Faroe Islands
The
Faroe Islands or simply
Faroes (
Faroese:
Føroyar, meaning "Sheep Islands",
Danish:
Færøerne) are a
group of islands in the north
Atlantic Ocean between the
United Kingdom,
Norway and
Iceland. They have been an
autonomous region of the Kingdom of
Denmark since
1948 and have, over the years, taken control of most matters, except defence (they have a small organized native military in Mjørkadalur, which is the responsibility of Denmark, and a small Police Force and Coast Guard) and foreign affairs.
The Faroes have close traditional ties to
Iceland,
Shetland, the
Orkney Islands, the
Outer Hebrides and
Greenland. The
archipelago was detached from
Norway in
1814. The Faroes are represented in the
Nordic Council as a part of the Danish Delegation.
Main article: History of the Faroe Islands
The early history of the Faroe Islands is not very clear. According to
Færeyinga Saga emigrants who left
Norway to escape the tyranny of
Harald I of Norway settled in the islands about the beginning of the
9th century. There is also evidence that Irish monks settled the islands, introducing sheep in the process. Early in the
11th century Sigmund, whose family had flourished in the southern islands but had been almost exterminated by invaders from the northern islands, escaped to Norway and was sent back to take possession of the islands for
Olaf Tryggvason, king of Norway. He introduced
Christianity and, though he was subsequently murdered, Norwegian supremacy was upheld. Norwegian control of the islands continued until
1380, when Norway entered into a union with
Denmark, which gradually evolved into the double monarchy
Denmarkâ€"Norway. The
reformation reached the Faroes in
1538. When Norway was taken away from Denmark at the
Treaty of Kiel in
1814, Denmark retained possession of the Faroe Islands.
The
monopoly trade over the Faroe Islands was abolished in
1856. Since then, the country developed towards a modern fishery nation with its own fleet. The national awakening since
1888 was first based on a struggle for the
Faroese language, and thus more culturally oriented, but after
1906 was more and more politically oriented after the foundation of the
political parties of the Faroe Islands.
On
April 12,
1940, the Faroes were invaded and occupied by
British troops. The move followed the invasion of Denmark by
Nazi Germany and had the objective of strengthening British control of the North Atlantic (see
Second Battle of the Atlantic). In
1942–
43 the British
Royal Engineers built the only airport in the Faroes, the
Vágar Airport. Control of the islands reverted to Denmark following the war, but in
1948 a home rule regime was implemented granting a high degree of local autonomy. The Faroes declined to join Denmark in entering the European Community (now
European Union) in
1973. The islands experienced considerable economic difficulties following the collapse of the fishing industry in the early
1990s, but have since made efforts to diversify the economy. Support for independence has grown and is the objective of the government.
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Faroe islands map with island names |
The islands are administratively divided into
34 municipalities with about
120 cities and villages.
Traditionally, there are also the
6 sýslur (
Norðoyar,
Eysturoy,
Streymoy,
Vágar,
Sandoy and
Suðuroy).
Sýsla means district and although it is only a police district today, it is still commonly understood as a geographical region. In earlier times, each sýsla had an own
ting, the so called
várting (spring ting).
Today, elections are held in the municipalities, on national level for the
Løgting, and inside the Kingdom of Denmark for the
Folketing. For the Løgting elections there are 7 electoral districts, each one comprehending a
sýslur, while Streymoy is divided in a northern and southern part (Tórshavn region).
The Government of the Faroes holds the executive power in locally government affairs. The Head of the government is called the
Løgmaður or
Prime Minister in English. Any other member of the cabinet is called a
landsstýrismaður.
The Faroes and Denmark
The
Treaty of Kiel in
1814 terminated the
Danish-Norwegian union.
Norway came under the rule of the
King of Sweden, but the Faroe Islands,
Iceland and
Greenland remained as possessions of
Denmark. In continuation of this the
Løgting was abolished (
1816), and the Faroe Islands were to be governed as a regular
Danish amt, with the
Amtmand as its head of government. In
1851 the
Løgting was resurrected, but served mainly as an advisory power until
1948.
