Faroe Islands

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SECTIONS:

Forest Cover | Forest types | Breakdown of forest types | Change in Forest Cover | Primary forest | Forest designation | Disturbances affecting forest land | Protected areas | Biodiversity - Wildlife | Biodiversity - Plants | Value of forests | Production, trade and consumption of forest products | Environment | Land use / Resources | Economy | Population / Demographics | Infrastructure | Health | References | Books

Books

[an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Faroe Islands: Environment Environment - current issues NA Environment - international agreements NA Faroe Islands: Land use / Resources Land use (%) arable land: 2.14% permanent crops: 0% other: 97.86% (2001) Natural resources fish, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas Faroe Islands: Economy Economy - overview: The Faroese economy has had a strong performance since 1994, mostly as a result of increasing fish landings and high and stable export prices. Unemployment is minimal and there are signs of labor shortages in several sectors. The positive economic development has helped the Faroese Home Rule Government produce increasing budget surpluses, which in turn has helped to reduce the large public debt, most of it owed to Denmark. However, the total dependence on fishing makes the Faroese economy extremely vulnerable, and the present fishing efforts appear in excess of what is a sustainable level of fishing in the long term. Oil finds close to the Faroese area give hope for deposits in the immediate Faroese area, which may eventually lay the basis for a more diversified economy and thus lessen dependence on Danish economic assistance. Aided by a substantial annual subsidy (15% of GDP) from Denmark, the Faroese have a standard of living not far below the Danes and other Scandinavians. GDP - per capita $22,000 (2001 est.) GDP - real growth rate (%) 10% (2001 est.) Agriculture - products milk, potatoes, vegetables; sheep; salmon, other fish GDP - composition by sector (%) agriculture: 27%, industry: 11%, services: 62% (1999) Industries fishing, fish processing, small ship repair and refurbishment, handicrafts Economic aid - recipient $135 million (annual subsidy from Denmark) (1998) Debt - external $64 million (1999) Population below poverty line (%) NA Labor force - by occupation (%) fishing, fish processing, and manufacturing 33%, construction and private services 33%, public services 34% Faroe Islands: Population / Demographics Population (July 2005) 46,962 Population growth rate (%) (2005) 0.62% Population density (people/sq km) (2005) 33.6 Median age (years) total: 35.11 years Total fertility rate (children born/woman) 2.2 (2005 est.) Ethnic groups (%) Scandinavian [an error occurred while processing this directive] Faroe Islands: Infrastructure Telephones - main lines in use 23,000 (2002) Telephones - mobile cellular 30,700 (2002) Roadways (km) total: 463 km paved: 454 km unpaved: 9 km (1999) Faroe Islands: Health Life expectancy at birth (years) total population: 79.21 years male: 75.77 years female: 82.67 years (2005 est.) Infant mortality rate 6.24 deaths/1,000 live births HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate (%) NA% Faroe Islands : References & Data Sources  Environment, Land use / Resources, Economy, Population / Demographics, Infrastructure, Health -- CIA World Factbook, 2005  Forest Cover, Forest types, Breakdown of forest types, Change in Forest Cover, Primary forests, Forest designation, Disturbances affecting forest land, Value of forests, Production, trade and consumption of forest products -- The FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS's Global Forest Resources Assessment (2005) and the State of the World�s Forests (2005, 2003, 2001)  Protected Areas, Plant and animal biodiversity -- United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). 2004. World Database on Protected Areas.  Biosphere reservers -- United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) - Man and Biosphere Program. 2004. UNESCO - MAB Biosphere Reserves Directory.  RAMSAR sites -- The Bureau of the Convention on Wetlands . 2005. The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.  World Resources Institute's EarthTrends web site  The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species  Population Data -- United Nations Population Fund  With additional analysis by Rhett Butler of mongabay.com