Faroe Islands
-
What are the Faroe Islands?
The Faroe Islands are a self-governing group of islands within the kingdom of Denmark, located in the North Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and the Shetland Islands. Seventeen of the islands are inhabited, along with many islets and reefs. The main islands include Streymoy, Eysturoy, Vagar, Suduroy, Sandoy, Bordoy, and Svínoy. Tórshavn, located on Streymoy, is the capital.
The islands are composed of volcanic rock covered by a thin layer of moraine or peat soil. The coasts are deeply indented with fjords, and the narrow passages between islands are agitated by strong tidal currents.
As of 2024, the estimated population is 54,545. The Faroese are of Scandinavian origin, many are descendants of Norwegian Vikings who colonized the islands about 800 CE. The official languages are Faroese and Danish.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Where are the Faroe Islands located in the Atlantic Ocean?
The Faroe Islands are located in the North Atlantic Ocean, between Iceland and the Shetland Islands. This group of islands is a self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark. The landscape consists of high, rugged islands with perpendicular cliffs. The coasts are marked by fjords, and strong tidal currents run through the narrow passages between islands. The capital of the Faroe Islands is Tórshavn, situated on Streymoy. The estimated population as of 2025 is 54,900.
4 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How many islands make up the Faroe Islands?
The Faroe Islands, located in the North Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and the Shetland Islands, are a self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark. This archipelago consists of 17 inhabited islands along with numerous islets and reefs. The total land area of the Faroe Islands is approximately 540 square miles (1,399 square km). The capital of the Faroe Islands is Tórshavn, situated on the island of Streymoy.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What is the climate like on the Faroe Islands?
The Faroe Islands have an oceanic and mild climate, marked by small temperature variations and consistent fog and rain, totaling about 60 inches (1,600 mm) of precipitation annually. Thanks to the warm North Atlantic Current, the harbors stay ice-free. The meeting of air currents over the North Atlantic generates prevailing westerly winds across the region. The islands' natural vegetation consists of moss, grass, and mountain bog, and while naturally treeless due to cool summers and strong winds, some hardy trees can grow in sheltered areas.
4 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How do people live and work on the Faroe Islands?
The Faroese people are mainly of Scandinavian descent, tracing back to Norwegian Vikings who colonized the islands around 800 CE. About a quarter of the population lives in Tórshavn, the capital and main port, with the rest residing in small coastal settlements.
The economy has shifted from agriculture, mainly sheep raising, to fishing and related industries since 1900, especially exporting frozen and dried cod. Other activities include fowling and sheep raising, with wool used in a small, home-based spinning and knitting industry. The main crop is grass for sheep. Fuels, basic manufactures, and transport equipment are the major imports.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What are some unique animals or plants found on the Faroe Islands?
The Faroe Islands have a unique environment that influences the plants and animals that can survive there. The islands are composed of volcanic rock covered by a thin layer of moraine or peat soil.
The natural vegetation consists of moss, grass, and mountain bog. Due to cool summers, strong winds, and frequent gales, the islands are naturally treeless, though some hardy trees have been planted in sheltered areas.
As for animals, there are no native land mammals, toads, or reptiles. Hares, rats, and mice arrived on ships. Numerous seabirds inhabit the islands, including puffins, which were once an important food source, and eiders, which were valuable for their feathers.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Faroe Islands, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and the Shetland Islands. They form a self-governing overseas administrative division of the kingdom of Denmark. There are 17 inhabited islands and many islets and reefs. The main islands are Streymoy (Streym), Eysturoy (Eystur), Vágar, Suduroy (Sudur), Sandoy (Sand), Bordoy (Bord), and Svínoy (Svín). The capital is Tórshavn (Thorshavn) on Streymoy. Area 540 square miles (1,399 square km). Pop. (2024 est.) 54,545.
Land
Composed of volcanic rocks covered by a thin layer of moraine or peat soil, the islands are high and rugged with perpendicular cliffs—the highest at Mount Slaettara (Slaettaratindur; 2,894 feet [882 metres]) on Eystur Island—and flat summits separated by narrow ravines. The coasts are deeply indented with fjords, and the narrow passages between islands are agitated by strong tidal currents.
- Heads Of Government:
- High Commissioner (for Denmark): Lene Moyell Johansen; Prime Minister (for Faroe Islands): Bárdur á Steig Nielsen
- Capital:
- Tórshavn (Thorshavn)
- Population:
- (2026 est.) 55,400
- Head Of State:
- Danish Monarch: Frederik X
- Official Languages:
- Faroese; Danish
- Official Religion:
- Faroese Lutheran2
- Official Name:
- Føroyar (Faroese); Færøerne (Danish) (Faroe Islands1)
- Total Area (Sq Km):
- 1,396
- Total Area (Sq Mi):
- 539
- Monetary Unit:
- Danish krone3 (DKK)
- Population Rank:
- (2026) 211
- Population Projection 2030:
- 54,300
- Density: Persons Per Sq Mi:
- (2026) 102.8
- Density: Persons Per Sq Km:
- (2026) 39.7
- Urban-Rural Population:
- Urban: (2024) 43.2%
- Rural: (2024) 56.8%
- Life Expectancy At Birth :
- Male: (2023–2024) 83.8 years
- Female: (2023–2024) 81.3 years
- Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000):
- (2024) 3,995
- Gni Per Capita (U.S.$):
- (2024) 73,070
- Political Status:
- self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark with one legislative house (Løgting, or Parliament [33])
- Also spelled:
- Faeroe Islands
- Faroese:
- Føroyar
- Danish:
- Færøerne
- English-language alternative spelling is Faeroe Islands.
