The Faroe Islands are a self-governing North Atlantic archipelago within the Kingdom of Denmark. The capital is Tórshavn.
Europe and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Tórshavn; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapThe Faroe Islands are a North Atlantic archipelago with steep slopes, sea cliffs and narrow valleys. Volcanic rock forms layered hills and mountains, while glaciers helped shape the valleys. Flat land is scarce.
Villages often occupy small areas beside sheltered bays. Places such as Saksun illustrate the close relationship between valleys, tidal water and surrounding uplands. Deep channels separate the islands, making the sea a major influence on movement and daily life.
The North Atlantic produces cool summers, relatively mild winters and frequent wind, cloud and fog. Weather can change quickly in this exposed island setting.
The climate is cool, windy and strongly maritime. Grassland dominates many slopes, and exposed cliffs support seabird colonies. Rapid changes in cloud, rain and wind are characteristic of this ocean setting.
White with a red cross outlined in blue that extends to the edges of the flag; the cross is shifted toward the left side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
Steep sea cliffs show the exposed edges of the Faroese islands.
Photo: Eileen Sandá · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
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Mountains surround the sheltered coastal landscape on Streymoy.
Photo: Erik Christensen , Porkeri ( Contact at the Danish Wikipedia ) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Faroese is the principal language and is used in public life, education and culture. It is a North Germanic language with its own written standard.
Danish is also used and taught, reflecting the islands’ place within the Kingdom of Denmark. Faroese and Danish share historical roots but have separate literary traditions.
The Faroe Islands were long linked to Norway and later to Denmark. They remained under the Danish Crown when Norway separated from Denmark in 1814. Home rule was introduced in 1948, establishing extensive local government within the Kingdom of Denmark.
Fishing, fish processing and salmon farming are central to exports. Public services, shipping and tourism also provide employment. Dependence on seafood makes prices, fish stocks and access to markets important economic issues.
fishing, fish processing, tourism, small ship repair and refurbishment, handicrafts
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
| Year | People | Thousands of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 38,269 | 38.269 |
| 1980 | 43,072 | 43.072 |
| 1990 | 47,741 | 47.741 |
| 2000 | 45,754 | 45.754 |
| 2010 | 48,656 | 48.656 |
| 2020 | 52,561 | 52.561 |
| 2025 | 54,900 | 54.900 |
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 2,166,314,314 | 2.166 |
| 2009 | 2,067,675,563 | 2.068 |
| 2010 | 2,059,822,159 | 2.060 |
| 2011 | 2,133,282,898 | 2.133 |
| 2012 | 2,284,350,973 | 2.284 |
| 2013 | 2,418,125,854 | 2.418 |
| 2014 | 2,549,481,885 | 2.549 |
| 2015 | 2,573,905,971 | 2.574 |
| 2016 | 2,609,591,838 | 2.610 |
| 2017 | 2,701,241,060 | 2.701 |
| 2018 | 2,775,895,516 | 2.776 |
| 2019 | 2,901,879,820 | 2.902 |
| 2020 | 2,854,366,727 | 2.854 |
| 2021 | 2,998,979,304 | 2.999 |
| 2022 | 3,114,769,890 | 3.115 |
| 2023 | 3,213,157,333 | 3.213 |
| 2024 | 3,240,267,282 | 3.240 |
A self-governing part of the Kingdom of Denmark. The elected Løgting is the parliament, and a prime minister heads the Faroese government. Some responsibilities remain with the Danish realm.
Three questions about Faroe Islands.
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.
