The 2004 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
coordinates:
62 00 N, 7 00 W
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 1,399 sq km
water: 0 sq km (some lakes and streams)
land: 1,399 sq km
Area - comparative:
eight times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
1,117 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 3 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line
Climate:
mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy
Terrain:
rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Slaettaratindur 882 m
Natural resources:
fish, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas
Land use: arable land: 2.14% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.86% (2001)
Irrigated land:
0 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
NA
Geography - note:
archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one uninhabited island, and
a few uninhabited islets; strategically located along important sea
lanes in northeastern Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits
habitation to small coastal lowlands
People Faroe Islands
Population:
46,662 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 21.6% (male 5,056; female 5,041)
15–64 years: 64.6% (male 15,975; female 14,187)
65 years and over: 13.7% (male 2,877; female 3,526) (2004 est.)
Median age:
total: 35.1 years
male: 34.6 years
female: 35.8 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.66% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:
13.89 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:
8.68 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:
1.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.38 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 7.72 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 79.05 years
male: 75.6 years
female: 82.51 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.22 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Faroese (singular and plural)
adjective: Faroese
Ethnic groups:
Scandinavian
Religions:
Evangelical Lutheran
Languages:
Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish
Literacy: definition: NA total population: NA male: NA female: NA note: probably the same as Denmark proper
Government Faroe Islands
Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Faroe Islands
local short form: Foroyar
local long form: none
Dependency status:
part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas
administrative division of Denmark since 1948
Government type:
NA
Capital:
Torshavn
Administrative divisions:
none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas
administrative division of Denmark); there are no first-order
administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there
are 49 municipalities
Independence:
none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas
administrative division of Denmark)
National holiday:
Olaifest, 29 July
Constitution:
5 June 1953 (Danish constitution)
Legal system:
Danish
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January
1972), represented by High Commissioner Birgit KLEIS, chief
administrative officer (since 1 November 2001)
election results: Joannes EIDESGAARD elected prime minister; percent
of parliamentary vote - NA%
note: coalition of Social Democrats, Union Party, and People's Party
elections: the monarch is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by
the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the
majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually
elected prime minister by the Faroese Parliament; election last held
20 January 2004 (next to be held no later than January 2008)
head of government: Prime Minister Joannes EIDESGAARD (since 3
February 2004)