| Page Views: 5,644 Last Visit to Faroe Islands: July, 1990 | The Faroe Islands by Bjorgvin - last update: Aug 15, 2003 |
Faroe Islands (Faeroe Islands, Faroese, Føroyar, Dan. Faerøerne, Icel. Færeyjar). A group of islands (17 of them are inhabited)) in the North Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and the Shetland Islands. They form a self-governing region within the kingdom of Denmark. The main islands are Streymoy, Eysturoy, Vágar (where the international airport is situated), Suduroy, Sandoy, Bordoy, and Svínoy (oy meaning island). The capital and main harbour is Tórshavn (Thorshavn) on Streymoy.
The Faroese are of Scandinavian origin, descendants of Norwegian Vikings who colonized the islands about AD 800. The people live in small settlements, almost all of which are on the coasts (see picture above). The official languages are Faroese, most closely related to Icelandic, and Danish.
The name Faereyiar in Old Norse means Sheep Islands. The islands were first settled by Irish monks (c. 700), colonized by the Vikings (c. 800) and were Christianized by the king of Norway (c. 1000). The Faroes became a Norwegian province in 1035 and passed to Denmark in 1380. During World War II Great Britain controlled the Faroes while the Germans occupied Denmark. In 1948 the islands were granted self-government under the authority of Denmark, with their own flag and unit of currency.
- The picture: The small village of Funningur on Eysturoy. The landscape is typical for the islands. Here is where the first viking settler, Grímur Kamban, chose to live.
http://www.tourist.fo; http://www.olivant.fo |  | |
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 Comments for Bjorgvin about Faroe Islands | | | | |
seamandrew Thu Sep 18, 2003 18:20 UTC
I dream of visiting these Islands one day. They're remoteness is so appealing. I don't think I could be around for the slaughtering of the whales though. Excellent tips and pics! Thanks Bjorgvin! | zrim Fri Apr 4, 2003 19:43 UTC
I am anxious to visit these islands soon, but I cannot imagine dining on Puffin. | Jim_Eliason Sun Mar 30, 2003 23:18 UTC
Fantastic photos | kiwi Tue Mar 25, 2003 12:41 UTC
I first learned about these islands back in the 70's, you have rekindled my interest, thanks!! |
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