- Formally independent of the national Danish Lutheran church from July 2007.
- The local currency, the Faroese króna (plural krónur), is equivalent to the Danish krone. Banknotes used are Faroese or Danish; coins are Danish.
The climate is oceanic and mild, with little variation in temperature and frequent fog and rain; annual precipitation totals 60 inches (1,600 mm). The warm North Atlantic Current keeps the harbours free of ice. Natural vegetation is moss, grass, and mountain bog. The islands are naturally treeless because of the cool summers, strong westerly winds, and frequent gales, but some hardy trees have been planted in sheltered plantations. There are no toads, reptiles, or indigenous land mammals; hares, rats, and mice came on ships. Seabirds are numerous and were in earlier times economically important—the puffin as food and the eider for feathers.
People
The Faroese are of Scandinavian origin; many are descendants of Norwegian Vikings who colonized the islands about 800 ce. About a fourth of the population lives in Tórshavn, the remainder live in small settlements, almost all of which are on the coasts. The official languages are Faroese—most closely related to Icelandic—and Danish. Most islanders are Lutherans belonging to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark. The population tripled between 1801 and 1901 and has more than doubled since then.
Economy
Since 1900 the economy of the islands has changed from agricultural (primarily sheep raising) to one based on fishing and related industries, especially the export of frozen and dried cod. Supplements to fishing include fowling and sheep raising—wool is still used in a small, home-based spinning and knitting industry. Little of the land is cultivated; the main crop is grass for sheep. Fuels, basic manufactures, and transport equipment are the major imports. The main harbour is at Tórshavn, and there is an airport on Vágar. There are regular shipping services with Denmark, Iceland, and, in summer, the Shetland Islands. In the middle of the 1990s the islands suffered a severe economic crisis, which generated a substantial emigration to Denmark. After a recovery in 1997–98, many returned.
Government and society
The islands are a self-governing region within the Danish state and send two representatives (elected every four years) to the Folketing, the Danish legislature. The Faroe Islands Parliament (Lagting) has 32 elected members, who in turn elect an executive body (Landsstyre) headed by a chairman. Foreign policy, defense, and the monetary and judicial systems are overseen by the Folketing. A commissioner represents Denmark in the islands. Education is based on the Danish system. The islands have good medical services. For a long time a substantial minority has sought full independence from Denmark, and in 1999 the Landsstyre entered negotiations with the Danish government about conditions for full independence. An important point in the talks was the yearly payment of one billion Danish krone from Denmark as half the export earnings.
History
The name first appeared as Faereyiar (c. 1225), meaning “Sheep Islands,” which presumably led to the national symbol, a ram. First settled by Irish monks (c. 700), the islands were colonized by the Vikings (c. 800) and were Christianized by the king of Norway (c. 1000). The remains of a Gothic cathedral, begun in the 13th century but never completed, are at Kirkjubøur (Kirkebø). The Faroes became a Norwegian province in 1035 and passed to Denmark with the rest of Norway in 1380. Separated from Norway administratively in 1709, they were attached to the diocese of Zealand and became a Danish royal trade monopoly, which inhibited economic development.
The trusted destination for professionals, college students, and lifelong learners.
SUBSCRIBE
Early Faroese oral literature became the basis for modern nationalism in the 19th century and led to the creation of a written Faroese language by the folklorist Venceslaus Ulricus Hammershaimb. Nationalist agitation hastened the restoration of the old Faroese Lagting (a combined jury and parliament) in 1852 and the end of the trade monopoly in 1856. A Home Rule Party was formed in 1906. During World War II Great Britain controlled the Faroes while the Germans occupied Denmark, a situation that strengthened demands for home rule. After the Lagting elections of 1946 reversed the majority vote for independence in an earlier plebiscite, negotiations began again in Copenhagen. In 1948 the islands were granted self-government under the authority of Denmark, with their own flag and unit of currency (the krona); Faroese was given equal status with Danish. The University of the Faroe Islands in Tórshavn was founded in 1965.
Poor fiscal discipline in the 1980s, coupled with the collapse of the Faroese fishing industry because of overfishing, resulted in an economic crash in the early 1990s that required Danish intervention. The islands rebounded, though, to face the 21st century with renewed vigour, buoyed by the economic promise of offshore oil drilling and a growing independence movement.