1985 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1985 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Agriculture
sheep and cattle grazing
Airfields
1 usable with permanent-surface runways 1,220-2,439 m
Area
1,340 km2; slightly larger than Rhode Island; less than 5% arable, of which only a fraction cultivated; archipelago consisting of 18 inhabited islands and a few uninhabited islets Water
Branches
legislative authority rests jointly with Crown, acting through appointed High Commissioner, and 32-member provincial parliament (Lagting) in matters of strictly Faroese concern; executive power vested in Crown, acting through High Commissioner, but exercised by provincial cabinet responsible to provincial parliament
Budget
(FY81) expenditures, $98.8 million, revenues, $98.8 million
Capital
Torshavn on the island of Streymoy
Civil air
no major transport aircraft
Coastline
764 km People
Communists
insignificant number
Elections
held every four years; most recent, 8 November 1984 Political parties and leaders: four-party ruling coalition — Social Democratic, Atli Dam; Republican, Erlendur Patursson; Home Rule, Tobjwrn Poulsen; Peoples, Jogvan Sundstein
Electric power
66,600 kW capacity (1984); 205 million kWh produced (1984), 4,556 kWh per capita
Ethnic divisions
homogeneous white population
Exports
$178.7 million (f.o.b., 1980); mostly fish and fish products
Fiscal year
calendar year Communications
Fishing
catch 248,705 metric tons (1982); exports, $162.3 million (1980)
GDP
$369.3 million (1980), about $8,799 per capita
Government leaders
MARGRETHE II, Queen (since January 1972); Atli DAM, Lagmand, Prime Minister (since December 1984); Niels BENTSEN, Danish Governor (since 1981)
Highways
200 km
Imports
$222.1 million (c.i.f., 1980); machinery and transport equipment, petroleum and petroleum products, food products
Labor force
17,585; largely engaged in fishing, manufacturing, transportation, and commerce Government
Language
Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish
Legal system
based on Danish law; Home Rule Act enacted 1948
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
3 nm; fishing 200 nm
Literacy
99%
Major industry
fishing
Major trade partners
exports 21.3% Denmark, 13.4% UK, 12.4% FRG, 11.7% US (1980)
Member of
Nordic Council Economy
Military manpower
males 15-49 included with Denmark
Monetary conversion rate
10.80 Danish kroner=US$l (November 1984 average)
Nationality
noun — Faroese (sing., pi.); adjective— Faroese
Official name
Faroe Islands
Political subdivisions
7 districts, 49 communes, 1 town
Population
46,000 (July 1985), average annual growth rate 1.0%
Ports
2 major, 8 minor
Railroads
none
Religion
Evangelical Lutheran
Suffrage
universal, but not compulsory, over age 21
Telecommunications
good international communications; fair domestic facilities; 20,400 telephones (46.3 per lOOpopl.); 1 AM, 3 FM stations; 3 coaxial submarine cables Defense Forces Defense is the responsibility of Denmark
Type
self-governing province within the Kingdom of Denmark; 2 representatives in Danish parliament
Voting strength
(January 1985) four-party coalition — 17 of 32 seats