The Faroe Islands

Faroe Islands Føroyar  (Faroese), Færøerne  (Danish)
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Tú alfagra land mítt Thou, my most beauteous land
Location of the Faroe Islands (circled) in Northern Europe
Location of the Danish Realm (red), consisting of the Faroe Islands (circled), Greenland and Denmark
Capital and largest city	Tórshavn 62°00′N 06°47′W / 62.000°N 6.783°W / 62.000; -6.783
Official languages	Faroese Danish
Religion	Church of the Faroe Islands
Demonym	Faroe Islanders
Sovereign state	Kingdom of Denmark
Government	Devolved government within parliamentary constitutional monarchy
• Monarch	Margrethe II
• High Commissioner	Dan Michael Knudsen
• Prime Minister	Aksel V. Johannesen
Legislature	Løgting
Formation
• Unified with Norway	c. 1035
• Treaty of Kiel (ceded to Denmark)	14 January 1814
• Gained home rule	1 April 1948
• Further autonomy	29 July 2005
Area
• Total	1,399 km2 (540 sq mi) (180th)
• Water (%)	0.5
Population
• January 2016 estimate	49,188 (206th)
• 2011 census	48,346
• Density	35.2/km2 (91.2/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2008 estimate
• Total	$1.642 billion
• Per capita	$33,700
GDP (nominal)	2008 estimate
• Total	$2.45 billion
• Per capita	$50,300
HDI (2008)	0.950 very high
Currency	Faroese króna (DKK)
Time zone	WET (UTC​)
• Summer (DST)	WEST (UTC+1)
Drives on the	right
Calling code	+298
ISO 3166 code	FO
Internet TLD	.fo
^ The monarchy of Denmark reached the Faeroes in 1380 with the reign of Olaf II of Denmark. ^ The Faeroes, Greenland and Iceland were Norwegian possessions until 1814, as Norway was united with Denmark. ^ The currency, printed with Faroese motifs, is issued at par with the Danish krone, uses the same sizes and standards as Danish coins and banknotes and incorporates the same security features. Faroese krónur (singular króna) share the Danish ISO 4217 code "DKK".

Coordinates: 62°00′N 06°47′W / 62.000°N 6.783°W / 62.000; -6.783

The Faroe Islands (/ˈfɛəroʊ/; Faroese: Føroyar pronounced [ˈfœɹjaɹ]; Danish: Færøerne, pronounced [ˈfæɐ̯øːˀɐnə]; Irish: Na Scigirí) are an archipelago between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic approximately halfway between Norway and Iceland, 320 kilometres (200 miles) north-northwest of mainland Scotland. The area is approximately 1,400 square kilometres (541 square miles) with a 2016 population of 49,188. The islands are an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark.

The land is rugged and has a subpolar oceanic climate (Cfc): windy, wet, cloudy and cool. Despite its northerly latitude, temperatures average above freezing throughout the year due to the Gulf Stream.