History of the Faroe Islands - History of the Faroe Islands The early history of the Faroe Islands is not clear. It appears that about the beginning of the 9th century Grim Kamban, a Norwegian emigrant who had left his country to escape the tyranny of Harold Haarfager, settled in the islands. It is said that a small colony of Irish and Scottish monks were found in Suduroy and dispersed by him. The Faeroes then already bore their name of Sheep Islands, as these animals had been found to flourish here exceedingly. Early in the 11th century Sigmund or Sigismund Bresterson, whose family had flourished in the southern islands but had been almost exterminated by invaders from the northern, was sent from Norway, whither he had escaped, to take possession of the islands.
Geography of the Faroe Islands - Geography of the Faroe Islands Location: The Faroe Islands are an island group off the coast of Northern Europe, between the Norwegian Sea and the north Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Iceland to Norway. Its coordinates are 62 00 N, 7 00 W. It is 1,399 square kilometers in area, and includes no major lakes or rivers. There are 1,117 kilometers of coastline, and no land boundaries with any other country. The Faroe Islands generally have cool summers and mild winters, with a usually overcast sky and frequent fog and heavy winds. The islands are rugged and rocky with some low peaks; the coasts are mostly bordered by cliffs. The lowest point is at sea level, and the highest is at Slaettaratindur, which is.
Faroe Islands - Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands (Danish: Færøerne, Faroese: Føroyar, meaning "Sheep Islands") are a group of islands in the north Atlantic Ocean between Scotland and Iceland. They are a territory of Denmark. Since 1948 they have had self-government in almost all matters except defence and foreign affairs. Mercator projection: Online Map Creation The phrase "Faroe Islands" is tautological, since øerne or oyar means islands. The capital is Tórshavn. The islanders are about evenly split between those favoring complete independence and those who prefer continued presence in the Danish state. The language is Faroese - more closely related to Icelandic than to Danish. From the CIA World Factbook 2000. History of the Faroe Islands Geography of the Faroe Islands Demographics of the Faroe Islands Politics of the.
Economy of the Faroe Islands - Economy of the Faroe Islands Economy - overview: After the severe economic troubles of the early 1990s, brought on by a drop in the vital fish catch, the Faroe Islands have come back in the last few years, with unemployment down to 5% in mid-1998. Nevertheless, the almost total dependence on fishing means the economy remains extremely vulnerable. The Faroese hope to broaden their economic base by building new fish-processing plants. Oil finds close to the Faroese area give hope for deposits in the immediate area, which may lay the basis to sustained economic prosperity. The Faroese are supported by a substantial annual subsidy from Denmark. GDP: purchasing power parity - $700 million (1996 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 6% (1996 est.) GDP - per capita:.
Demographics of the Faroe Islands - Demographics of the Faroe Islands Population: 45,296 (July 2000 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 23% (male 5,233; female 5,163) 15-64 years: 63% (male 15,270; female 13,382) 65 years and over: 14% (male 2,788; female 3,460) (2000 est.) Population growth rate: 0.83% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 13.58 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate: 3.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2000 est.) Infant mortality rate: 6.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.43 years male: 74.96 years female: 81.92 years (2000 est.) Total fertility rate: 2.32 children born/woman (2000 est.) Nationality: noun:.
Communications in the Faroe Islands - Communications in the Faroe Islands Telephones - main lines in use: 22,000 (1995) Telephones - mobile cellular: 2,558 (1995) Telephone system: good international communications; good domestic facilities domestic: digitalization was to have been completed in 1998 international: satellite earth stations - 1 Orion; 1 fiber-optic submarine cable linking the Faroe Islands with Denmark and Iceland Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998) Radios: 26,000 (1997) Television broadcast stations: 7 (plus 51 low-power repeaters) (September 1995) Televisions: 15,000 (1997) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA Country code (TLD): FO.
Transportation in the Faroe Islands - Transportation in the Faroe Islands Railways: 0 km Highways: total: 458 km paved: 450 km unpaved: 8 km (1995 est.) Ports and harbors: Torshavn, Klaksvik, Tvoroyri, Runavik, Fuglafjorour Merchant marine: total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 22,853 GRT/13,481 DWT ships by type: cargo 2, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 1, roll-on/roll-off 1, short-sea passenger 1 (1999 est.) Airports: 1 (1999 est.) Airports - with paved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1999 est.) See also : Faroe Islands.
