1990 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1990 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy
Coastline
764 km
Comparative area
slightly less than eight times the size of Washington, DC
Contiguous zone
4 nm;
Continental shelf
200 meters or to depth of exploitation;
Environment
precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands; archipelago of 18 inhabited islands and a few uninhabited islets
Exclusive fishing zone
200 nm;
Land boundaries
none
Land use
2% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 98% other
Natural resources
fish
Note
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
People and Society
Birth rate
17 births/1,000 population (1990)
Death rate
8 deaths/1,000 population (1990)
Ethnic divisions
homogeneous Scandinavian population
Infant mortality rate
9 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)
Labor force
17,585; largely engaged in fishing, manufacturing, transportation, and commerce
Language
Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish
Life expectancy at birth
74 years male, 81 years female (1990)
Literacy
99%
Nationality
noun--Faroese (sing., pl.); adjective--Faroese
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1990)
Organized labor
NA
Population
47,715 (July 1990), growth rate 0.9% (1990)
Religion
Evangelical Lutheran
Total fertility rate
2.2 children born/woman (1990)
Government
Administrative divisions
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
Capital
Torshavn
Communists
insignificant number
Constitution
Danish
Diplomatic representation
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
Elections
Parliament--last held 8 November 1988 (next to be held November 1992); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(32 total) three-party coalition 21 (People's Party 8, Cooperation Coalition Party 7, Republican Party 6); Social Democrat 7, CPP-PFIP 2, Home Rule 2
Executive branch
Danish monarch, high commissioner, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet (Landsstyri)
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)
Independence
part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark
Judicial branch
none
Leaders
Chief of State--Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Bent KLINTE (since NA); Head of Government--Prime Minister Jogvan SUNDSTEIN (since 17 January 1989)
Legal system
Danish
Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament (Logting)
Long-form name
none
Member of
Nordic Council
National holiday
Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)
Political parties and leaders
four-party ruling coalition--People's Party, Jogvan Sundstein; Republican Party, Signer Hansen; Progressive and Fishing Industry Party combined with the Christian People's Party (CPP-PFIP); Home Rule Party, Hilmar Kass; opposition--Social Democratic Party, Atli P. Dam; Cooperation Coalition Party, Pauli Ellefsen; Progress Party
Suffrage
universal at age 20
Type
part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark
Economy
Agriculture
accounts for 27% of GDP and employs 27% of labor force; principal crops--potatoes and vegetables; livestock--sheep; annual fish catch about 360,000 metric tons
Aid
none
Budget
revenues $176 million; expenditures $176 million, including capital expenditures of NA (FY86)
Currency
Danish krone (plural--kroner); 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 ore
Electricity
80,000 kW capacity; 280 million kWh produced, 5,910 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1--6.560 (January 1990), 7.310 (1989), 6.732 (1988), 6.840 (1987), 8.091 (1986), 10.596 (1985)
Exports
$267 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities--fish and fish products 86%, animal feedstuffs, transport equipment; partners--Denmark 18%, US 14%, FRG, France, UK, Canada
External debt
$NA
Fiscal year
1 April-31 March
GDP
$662 million, per capita $14,000; real growth rate 3%
Imports
$363 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities--machinery and transport equipment 38%, food and livestock 11%, fuels 10%, manufactures 10%, chemicals 5%; partners: Denmark 46%, FRG, Norway, Japan, UK
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
fishing, shipbuilding, handicrafts
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.0% (1988)
Overview
The Faroese enjoy the high standard of living characteristic of the Danish and other Scandinavian economies. Fishing is the dominant economic activity. It employs over 25% of the labor force, accounts for about 25% of GDP, and contributes over 80% to export revenues. A handicraft industry employs about 20% of the labor force. Because of cool summers agricultural activities are limited to raising sheep and to potato and vegetable cultivation. There is a labor shortage, and immigrant workers accounted for 5% of the work force in 1989. Denmark annually subsidizes the economy, perhaps on the order of 15% of GDP.
Unemployment rate
labor shortage
Communications
Airports
1 with permanent-surface runway 1,220-2,439 m
Highways
200 km
Merchant marine
7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 17,249 GRT/11,887 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 2 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo; note--a subset of the Danish register
Ports
Torshavn, Tvoroyri; 8 minor
Telecommunications
good international communications; fair domestic facilities; 27,900 telephones; stations--1 AM, 3 (10 repeaters) FM, 3 (29 repeaters) TV; 3 coaxial submarine cables
Military and Security
Note
defense is the responsibility of Denmark