Environment
precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands; archipelago consists of 18 inhabited islands and a few uninhabited islets
Ethnic divisions
homogeneous white population
Exclusive fishing zone
200 nm
Labor force
17,585; largely engaged in fishing, manufacturing, transportation, and commerce
Land use
2% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadcws and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 98% other
Language
Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish
Literacy
99%
Monetary conversion rate
0.70 Falkland Island pound=0.70 pound sterling=US$l (November 1986)
Nationality
noun— Faroese (sing., pi.); adjective — Faroese
Population
46,429 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 0.91%
Religion
Evangelical Lutheran
Special notes
strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic about midway between Iceland and Shetland Islands
Terrain
rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast
Territorial sea
3 nm
Total area
1,400 km2; land area: 1,400 km2
Government
Administrative divisions
7 districts, 49 communes, 1 town
Branches
legislative authority rests jointly with Crown, acting through appointed High Commissioner, and 32-member 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
Capital
Torshavn on the island of Streymoy
Communists
insignificant number
Elections
held every four years; most recent, 8 November 1984 Political parties and leaders: four-party ruling coalition— Social Democratic, Atli Dam; Republican, Erlendur Patursson; Home Rule, Tobj0rn Poulsen; Peoples, Jogvan Sundstei i
Government leaders
MARGRETHE II, Queen (since January 1972); Atli DAM, Lagmand, Prime Minister (since December 1984); Niels BENTSEN, Danish Governor (since 1981)
Legal system
based on Danish law; Home Rule Act enacted 1948
Member of
Nordic Council
Official name
Faroe Islands
Suffrage
universal, but not compulsory, over age 21
Type
self-governing province within the Kingdom of Denmark; 2 representatives in Danish parliament
Voting strength
(January 1985) four-party coalition— 17 of 32 seats
Communications
Airfields
5 total, 4 usable, 1 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m
Civil air
no major transport aircraft
Highways
510 km total; 30 km paved, 80 km gravel, and 400 km unimproved earth
Ports
1 major (Port Stanley), 4 minor
Railroads
none
Telecommunications
governmentoperated radiotelephone networks providing effective service to almost all points on both islands; about 590 telephones (24.2 per 100 popl.); 1 AM, 1 FM, and 1 Atlantic satellite stations Defense Forces Defense is the responsibility of the United Kingdom Atlantic Ocean See rcgioni! mip V