17 Fun Facts about Faroe Islands
1. Where are the Faroe Islands, anyway?
The Faroes make up an archipelago which you’ll find at the edge of the North Atlantic.
2. There are plenty of nearby territories.
You’ll find Norway to the archipelago’s east, Iceland towards the north western reaches, and Scotland towards its south. It’s even got a lovely coastline – shared between the North Atlantic and the Norwegian Sea.
3. The Danes technically have control.
Believe it or not, Denmark has complete control over the Faroes – even though they govern themselves!
Flag of The Faroe Islands
4. Who’s added all of this up, anyway?
The islands’ total makes up around 540.2 square miles – that’s around 1,399 square kilometers if you’re working in metric.
5. It has a small but mighty community!
Fewer than 49,000 people live here – on last count in 2020, anyway!.
6. What’s the capital of the Faroes?
The capital city of all the Faroe Islands is known as Torshavn – it’s only 66.8 square miles large, or about 172.9 square kilometers – and has a populace of no more than 14,000 people.
7. There are highs and lows here!
The Faroes are pretty rugged, on the whole – it’s lined with cliffs and peaks.
8. Crack out the compass!
The coordinates to reach the Faroe Islands are 62.0000° N, 6,7833° – set sail!
9. Faroese weather is lovely.
The summers here are cool, and the winters are mild – there’s no extremes in either direction!
10. All of the Faroes’ trees are imported.
It’s true! There are no trees growing here from the islands’ own seeds and soil. They’ve been brought over from Tierra del Fuego and even Alaska, US!
11. Not bad at all!
You can generally expect to live to the ripe old age of 82.4 years in Faroe.
12. The Faroes have volcanoes to thank.
Without volcanoes erupting over 30 million years ago, the Faroe Islands simply wouldn’t exist. Weird to think that many countries were ‘built’ this way – completely by accident!
13. Road safety is… interesting here.
Believe it or not, there are barely only three sets of traffic lights in the entire country! You’ll find them in and around the capital of Torshavn.
14. Pick your pennies!
You’ll find that there are two currencies that you can use in the Faroe Islands. These are both the Krona, native to the archipelago, and the Krone, which is used in Denmark. That, again, is as a result of Denmark owning the islands!
15. It’s a multilingual location.
The languages here will vary depending on the age of people you speak to. However, English tends to be very common with younger people. You’ll also find that both Danish and Faroese are spoken here.
16. Here’s a little bit about their industry and exports.
The Faroe Islands are known for producing and exporting fish, milk, potatoes and other vegetables. They also rear sheep, and have a large fishing industry that helps bring money into the country.
You’ll also find that the Faroese are likely to help provide fixing and repair services, as well as a huge line in shipbuilding – and even stamp production!
17. Want to call the Faroes?
If you have family and friends based in the Faroe Islands, you’ll want to catch them using the dialing prefix of +298.
FAQs about The Faroe Islands
Is it expensive to visit the Faroe Islands?
It really does vary! Many people will tell you that it is quite cheap to explore the Faroes. That is, compared to other vacation territories in Europe, anyway!
Are Faroe Islands citizens British?
No - the Faroes come under Danish jurisdiction, which technically means the people here are Danish citizens, too.
Are the Faroe Islands safe?
Yes! The Faroes are considered extremely safe - likely thanks to the fact there are barely any people here!
Do you know any fun facts about The Faroe Isles? Share them in the comments below!
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This page was last modified on August 3, 2023. Suggest an edit
