1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 1,400 km2 land area: 1,400 km2 comparative area: slightly less than eight times the size of Washington, DC
Climate
mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy
Coastline
764 km
Environment
precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands; archipelago of 18 inhabited islands and a few uninhabited islets
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
NA km2
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 98%
Location
in the north Atlantic Ocean, located half way between Norway and Iceland
Map references
Arctic Region
Maritime claims
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 3 nm
Natural resources
fish
Note
strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic
Terrain
rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast
People and Society
Birth rate
18.45 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
7.57 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Scandinavian
Infant mortality rate
8.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
17,585 by occupation: largely engaged in fishing, manufacturing, transportation, and commerce
Languages
Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 77.92 years male: 74.51 years female: 81.45 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%
Nationality
noun: Faroese (singular and plural) adjective: Faroese
Net migration rate
-4.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
48,065 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
0.67% (1993 est.)
Religions
Evangelical Lutheran
Total fertility rate
2.52 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
Administrative divisions
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
Capital
Torshavn
Chief of State
Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Bent KLINTE (since NA)
Constitution
Danish
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
Digraph
FO
Diplomatic representation in US
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
Executive branch
Danish monarch, high commissioner, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet (Landsstyri)
Faroe Islands local long form
none local short form: Foroyar
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
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)
Head of Government
Prime Minister Marita PETERSEN (since 18 January 1993)
Independence
none (part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
Judicial branch
none
Legal system
Danish
Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament (Lgting)
Member of
none
Names
conventional long form: none conventional short form:
National holiday
Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)
Political parties and leaders
three-party ruling coalition: Social Democratic Party, Marita PETERSEN; Republican Party, Signer HANSEN; Home Rule Party, Hilmar KASS opposition: Cooperation Coalition Party, Pauli ELLEFSEN; Progressive and Fishing Industry Party-Christian People's Party (PFIP-CPP), leader NA; Progress Party, leader NA; People's Party, Jogvan SUND-STEIN
Suffrage
20 years of age; universal
Type
part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark
US diplomatic representation
none (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 $425 million; expenditures $480 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.)
Currency
1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 ore
Economic aid
receives an annual subsidy from Denmark of about $130 million
Electricity
80,000 kW capacity; 280 million kWh produced, 5,760 kWh per capita (1992)
Exchange rates
Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1 - 6.236 (January 1993), 6.036 (1992), 6.396 (1991), 6.189 (1990), 7.310 (1989), 6.732 (1988)
Exports
$386 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: fish and fish products 88%, animal feedstuffs, transport equipment (ships) (1989) partners: Denmark 20%, Germany 18.3%, UK 14.2%, France 11.2%, Spain 7.9%, US 4.5%
External debt
$1.3 billion (1991)
Fiscal year
1 April - 31 March
Imports
$322 million (c.i.f., 1990 est.) commodities: machinery and transport equipment 24.4%, manufactures 24%, food and livestock 19%, fuels 12%, chemicals 6.5% partners: Denmark 43.8%, Norway 19.8%, Sweden 4.9%, Germany 4.2%, US 1.3%
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
fishing, shipbuilding, handicrafts
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2% (1988)
National product
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $662 million (1989 est.)
National product per capita
$14,000 (1989 est.)
National product real growth rate
3% (1989 est.)
Overview
The Faroese, who have long enjoyed the affluent living standards of the Danes and other Scandinavians, now must cope with the decline of the all-important fishing industry and one of the world's heaviest per capita external debts of nearly $30,000. 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. The government's tight controls on fish stocks and its austerity measures have caused a recession, and subsidy cuts will force nationalization in the fishing industry, which has already been plagued with bankruptcies. Copenhagen has threatened to withhold its annual subsidy of $130 million - roughly one-third of the islands' budget revenues - unless the Faroese make significant efforts to balance their budget. To this extent the Faroe government is expected to continue its tough policies, including introducing a 20% VAT in 1993, and has agreed to an IMF economic-political stabilization plan. In addition to its annual subsidy, the Danish government has bailed out the second largest Faroe bank to the tune of $140 million since October 1992.
Unemployment rate
5%-6% (1991 est.)
Communications
Airports
total: 1 useable: 1 with permanent-surface runways: 1 with runways over 3659 m: with runways 2440-3659 m: with runways 1220-2439 m: 1
Highways
200 km
Merchant marine
10 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 22,015 GRT/24,007 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 5 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off, 2 refrigerated cargo; note - a subset of the Danish register
Ports
Torshavn, Tvoroyri
Telecommunications
good international communications; fair domestic facilities; 27,900 telephones; broadcast stations - 1 AM, 3 (10 repeaters) FM, 3 (29 repeaters) TV; 3 coaxial submarine cables
Military and Security
Branches
small Police Force, no organized native military forces
Note
defense is the responsibility of Denmark