The Faroe Islands are a volcanic archipelago (1,399 km²) located in the Atlantic Ocean near the border (the northeastern tip of Fugloy Island) with the Norwegian Sea, between Great Britain, Iceland, and Norway. It is also an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. The administrative center is Tórshavn. The main towns of the Faroe Islands are Klaksvík, Hoyvík, and Argir. The islands have a population of 52,337, with a population density of 34.5 people/km². The official languages are Faroese and Danish. The majority of residents are Lutheran. The name Føroyar comes from the Old Norse Færeyjar, meaning Sheep Islands. The archipelago consists of 18 main volcanic islands with mountainous surfaces. The largest of these are Streymoy (373 km²) and Eysturoy (286 km²). The highest point in the Faroe Islands is Slættaratindur (882 m above sea level) on Eysturoy. Numerous valleys cut through the hills. The coastlines are generally rocky and steep, with only a few fjord-like features. The islands boast the highest cliffs in Europe, such as Cape Enniberg (745 m) on Viðoy, which ranks first in Europe. The rivers are short and narrow, often intensifying during the post-winter thaw, and sometimes culminate in waterfalls cascading from the high cliffs into the ocean. The islands also have lakes, the largest of which is Sørvágsvatn (3.56 km²) on Vágar Island.
The Faroe Islands are composed primarily of basalts formed during the Paleocene and Eocene, 60–50 million years ago, as a result of outpourings from very long, straight fissures. Three thick basalt series are distinguished, with a total thickness of about 3 km. The lower series is about 900 m thick, the middle series over 1,300 m thick, and the upper series about 670 m thick. The lower series dominates the surface on Suðuroy and Mykines, the middle series dominates the surface on the western islands (primarily Vágar, Streymoy, and Eysturoy), and the upper series on Sandoy and the eastern islands of the archipelago. In addition to these horizontal series, vertical or oblique veins and dykes of volcanic rocks are also common, with greater weathering resistance than the basalts of the main series. These series are prominent in the islands’ morphology as hardstone rocks. Between the lower and middle basalt series lies a series of conglomerates, weathered rocks, and lignite layers over 100 meters thick, formed during a prolonged volcanic hiatus. It dates back to the Eocene. The coal seams are up to 10 meters thick (including theoverburden), and are generally much thinner, averaging 75 cm. Reserves are estimated at 12 million tons. They are exposed on the islands of Vágar and Suðuroy. Mining was conducted on a small scale primarily during the two World Wars.
The Faroe Islands lie in a temperate, cool climate zone, with strong oceanic influences. It is characterized by, among other things, high rainfall, relatively warm winters, and cool summers. Thanks to the warm Gulf Stream, which warms the islands, the average temperature in January is +3.4°C. The average temperature in August is +10.5°C. This oceanic influence causes the islands to be generally cloudy, with frequent fog and strong winds. The Gulf Stream is a warm subsurface ocean current that flows along the east coast of America towards Europe. The Gulf Stream system is exceptionally complex, making it difficult to describe precisely. The Gulf Stream is a network of currents whose positions can change and which can appear and disappear over time. In its narrow sense, the Gulf Stream originates from the confluence of the Florida Current and the Antillean Current off the eastern coast of the United States, near Cape Hatteras in North Carolina, and flows at about 9 km/h in a northeasterly arc to the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, which it bypasses from the southeast. In this region, known as the Gulf Stream Delta, it bifurcates. The main part of the Gulf Stream’s waters flows southeastward, while a portion, as the North Atlantic Current, flows toward Great Britain. There, the North Atlantic Current waters release heat to the atmosphere, warming Europe. Some sources claim that the Gulf Stream originates in the Gulf of Mexico. Sometimes the Gulf Stream is defined even more broadly as the confluence of the Florida, Gulf, North Atlantic, and Norwegian currents, hence the common belief that the Gulf Stream is a warm current.
The inhabitants of the Isles (Faroese) are largely descendants of Norman settlers from what is now Norway. In addition to them, the Isles also include a significant number of Danes (around 5%), as well as a small number of people from other countries: primarily Iceland, Greenland, and Poland. More than a quarter of the entire population (including almost all immigrants) lives in the capital, Tórshavn.
Faroese is a language of the Scandinavian Germanic language family. It is spoken by approximately 48,000 Faroese and 25,000 Danish inhabitants, totaling approximately 80,000 people. The language is closest to Norwegian and Icelandic.
