Faroe Islands

Faroe Islands (Danish, Føroyar/Færøerne), island group, an integral part of Denmark, in the North Atlantic Ocean, about midway between the Shetland Islands and Iceland. The capital and principal harbour of the islands is Tórshavn (population, 1992 estimate, 14,600) on the south-eastern coast of Streymoy Island; it is ice-free. Streymoy, Eysturoy, Suduroy, Sandoy, and Bordoy are the most important of the 18 islands, of which 17 are inhabited; they have a combined area of 1,399 sq km (540 sq mi). Population 51,765 (2025 estimate).

The Faroes were formed by a submarine eruption of basalt during the Tertiary period. A “coal formation” (fireclay, sandstone, shale, and brown coal) makes up the secondary stratum, and this is topped by dolerite. The topography of the islands is characterized by high escarpments and plateaux separated by deep chasms. The peak of Slaettaratindur on Eysturoy Island is 882 m (2,894 ft) above sea level. The Faroes are traversed by a number of fiords and have rugged, deeply indented coastlines, making navigation difficult. The islands, mainly treeless because of continual high winds, have been planted with sturdy conifers, maples, and mountain ash, and the grass provides excellent grazing for sheep. The principal industries are fishing, sheep raising, and cloth manufacturing. The chief products, mainly for export, are fresh, frozen, filleted, and salted fish; gelatin made from air bladders of fish; sheep, lambskins, and woollen goods; and puffin and eider-duck feathers. About 2 per cent of the soil is cultivated.

The Faroes were probably known to Irish monks from about 500. From about 700 to 800, Irish hermits from Scotland lived there, but abandoned the islands at the beginning of the 9th century, when the marauding journeys of the Vikings reached the Faroes. From the 9th century onwards, the Faroes formed a link in the lines of communication between Scandinavia and the Viking colonies that were settled in Iceland, Greenland, and, briefly, North America. The Faroes were part of Norway until the latter part of the 14th century, after which they were held jointly with Denmark, which became sole owner in 1814. The inhabitants are of Scandinavian descent and still speak a modified form of the old Norse called Faroese. In fact the name Faroe Islands is thought to come from the old Norse words meaning “sheep islands”. The islands passed under the military control of Great Britain in April 1940, during World War II, following the invasion of Denmark by German forces. The British occupation ended in September 1945.

In September 1946, as a result of a close plebiscite vote, the Lagting or Løgting (parliament) of the Faroes declared the islands independent of Denmark. This action was ratified by a Lagting vote of 12 to 11. Suduroyø, the third-largest island, however, announced its continued union with Denmark. The Danish government immediately declared the ballot inconclusive and temporarily dissolved the Lagting. A subsequent poll gave the proponents of continued union with Denmark a slight plurality, and a parliamentary delegation was invited to Copenhagen for further discussion. In 1948 an agreement was reached whereby the Faroes exercise local autonomy; foreign relations remain under the control of Denmark. The islands send two representatives to the Danish parliament.