1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (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
Environment
precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands; archipelago of 18 inhabited islands and a few uninhabited islets
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 2%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 98%
Maritime claims
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 3 nm
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
Total area
1,400 km2; land area: 1,400 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
17 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
homogeneous Scandinavian population
Infant mortality rate
9 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
17,585; largely engaged in fishing, manufacturing, transportation, and commerce
Language
Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish
Life expectancy at birth
75 years male, 81 years female (1991)
Literacy
NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Nationality
noun--Faroese (sing., pl.); adjective--Faroese
Net migration rate
0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
NA
Population
48,151 (July 1991), growth rate 0.9% (1991)
Religion
Evangelical Lutheran
Total fertility rate
2.2 children born/woman (1991)
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
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; 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
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 Atli P. DAM (since 15 January 1991)
Legal system
Danish
Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament (Logting)
Long-form name
none
National holiday
Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)
Political parties and leaders
two-party ruling coalition--Social Democratic Party, Atli P. DAM; People's Party, Jogvan SUNDSTEIN; opposition--Cooperation Coalition Party, Pauli ELLEFSEN; Republican Party, Signer HANSEN; Progressive and Fishing Industry Party-Christian People's Party (PFIP-CPP), leader NA; Progress Party, leader NA; Home Rule Party, Hilmar KASS
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
Budget
revenues $442 million; expenditures $442 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1989)
Currency
Danish krone (plural--kroner); 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 ore
Economic aid
none
Electricity
80,000 kW capacity; 280 million kWh produced, 5,910 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1--5.817 (January 1991), 6.189 (1990), 7.310 (1989), 6.732 (1988), 6.840 (1987), 8.091 (1986), 10.596 (1985)
Exports
$343 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--fish and fish products 88%, animal feedstuffs, transport equipment; partners--Denmark 16%, UK 14%, FRG 13.4%, US 10%, France 9%, Japan 5%
External debt
$1.3 billion (1989)
Fiscal year
1 April-31 March
GDP
$662 million, per capita $14,000; real growth rate 3% (1989 est.)
Imports
$344 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities--machinery and transport equipment 30%, manufactures 16%, food and livestock 15%, chemicals 6%, fuels 4%; partners: Denmark 44%, Norway 16%, FRG 6%, Sweden 6%, US 3%
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
fishing, shipbuilding, handicrafts
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.0% (1988)
Overview
The Faroese, who have long been enjoying the affluent living standards of the Danes and other Scandinavians, now must cope with the decline of the all-important fishing industry and with an external debt twice the size of annual income. When the nations of the world extended their fishing zones to 200 nautical miles in the early 1970s, the Faroese no longer could continue their traditional long-distance fishing and subsequently depleted their own nearby fishing areas; one estimate foresaw a 25% drop in fish catch in 1990 alone. Half the fishing fleet is for sale, and the 22 fish-processing plants work at only half capacity. The government no longer can maintain its high level of spending on roads and tunnels, hospitals, sports facilities, and other social welfare programs.
Unemployment rate
NA%, but increasing
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
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
Branches
no organized native military forces; only a small Police Force is maintained
Note
defense is the responsibility of Denmark _%_