Faroe Islands
Exploring the Faroe Islands
The name means sheep islands and the state is composed of eighteen islands nestled off the coast of Northern Europe. Faroe Islands is considered an autonomous province of the Kingdom of Denmark and has been so since 1948. Other than its legal, foreign affairs and defense systems, the islands have pretty much taken control of their own matters. Its closes neighbors include Iceland, Scotland and Norway.
Toshvan is the capital and principal harbor of the islands and is located on the southeastern part of the Streymoy Island. Of the eighteen islands, only seventeen are inhabited. The major islands of the state include Streymoy, Eysturoy, Sudhuroy, Vagar and Bordhoy.
Interestingly, the islands are practically treeless which is probably because of the high winds that pass through them. The main industries in the Faroes include fishing, sheep raising and cloth manufacturing. Only two percent of the soil makes up for the cultivated lands in the area.
History
Until the fourteenth century when it was linked to Denmark, the Faroe Islands were considered a territory of Norway. Most of its people are of Scandinavian descent and speak the Old Norse language Faroese. The Faroes went under the British military’s control during the Second World War in 1940 until they were declared part of the territory of Denmark through a plebiscite vote.
The islands currently have two representatives in the Danish parliament.
People and culture
As earlier mentioned, most of the population of the Faroe Islands are of Scandinavian descent. There are three major ethnic denominations in the islands, namely: ethnic Faroese, Norse, and Celtics. Most of its inhabitants are considered realm citizens – that is, they are either Faroese, Danish or Greenlandic. It is also a home to a small group of Icelanders, Polish and Norwegians.
The official language is Faroese – a type of Germanic language. Its grammar is quite similar to Icelandic and Old Norse but the spoken form is more like the Norwegian dialects that are spoken west of Norway. When the Faroe Islands became a part of Denmark, Danish began to be taught in schools and became a compulsory second language.
Christianity is the dominant religion in the islands and the state religion being a form of Lutheranism – The Faroese People’s Church. There is also a part of the population that belongs to the Open Brethren community and a smaller percent that follows other churches including the Adventists and the Jehovah’s Witness. There is but a small number of people in the Faroe Islands that belong to the Roman Catholic Church.
The Nordic House in the Faroe Islands is a cultural institution tasked with the promotion of Nordic and Faroese culture. It is considered one of the key supporters of cultural events in the islands. It supports and organizes various events that have been attracting the attention of tourists and locals throughout the decades.
Faroe Islands features a wide range of attractions for its guests. Cultural and historic tours are also popular in the area. Nature trips are also being organized as ecotourism forms another major aspect of its efforts to promote the natural beauty of the islands.
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