The name means Sheep Islands. They are islands in the North Sea or North Atlantic mid-way between Denmark and Iceland, first settled by Irish monks about 700 AD. The Vikings arrived about 800. The people became Christian again in 1000 when missionaries came from Norway. They were a Norwegian province from 1035. Norway itself was ruled by Denmark from 1380 and so were the islands. From 1709 they were made part of the Danish kingdom. The local parliament, Lagting, was reinstated in 1852 as a first step towards self-government.

Britain controlled the islands during world war two. In 1948 they gained self-government under Denmark. Their population was 44,800 in 1984. Their foreign affairs and defense are handled by Denmark but otherwise they have internal self-government. They are not members of the European Union.

Their language is closer to Icelandic than to Danish and shows the features of ancient Norse.

Some of the islanders off the coasts of Britain, especially on Shetland and Orkney, look to Faeroe as a possible model for greater autonomy.

Faeroese

Danish

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Local Parliament, the Lagting (Law assembly).

Fishing and industries based on them. Because of overfishing there is a shortage of fish from local waters. Moreover, fish processed from distant oceans cannot easily be sold in the European Market as the islands are not part of the European Union. They asked for exclusion when Denmark entered, to prevent their fishing grounds being included in EU waters.

Oil exploration has not begun but there may be deposits in the waters around the islands.

The islands are in deficit and rely on Danish subsidy. Bad times.

Overfishing.