Airports [time series]

1 with permanent surface runway 1,220-2,439 m

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

200 km

Merchant marine [time series]

7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 17,249 GRT/11,887 DWT; includes 1 short-sea passenger, 2 cargo, 2 roll-on/roll-off cargo, 2 refrigerated cargo; note--a subset of the Danish register

Ports [time series]

Torshavn, Tvoroyri

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

good international communications; fair domestic facilities; 27,900 telephones; stations--1 AM, 3 (10 repeaters) FM, 3 (29 repeaters) TV; 3 coaxial submarine cables

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

no organized native military forces; only a small Police Force is maintained

Note [time series]

defense is the responsibility of Denmark

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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 [time series]

revenues $442 million; expenditures $442 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1989)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Danish krone (plural--kroner); 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 ore

Economic aid [time series]

none

Electricity [time series]

80,000 kW capacity; 280 million kWh produced, 5,910 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1--5.817 (January 1991), 6.189 (1990), 7.310 (1989), 6.732 (1988), 6.840 (1987), 8.091 (1986), 10.596 (1985)

Exports [time series]

$343 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--fish and fish products 88%, animal feedstuffs, transport equipment; partners--Denmark 16%, UK 14%, FRG 13.4%, US 10%, France 9%, Japan 5%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$1.3 billion (1989)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April-31 March

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$662 million, per capita $14,000; real growth rate 3% (1989 est.)

Imports [time series]

$344 million (c.i.f., 1989 est.); commodities--machinery and transport equipment 30%, manufactures 16%, food and livestock 15%, chemicals 6%, fuels 4%; partners: Denmark 44%, Norway 16%, FRG 6%, Sweden 6%, US 3%

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate NA%

Industries [time series]

fishing, shipbuilding, handicrafts

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

2.0% (1988)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

The Faroese, who have long been enjoying the affluent living standards of the Danes and other Scandinavians, now must cope with the decline of the all-important fishing industry and with an external debt twice the size of annual income. 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; one estimate foresaw a 25% drop in fish catch in 1990 alone. Half the fishing fleet is for sale, and the 22 fish-processing plants work at only half capacity. The government no longer can maintain its high level of spending on roads and tunnels, hospitals, sports facilities, and other social welfare programs.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%, but increasing

Climate [time series]

mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy

Coastline [time series]

764 km Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 3 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly less than eight times the size of Washington, DC

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands; archipelago of 18 inhabited islands and a few uninhabited islets

Land boundaries [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

arable land 2%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 98%

Natural resources [time series]

fish

Note [time series]

strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic about midway between Iceland and Shetland Islands

Terrain [time series]

rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast

Area (Total area) [time series]

1,400 km2; land area: 1,400 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Capital [time series]

Torshavn

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

insignificant number

Constitution [time series]

Danish

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)

Executive branch [time series]

Danish monarch, high commissioner, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet (Landsstyri)

Flag [time series]

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)

Independence [time series]

part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark

Judicial branch [time series]

none Chief of State--Queen MARGRETHE II (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Bent KLINTE (since NA); Head of Government--Prime Minister Atli P. DAM (since 15 January 1991) two-party ruling coalition--Social Democratic Party, Atli P. DAM; People's Party, Jogvan SUNDSTEIN; opposition--Cooperation Coalition Party, Pauli ELLEFSEN; Republican Party, Signer HANSEN; Progressive and Fishing Industry Party-Christian People's Party (PFIP-CPP), leader NA; Progress Party, leader NA; Home Rule Party, Hilmar KASS

Legal system [time series]

Danish

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Parliament (Logting)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

none

National holiday [time series]

Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940)

Suffrage [time series]

universal at age 20 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; 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

Government type (Type) [time series]

part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark

Birth rate [time series]

17 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

8 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

homogeneous Scandinavian population

Infant mortality rate [time series]

9 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

17,585; largely engaged in fishing, manufacturing, transportation, and commerce

Languages (Language) [time series]

Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

75 years male, 81 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Faroese (sing., pl.); adjective--Faroese

Net migration rate [time series]

0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

NA

Population [time series]

48,151 (July 1991), growth rate 0.9% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

Evangelical Lutheran

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.2 children born/woman (1991)