At the end of the
Second World War a portion of the population favoured independence from
Denmark, and on
September 14 1946 a public election was held on the question of
secession. It is not considered a referendum, as the parliament was not bound to follow the decision of the vote. This was the first time that the Faroese people were asked if they favoured independence or if they wanted to continue as a part of the
Danish Kingdom. The outcome of the vote produced a small majority in favour of
secession, but the coalition in parliament could not reach a resolve on how this election should be interpret and inplemented, and because of these inresolvable differences the coalition fell apart. A parliament election was held just a few months later, in which the political parties who favored staying in the Danish Kingdom went up in votes and formed a coalition. Based on their growth in votes they chose not to pass the secession. Instead there was made a compromise, and the
Folketing passed a home-rule law which came into effect in
1948. The Faroe Islands' status as a
Danish amt was brought to an end with the home-rule law; the Faroe Islands were given a high degree of self-governance, supported by a substantial annual subsidy from
Denmark.
The islanders are about evenly split between those favouring independence and those who prefer to continue as a part of the
Kingdom of Denmark. Within both camps there is, however, a wide range of opinions. Of those who favour independence some are in favour of an immediate unilateral declaration. Others see it as something to be attained gradually and in full consent with the Danish government and the
Danish nation. In the unionist camp there are also many who foresee and welcome a gradual increase in autonomy even as strong ties to
Denmark are maintained.
The Faroes and the EU
The Faroe Islands are not part of the
EU, as explicitly asserted by both
Rome treaties. Moreover, a
protocol to the treaty of accession of Denmark to the European Communities stipulates that Danish nationals residing in the Faroe Islands are not to be considered as Danish nationals within the meaning of the treaties. Hence, Danish people living in the Faroes are not citizens of the European Union (however, other EU nationals living there remain EU citizens). The Faroes are not covered by the
Schengen free movement agreement but there are no border checks when travelling between the Faroes and any Schengen country.
Main article: Geography of the Faroe Islands
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Faroe Islands NASA satellite image |
The Faroe Islands are an
island group consisting of 18 islands, off the coast of Northern
Europe, between the
Norwegian Sea and the north
Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from
Iceland to
Norway. Its coordinates are , and has 1,399 square kilometres (540
sq. mi) in area, and includes no major lakes or rivers. There are 1,117 kilometres (694
mi) of coastline, and no land boundaries with any other country. The only island that is uninhabited is
LÃtla DÃmun.
The Faroe Islands generally have cool summers and mild winters, with a usually overcast sky and frequent
fog and heavy
winds. The fog often causes delays of airplanes. The islands are rugged and rocky with some low peaks; the coasts are mostly bordered by cliffs. The highest point is
Slættaratindur, 882 metres (2,894
ft) above sea level.
See also:
*
List of regions in the Faroe Islands*
Various maps of the Faroe IslandsMain article: Economy of the Faroe Islands
After the severe economic troubles of the early
1990s, brought on by a drop in the vital
fish catch and poor management of the economy, the Faroe Islands have come back in the last few years, with unemployment down to 5% in mid-
1998. In 2006 unemployment declined to 3%, one of the lowest rates in Europe. Nevertheless, the almost total dependence on fishing means the economy remains extremely vulnerable. The Faroese hope to broaden their economical base by building new fish-processing plants.
Petroleum found close to the Faroese area give hope for deposits in the immediate area, which may lay the basis to sustained economic prosperity.
Since
2000, new
information technology and business projects have been fostered in the Faroe Islands to attract new investment. The result from these projects is not yet known but is hoped to bring a better market economy to the Faroe Islands.
The Faroes have a low unemployment rate, but this is not necessarily a sign of a recovering economy, as many young students move to Denmark and other countries once they are finished with high school. This leaves a largely middle-aged and elderly population that may lack the skills and knowledge to take IT positions on the Faroes.
Main article: Transportation in the Faroe Islands
Vágar Airport has scheduled service to destinations from island
Vágoy.Due to the rocky terrain and relatively small size of the Faroe Islands, its transportation system was not as extensive as other places of the world. This situation has changed, and today the infrastructure has been developed extensively. Some 80 % of the population in the islands is connected by under-ocean tunnels, bridges and embankments which binds the 3 largest islands and 3 comparatively large islands to the northeast together, while the other two large islands to the south of the main area are connected to the main area with brand new modern, fast ferries. There are good roads that lead to every village in the islands except 7 of the smaller islands with only one village each.
Main article: Demographics of the Faroe Islands
The vast majority of the population are
ethnic Faroese, of
Norse and
Celtic descent.
Faroese is spoken in the entire country and the majority also speaks
Danish.Many Faroese people are fluent in
English as well, particularly those in larger cities and the youth, who are taught English in school.
According to official statistics from
2002 84.1% of Faroese people are members of the state church, the Faroese People's Church (Fólkakirkjan), a form of
Lutheranism.
