Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands are a self-governing archipelago of the Kingdom of Denmark in the North Atlantic, between Iceland, Norway and Shetland. Tórshavn is the capital and Faroese, a language close to Icelandic, is official, and the land of 1,393 km² (538 sq mi) is rugged, with steep cliffs and few trees.

The Færeyinga saga and the Irish monk Dicuil place the first Norse settlement in the early 9th century, with Grímur Kamban named as the first permanent settler. The islanders first ruled themselves through their assembly, the Løgting, until Sigmundur Brestisson brought Christianity and the islands came under Norway, firmly so after 1035. They followed Norway into the Kalmar Union in 1397 and passed to Danish rule after 1523. Once Lutheranism arrived in 1538, Faroese was banned in public life and vanished from writing for more than three centuries, and the Treaty of Kiel gave the islands formally to Denmark in 1814.

The Løgting was restored in the 19th century, a written standard for Faroese followed, and in the first half of the 20th century Faroese replaced Danish in church, schools and courts. British troops occupied the islands on 12 April 1940 and left local affairs to the islanders. A 1946 referendum gave a narrow vote for independence, but King Christian X annulled it, and talks led to home rule in 1948.

Denmark still handles defense, policing, justice and currency, while the islands set their own trade policy and stayed out of the European Economic Community in 1973 to keep control of their fishing waters. Fish make up about 90% of exports, salmon farming has grown into a major industry led by Bakkafrost, and tourism has risen since the 2010s. The islanders still hunt long-finned pilot whales by old custom, and the Løgting claims to be among the oldest parliaments in the world.