Country's Backgrounds and Profiles... |
|
|
||||
|
||||
Mystery Shoppers Needed Now... Get paid to shop and eat for free!
Find out how to join our hugely popular UK Mystery Shopping Club (now over 12 years old!). Please click here now. Choose a page below...
|
The Transatlantic Education Mega-Site...We invite you to add ed-u.com to your list of favorites/bookmarks. Internet Explorer users please click here, and others, right click here -> ed-u.com. Also, you can learn how to make any ed-u.com page your start page by clicking here.
US Shopping Guides, travel resources, accommodations, airlines, cruise lines, rentals, reviews, education, churches...
Click for your free quote wherever you are in the World.
You've taken the time to learn French, German, Italian or Spanish! You've spent money on various self study tape courses! You've attended a language course abroad! Why risk loosing the language by not keeping it up to date? Why not join the thousands of intermediate and advanced language students on six continents who use Champs-Elysées, Schau ins Land, Puerta Sol, and Acquerello italiano to stay in touch with the languages and cultures they love.
Faroe Islands
Background: The population of the Faroe Islands is largely descended from Viking settlers who arrived in the 9th century. The islands have been connected politically to Denmark since the 14th century. A high degree of self-government was attained in 1948.
Location: Northern Europe, island group between the Norwegian Sea and the north Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Iceland to Norway Geographic coordinates: 62 00 N, 7 00 W Map references: Europe Area:
Area - comparative: eight times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 1,117 km Maritime claims:
Climate: mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy Terrain: rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast Elevation extremes:
Natural resources: fish, whales, hydropower Land use:
Irrigated land: 0 sq km Natural hazards: NA Environment - current issues: NA Geography - note: archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one uninhabited island, and a few uninhabited islets; strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands
Population: 45,296 (July 2000 est.) Age structure:
Population growth rate: 0.83% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 13.58 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate: 3.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) Sex ratio:
Infant mortality rate: 6.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth:
Total fertility rate: 2.32 children born/woman (2000 est.) Nationality:
Ethnic groups: Scandinavian Religions: Evangelical Lutheran Languages: Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish Literacy:
Country name:
Data code: FO Dependency status: part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1948 Government type: NA Capital: Torshavn Administrative divisions: none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) Independence: none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) National holiday: Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940) Constitution: 5 June 1953 (Danish constitution) Legal system: Danish Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch:
Legislative branch:
unicameral Faroese Parliament or Logting (32 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis from the seven constituencies to serve four-year terms)
Judicial branch: none Political parties and leaders: Center Party [Tordur NICLASEN]; Christian People's Party [Niels Pauli DANIELSEN]; Home Rule Party [Helena Dam A. NEYSTABO]; Labor Front [leader NA]; People's Party [Oli BRECKMANN]; Republican Party [Finnbogi ISAKSON]; Social Democratic Party [Joannes EIDESGAARD]; The Faroese Party [Olavur CHRISTIANSEN]; Union Party [Edmund JOENSEN] International organization participation: NC, NIB Diplomatic representation in the US: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) Diplomatic representation from the US: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) Flag description: 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)
Economy - overview: After the severe economic troubles of the early 1990s, brought on by a drop in the vital fish catch, the Faroe Islands have come back in the last few years, with unemployment down to 5% in mid-1998. Nevertheless, the almost total dependence on fishing means the economy remains extremely vulnerable. The Faroese hope to broaden their economic base by building new fish-processing plants. Oil finds close to the Faroese area give hope for deposits in the immediate area, which may lay the basis to sustained economic prosperity. The Faroese are supported by a substantial annual subsidy from Denmark. GDP: purchasing power parity - $700 million (1996 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 6% (1996 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $16,000 (1996 est.) GDP - composition by sector:
Population below poverty line: NA% Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.8% (1996 est.) Labor force: 20,500 (1996 est.) Labor force - by occupation: largely engaged in fishing, manufacturing, transportation, commerce Unemployment rate: 5% (1998 est.) Budget:
Industries: fishing, shipbuilding, construction, handicrafts Industrial production growth rate: NA% Electricity - production: 186 million kWh (1998) Electricity - production by source:
Electricity - consumption: 173 million kWh (1998) Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998) Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (1998) Agriculture - products: milk, potatoes, vegetables; sheep; salmon, other fish Exports: $362 million (f.o.b., 1995) Exports - commodities: fish and fish products 92%, animal feedstuffs, transport equipment (ships) Exports - partners: Denmark 31%, UK 25%, Germany 9%, France 7%, Spain 6%, US 2% (1996) Imports: $315.6 million (c.i.f., 1995) Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment 17.0%, consumer goods 33%, raw materials and semi-manufactures 26.9%, fuels 11.4%, fish and salt 6.7% Imports - partners: Denmark 33%, Norway 18%, UK 8% Germany 9%, Sweden 5%, US 2% (1996) Debt - external: $767 million (1995 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $150 million (annual subsidy from Denmark) (1995) Currency: 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 oere Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1 - 7.336 (January 2000), 6.976 (1999), 6.701 (1998), 6.604 (1997), 5.799 (1966), 5.602 (1995) Fiscal year: calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use: 22,000 (1995) Telephones - mobile cellular: 2,558 (1995) Telephone system:
good international communications; good domestic facilities
Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998) Radios: 26,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 7 (plus 51 low-power repeaters) (September 1995) Televisions: 15,000 (1997) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA
Railways: 0 km Highways:
Ports and harbors: Torshavn, Klaksvik, Tvoroyri, Runavik, Fuglafjorour Merchant marine:
Airports: 1 (1999 est.) Airports - with paved runways:
Military branches: no organized native military forces; only a small Police Force and Coast Guard are maintained Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA% Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Denmark
Disputes - international: none Please click here for a guide to the country profiles Click here for all other countries
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
