FAROE ISLANDS (part of the Danish realm) GEOGRAPHY Total area: 1,400 km2; land area: 1,400 km2 Comparative area: slightly less than eight times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: none Coastline: 764 km Maritime claims: Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 3 nm Climate: mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy Terrain: rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast Natural resources: fish Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 98% Environment: precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands; archipelago of 18 inhabited islands and a few uninhabited islets Note: strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic about midway between Iceland and Shetland Islands PEOPLE Population: 48,151 (July 1991), growth rate 0.9% (1991) Birth rate: 17 births/1,000 population (1991) Death rate: 8 deaths/1,000 population (1991) Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991) Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1991) Life expectancy at birth: 75 years male, 81 years female (1991) Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1991) Nationality: noun--Faroese (sing., pl.); adjective--Faroese Ethnic divisions: homogeneous Scandinavian population Religion: Evangelical Lutheran Language: Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%) Labor force: 17,585; largely engaged in fishing, manufacturing, transportation, and commerce Organized labor: NA GOVERNMENT Long-form name: none Type: part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark Capital: Torshavn Administrative divisions: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) Independence: part of the Danish realm; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark Constitution: Danish Legal system: Danish National holiday: Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940) Executive branch: Danish monarch, high commissioner, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet (Landsstyri) Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament (Logting) Judicial branch: none Leaders: 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) Political parties and leaders: 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 Suffrage: universal at age 20 Elections: 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 Communists: insignificant number Member of: Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) Flag: 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) ECONOMY Overview: 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. GDP: $662 million, per capita $14,000; real growth rate 3% (1989 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.0% (1988) Unemployment rate: NA%, but increasing Budget: revenues $442 million; expenditures $442 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1989) Exports: $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% Imports: $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% External debt: $1.3 billion (1989) Industrial production: growth rate NA% Electricity: 80,000 kW capacity; 280 million kWh produced, 5,910 kWh per capita (1989) Industries: fishing, shipbuilding, handicrafts Agriculture: 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 Economic aid: none Currency: Danish krone (plural--kroner); 1 Danish krone (DKr) = 100 ore Exchange rates: 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) Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March COMMUNICATIONS Highways: 200 km Ports: Torshavn, Tvoroyri Merchant marine: 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 Airports: 1 with permanent surface runway 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: good international communications; fair domestic facilities; 27,900 telephones; stations--1 AM, 3 (10 repeaters) FM, 3 (29 repeaters) TV; 3 coaxial submarine cables DEFENSE FORCES Branches: no organized native military forces; only a small Police Force is maintained Note: defense is the responsibility of Denmark