Politics of the Faroe Islands - Politics of the Faroe Islands Country name: conventional long form: none conventional short form: Faroe Islands local long form: none local short form: Foroyar Data code: FO 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) Independence: none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) National holiday: Birthday of the Queen, 16 April (1940) Constitution: 5 June 1953 (Danish constitution) Legal system: Danish Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Executive branch: chief of state: Queen Margaret II of Denmark (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Bente KLINTE, chief administrative officer (since NA) head.
Military of the Faroe Islands - Military of the Faroe Islands Military branches: no organized native military forces; small Police Force and Coast Guard are maintained Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA% Military - note: defense is the responsibility of Denmark See also : Faroe Islands.
Music of the Faroe Islands - Music of the Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands are a self-governing part of Denmark, and are an isolated group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean. Most Foroese music is primarily vocal, accompanied by the fiddle (which arrived in the 17th century) and European dances like the minuet and polka. Much of the imported music and instruments remained popular only in the capital and largest city, Torshavn. Rural peoples remained true to traditions of circle dancing and ballads. The three types of dance ballads are kvæði, tættir and vísir. Many of these dance forms were revived after World War 2, when a number of dance societies were formed. The ballads were largely compiled in Corpus Carminum Færoensium, which collected over 44,000 stanzas. Other songs include skjaldur, fantastic.
Faroese language - or West Scandinavian language spoken by about 40,000 people in the Faroe Islands. It is one of two insular Scandinavian languages (the other is Icelandic), which have their origins in the Old Norse language spoken in Scandinavia in the Viking Age. Although the written form is very similar to Icelandic, in pronunciation it has gone its own path. Faroese tradition was mostly oral until a standard for written Faroese was established in 1846 by Venceslaus Ulricus Hammershaimb. This standard is highly influenced by the Icelandic spelling and is considered rather difficult. The most salient problem is the presence of eth in the spelling representing an Old Norse dental fricative that is no longer a Faroese phoneme. Classification (all languages) Indo-European Germanic North Germanic West Scandinavian Faroese.
Shetland Islands - Shetland Islands Shetland Islands (sometimes historically spelled Zetland, formerly Hjaltland) is one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland. It is a Scottish island group between the Orkney Islands and the Faroe Islands north of mainland Britain. Total area is approximately 1469km2, the administrative centre and largest town is Lerwick. The Shetlands were originally a Norwegian colony, and were pawned to the crown of Scotland on February 20, 1472. Main islands are: Mainland Yell Unst Fetlar Nearby are Foula and Fair Isle. Famous places: Mousa broch Jarlshof settlement Main Industries: Crude oil and Natural gas production Agriculture Fishing Language: The older Norn was replaced by Scots which in turn is being replaced by Scottish English..
List of islands in the Atlantic Ocean - List of islands in the Atlantic Ocean This is a list of islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Azores Bermuda Canary Islands La Gomera Gran Canaria Lanzarote La Palma Tenerife Cape Verde Islands Falkland Islands East Falkland West Falkland South Georgia South Sandwich Faroe Islands Greenland Agpat Alluttoq Ammassalik Anoraliuirsoq Bjonesk Clavering Disko East Jensens Edvards Eggers Eila Godfred Hansens Hareon Hazenland Helges Halvo Hendrik Herbert Holm Ikeq Ile de France John Murray Kuhn Lindhands Lynns Madeira Saint Helena Saint Pierre and Miquelon (France) Newfoundland (Canada) Cape Breton Island (Canada) Sable Island (Canada) See also List of islands List of islands of Africa List of islands of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean List of islands of Europe List of islands of North America List of islands of South.
July 28 - to Day, a one-hour radio newsmagazine Births 1804 - Ludwig Feuerbach, philosopher (†1872) 1866 - Beatrix Potter, author (†1943) 1887 - Marcel Duchamp, painter (†1968) 1902 - Karl Popper, philosopher of science (†1994) 1907 - Dolf Sternberger, publicist (†1989) 1909 - Malcolm Lowry, novelist (†1957) 1914 - Carmen Dragon, composer (†1984) 1915 - Frankie Yankovic, musician (†1998) 1922 - Jacques Piccard, undersea explorer 1927 - John Ashbery, poet 1929 - Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, editor and wife of John F. Kennedy (†1994) 1934 - Jacques d'Amboise, dancer, choreographer 1936 - Garfield Sobers, cricketer 1937 - Peter Duchin, pianist, bandleader 1940 - Phil Proctor, comedian 1943 - Bill Bradley, basketball player, former United States Senator 1945 - Jim Davis, cartoonist 1958 - Terry Fox,.
