15–64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 6.52 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 7.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.9 years
male: 75.44 years
female: 82.36 years (2003 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.24 children born/woman (2003 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: similar to 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: Anfinn KALLSBERG elected prime minister; percent
of parliamentary vote - 52.8%
note: coalition of People's Party, Republican Party, Home Rule
Party, and Center 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
30 April 2002 (next to be held no later than April 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Anfinn KALLSBERG (since 15 May
1998)
cabinet: Landsstyri appointed by the prime minister
Legislative branch:
unicameral Faroese Parliament or Logting (32 seats; members are
elected by popular vote on a proportional basis from the seven
constituencies to serve four-year terms)
election results: percent of vote by party - Union Party 26%,
Republican Party 23.7%, Social Democrats 20.9%, People's Party 20.8%
Home Rule Party 4.4%, Center Party 4.2%; seats by party - Union
Party 8, Republican Party 8, Social Democrats 7, People's Party 7,
Home Rule Party 1, Center Party 1
note: election of 2 seats to the Danish Parliament was last held on
20 November 2001 (next to be held no later than November 2005);
results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican
Party 1, Union Party 1
elections: last held 30 April 2002 (next to be held no later than
April 2006)
Judicial branch:
none
Political parties and leaders:
Center Party [Tordur NICLASEN]; Home Rule Party [Helena Dam a
NEYSTABO]; People's Party [Oli BRECKMANN]; Republican Party
[Finnabogi ISAKSON]; Social Democratic Party [Joannes EIDESGAARD];
Union Party [Edmund JOENSEN]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
IMO (associate), NC, NIB
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
Flag description:
white with a red cross outlined in blue extending to the edges of
the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted toward the hoist
side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
Economy Faroe Islands
Economy - overview:
The Faroese economy has had a strong performance since 1994, mostly
as a result of increasing fish landings and high and stable export
prices. Unemployment is falling and there are signs of labor
shortages in several sectors. The positive economic development has
helped the Faroese Home Rule Government produce increasing budget
surpluses, which in turn help to reduce the large public debt, most
of it owed to Denmark. However, the total dependence on fishing
makes the Faroese economy extremely vulnerable, and the present
fishing efforts appear in excess of what is a sustainable level of
fishing in the