The majority of the Faroese population (74.6%) belongs to the Lutheran Church. The second Protestant group is the Plymouth Brethren (9.8%). The third group is Pentecostals (2.1%). Nearly 10% of the population has no religion. The Catholic Church currently has a small membership (0.34%). There are also small communities of Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Baha’i Faith. According to the 2011 Faroese census, there were twenty-three declared Muslims, twelve Jewish believers, and sixty-six Buddhists living on the islands. The Church of the Faroe Islands, a Lutheran Church, is the national church of the Faroe Islands. Until July 29, 2007, it was a diocese of the Church of Denmark; after independence, it became the world’s smallest Lutheran national church. It represents approximately 85% of the islands’ population.
Economy in the Faroe Islands. Due to their location, the Faroe Islands were technologically primitive until recently. In the 1950s, most villages lacked electricity, roads were scarce, and the communication system was poorly developed. After a period of technological progress in the 1970s and 1980s, a deep crisis struck, one of the causes being a decline in marine fishing. Fishing was a significant part of the islands’ economy, so the crisis led to the collapse of other sectors. Unemployment reached 20%, and 10% of the population had to leave the country to seek work. Economic equilibrium did not return until the 1990s. After this experience, the Faroese changed their approach to earning a living from fishing. They began farming salmon and trout in the fjords. The second-largest town, Klaksvík, remained the main center of traditional fishing. In total, this industry accounts for 96% of exports. Other important sectors of the economy include shipping, port services, fishing fleet operations, and shipbuilding. The most prominent shipping company on the islands is Smyril Line, which operates ferry services on the Denmark–Faroe Islands–Norway–Shetland–Iceland route. Agriculture is not significant in the islands’ economy. Only livestock farming, cattle and sheep, plays a role. Crops and foodstuffs are imported. Potatoes are grown on a small scale. Beetroot, cabbage, and turnips are planted on tiny plots, but this is more of a hobby for the residents. The Faroese also harvest grass, which, when dried, serves as cattle feed. To improve the fertility of the poor soil, the islanders have for centuries used burnt seaweed as fertilizer. Sheep farming is also an interesting activity. Some of its principles are defined by a law established in the 13th century, the Faroe Letter. The sheep population is maintained at a constant level of 75,000–78,000. Thanks to traditional sheep farming—the animals graze freely year-round—and the specific qualities of the Faroese sheep, the wool from the islands has unique qualities, and the meat has a flavor appreciated by connoisseurs. The discovery of oil on the ocean floor southeast of the islands heralds a brighter future for the Faroe Islands economy. Petrochemical companies have begun exploring the possibilities of exploiting these deposits.
Greenhouse gas emissions. In 1990, the Faroe Islands emitted 0.028 Mt of carbon dioxide equivalent, of which only 0.001 Mt of carbon dioxide (rounded) was carbon dioxide. The main emissions were methane and, to a lesser extent, nitrous oxide. Per capita emissions then amounted to 31 kg of carbon dioxide, or 1 kg per 1,000 USD of GDP. Since then, emissions have remained similar, with carbon dioxide emissions increasing slightly. The main source of emissions was activities unrelated to either energy or transport. In 2018, fossil carbon dioxide emissions amounted to 0.002 Mt of rounded, or 39 kg per capita, or 1 kg per 1,000 USD of GDP.
The Faroe Islands host the annual grindadráp hunt for long-finned pilot whales—cetaceans classified as dolphins. Every year in July and August, fishermen herd them deep into the bay in their boats and kill them with harpoons. Entire families participate, from fathers and mothers to small children. Between 600 and 1,000 pilot whales are killed annually. This practice is no longer driven by economic necessity, but rather by tradition. The killing of dolphins has sparked outrage worldwide and sparked growing protests. In 2015, due to the slaughter of pilot whales, the German cruise ship operator Aida announced it was canceling its sailings to the Faroe Islands.
The Faroe Islands have a number of independent media outlets, including six newspapers, four magazines, three radio stations, and one television station. Newspapers: the oldest is Dimmalætting, which began publication in 1878 and, despite many changes, remains in existence today. Others include Sosialurin (1927, politicized), Oyggjatíðindi, Norðlýsið (distributed in the northern part of the archipelago), Vinnuvitan (business), and Vikublaðið. Magazines: Ð (men’s), Frøði (scientific), Kvinna (2004, women’s), OutsiderMagazine, and Vencil (cultural). The stations are Kringvarp Føroya (operating since 1957), Lindin (Christian), and Rás 2. Sjónvarp Føroya (SvF) is the only television station on the islands, broadcasting in Faroese. It was established in 1984.