Iceland - The Republic of Iceland is an island nation in the northern Atlantic Ocean, located between Greenland and Great Britain, northwest of the Faroe Islands. Lýðveldið Ísland (In Detail) (Full size) National motto: None Official language Icelandic Capital Reykjavík President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson Prime Minister Davíð Oddsson Area - Total - % water Ranked 104th 103,125 km² 2.7% Population - Total (2003) - Density Ranked 169th 290,490 2.82/km² Independence June 17, 1944 Currency Króna (kr) Time zone UTC National anthem Lofsöngur Internet TLD .IS Calling Code 354 Table of contents showTocToggle("show","hide") 1 History 2 Politics 3 Counties 4 Geography 5 Economy 6 Demographics 7 Culture 8 Miscellaneous topics 9.
Ilulissat - around 20 billion tonnes of icebergs passing out of the fjord every year. Icebergs breaking from the glacier are often so large (up to 1km in height) that they are too tall to float down the fjord and lie stuck on the bottom of its shallower areas, sometimes for years, until they are broken up by the force of the glacier and icebergs further up the fjord. On breaking up the icebergs emerge into the open sea and initially travel north with ocean currents before turning south and running into the Atlantic Ocean. Larger icebergs typically do not melt until they reach 40-45 degrees north (south of the United Kingdom and level with New York City). References Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands, Lonely Planet, ISBN 0864426860 Ilulissat tourist information site.
ISO 3166-1 - Indian Ocean Territory 096 BRN BN (ISO 3166-2) Brunei Darussalam 100 BGR BG (ISO 3166-2) Bulgaria 854 BFA BF (ISO 3166-2) Burkina Faso 108 BDI BI (ISO 3166-2) Burundi 116 KHM KH (ISO 3166-2) Cambodia 120 CMR CM (ISO 3166-2) Cameroon 124 CAN CA (ISO 3166-2) Canada 132 CPV CV (ISO 3166-2) Cape Verde 136 CYM KY (ISO 3166-2) Cayman Islands 140 CAF CF (ISO 3166-2) Central African Republic 148 TCD TD (ISO 3166-2) Chad 152 CHL CL (ISO 3166-2) Chile 156 CHN CN (ISO 3166-2) China, mainland 162 CXR CX (ISO 3166-2) Christmas Island 166 CCK CC (ISO 3166-2) Cocos (Keeling) Islands 170 COL CO (ISO 3166-2) Colombia 174 COM KM (ISO 3166-2) Comoros 178 COG CG (ISO 3166-2) Congo, Republic of the 180 COD CD (ISO 3166-2) Congo, The.
ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 - list of obsolete country codes, further below. The following is intended to be a complete list of current ISO 3166-1 two-letter codes. AD - Andorra AE - United Arab Emirates AF - Afghanistan AG - Antigua and Barbuda AI - Anguilla (AI previously represented French Afars and Issas) AL - Albania AM - Armenia AN - Netherlands Antilles AO - Angola AQ - Antarctica (defined here as everything south of latitude 60°S) AR - Argentina AS - American Samoa AT - Austria AU - Australia (including Ashmore and Cartier Islands and Coral Sea Islands) AW - Aruba AZ - Azerbaijan BA - Bosnia and Herzegovina BB - Barbados BD - Bangladesh BE - Belgium BF - Burkina Faso BG - Bulgaria BH - Bahrain BI - Burundi BJ - Benin BM.
History of present-day nations and states - existence. See List of countries for other articles and lists on countries. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A Afghanistan - Albania - Algeria - Andorra - Angola - Anguilla - Antigua and Barbuda - Argentina - Armenia - Aruba - Ashmore and Cartier Islands - Australia - Austria - Azerbaijan B Bahamas - Bahrain - Baker Island - Bangladesh - Barbados - Bassas da India - Belarus - Belgium - Belize - Benin - Bermuda - Bhutan - Bolivia - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Botswana - Bouvet Island - Brazil - British Indian Ocean Territory - British Virgin Islands - Brunei - Bulgaria - Burkina Faso - Burma (now Myanmar).
History of Denmark - Popes Rome known as the 'archiepiscopal conflicts.' By the late 13th century, royal power had waned, and the nobility forced the king to grant a charter, considered Denmark's first constitution. A weakened Denmark was a great benefit to both the Hanseatic League and the Holstein Counts. The Holstein Counts began to control large portions of Denmark because the kings would give them fiefs in exchange for money to finance their operations. Consequently, by the 1320s the King was largely bound by the wishes of these counts who owned most of Denmark. The kingdom continued to fall apart, Scania passing for a while to the King of Sweden. In 1340 the throne fell to Valdemar Atterdag or "New Day." He was a skilled politician and was able to reunite the old kingdom.