The Faroese population is spread across most of the country; and it was not until recent decades that there has been a significant urbanisation. The industrialization of the country has been remarkably decentralized and has therefore maintained a quite living rural culture. Nevertheless, those villages with bad harbour facilities have been the losers of the development from agriculture to fisheries, and in the most peripheral agricultural areas there are scarcely any young people left. Such areas are e.g.
Fugloy,
SvÃnoy,
Mykines,
Skúvoy and
DÃmun, which have extremely bad connections to the rest of the country, and can often not be reached every day due to bad weather. In the past decades, the village-based social-structure has nevertheless been placed under pressure, and instead there has been a rise in "centres" that are able to provide goods that are in demand in the periphery. This has meant that shops and services are now heavily being relocated from the villages and into the centres.
Main article: Culture of the Faroe Islands
Technically, the phrase "Faroe Islands" is a
pleonasm, since the suffixes
øerne and
oyar mean "islands" in Danish and Faroese, respectively. The Faroes have a culture very much their own, but it holds elements in common with
Norway,
Iceland, and
Denmark.
The
Faroese language, spoken by
Faroese people, is most similar to
Icelandic and
Old Norse.
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The Nordic House in the Faroe Islands in Tórshavn, Aug 2005 |
The Nordic House in the Faroe Islands
The
Nordic House in the Faroe Islands (in
Faroese Norðurlandahúsið) is the most important cultural institution in the Faroes. Its aim is to support and promote
Nordic and Faroese culture, locally and in the Nordic region.
Erlendur Patursson (1913-1986), Faroese member of the
Nordic Council, brought forward the idea of a Nordic cultural house in the Faroe Islands. A Nordic competition for architects was held in
1977, where 158 architects participated. Winners were Ola Steen from
Norway and Kolbrún Ragnarsdóttir from
Iceland. By staying true to
folklore the architects built the Nordic House to resemble an enchanting hill of
elves. The building is considered to be one of the most beautiful in
Scandinavia. The house opened in
Tórshavn in
1983. The Nordic House is organized as a cultural organization under the
Nordic Council of Ministers. The Nordic House is run by a steering committee of 8, of which 3 are Faroese and 5 from the outside Nordic countries. There is also a local advisory body of 15 members, representing Faroese cultural organizations. The House is managed by a director appointed by the steering committee for a four-year term.
Faroese Scientific Society
Føroya Fróðskaparfelag, the Faroese scientific society was founded in
1952 with the object of promoting co-operation in all fields of learning, collecting scientific literature, and publishing the results of research on or carried out in the Faroe Islands. A yearly
periodical,
Fróðskaparrit, came to be published annually. It was through the work of the society that the
University of the Faroe Islands,
Fróðskaparsetur Føroya, came to be founded.
Traditional food
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Traditional Faroese food: Dried mutton and whale meat and blubber. |
Traditional Faroese food is mainly based on meat and
potatoes and uses few fresh vegetables.
Mutton is the basis of many meals, and one of the most popular treats is
skerpikjøt, well aged, wind-dried mutton which is quite chewy. The drying shed, known as a
hjallur, is a standard feature in many Faroese homes. Other traditional foods are
rast kjøt (semi-dried mutton) and
rastan fisk, matured fish. After the bloody
grindadráp, a specialty is
grind og spik,
whale and
blubber. Fresh fish also features strongly in the traditional local diet, as do
seabirds, such as
puffin, and their eggs.
The Faroe Islands in popular culture
In the book
Nineteen Eighty-Four by
George Orwell, a
Floating Fortress has been anchored between the Faroe Islands and Iceland on ca.
4 April 1984. The climax of
John Buchan's novel "The Isle of Sheep" takes place on the Faroes. William Trotter's novel "Warrener's Beastie" is principally set in the Faroes.
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List of Notable Faroese*
University of the Faroe Islands*
Communications in the Faroe Islands*
Faroe Islands national football (soccer) team*
Whaling in the Faroe Islands*
Gøtudanskt*
Ã"lavsøka*
Føroya SkótaráðIrvine, David Edward Guthrie. 1982. Seaweed of the Faroes 1: The flora.
Bull. Br. Mus. nat. Hist. (Bot.) 10(3): 109 - 131.
*
Prime Minister's Office - Official site
*
Visit Faroe Islands - Official tourist site
*
Framtak in the Faroe Islands - A comprehensive introduction to the Faroe Islands
*
Faroeislands.dk - Is a private page covering all villages on the Faroe Islands
*
Nordic House - Official site of the Nordic House in the Faroe Islands
*
Faroephotos - Site with pictures of the Faroe Islands
nds-nl:Faeröer
