Faroe Islands

Country	Faroe Islands
Dependency status:	part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1948
Capital: name	Torshavn
Independence	none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark)
National holiday	Olaifest (Olavsoka), 29 July
Population	49,483 (July 2012 est.)
Sex ratio	1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female total population: 1.09 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Nationality	Faroese (singular and plural)
Religions	Evangelical Lutheran 83.8%, other and unspecified 16.2% (2006 census)
Languages	Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish
Location	Northern Europe, island group between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about half way between Iceland and Norway
Geographic coordinates	62 00 N, 7 00 W
Map references	Europe
Area	total: 1,393 sq km land: 1,393 sq km water: 0 sq km (some lakes and streams)
Area - comparative	eight times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries	0 km
Coastline	1,117 km
Maritime claims	Territorial sea: 3 nm Continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line
Climate	mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy
Terrain	rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Slaettaratindur 882 m
Natural resources	fish, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas
Land use	arable land: 2.14% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.86% (2005)
Environment - international agreements	party to: Marine Dumping - associate member to the London Convention and Ship Pollution
Geography - note	archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one uninhabited island, and a few uninhabited islets; strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands