Map of Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands is a country in Europe with its capital at Tórshavn, home to about 54,900 people across 1,399 km². The interactive map below plots 2 cities and towns, 1 mountain summits and 9 ports recorded for Faroe Islands in YearMaps.
- Population
- 54,900
- Area
- 1,399 km²
- Capital
- Tórshavn
- Continent
- Europe
Interactive Map of Faroe Islands
Centred on Tórshavn at 62.0300° N, 6.8200° W. Use the layer panel to switch on rivers, dams, ports, peaks and historical borders.
About Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( FAIR-oh), also known as the Faroes, are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and a rigsdel ('autonomous territory') of the Kingdom of Denmark. Located between Iceland, Norway, and the Hebrides and Shetland isles of Scotland, the islands have a population of 54,870 as of November 2025 and a land area of 1,393 km2 (538 sq mi). The official language is Faroese, which is partially mutually intelligible with Icelandic. The terrain is rugged, dominated by fjords and cliffs with sparse vegetation and few trees. As a result of their proximity to the Arctic Circle, the islands experience perpetual civil twilight during summer nights and very short winter days; nevertheless, they experience a subpolar oceanic climate and mild temperatures year-round due to the Gulf Stream. The capital, Tórshavn, receives the fewest recorded hours of sunshine of any city in the world at only 840 hours per year.
Færeyinga saga and the writings of Dicuil date initial Norse settlement in the early 9th century, with Grímur Kamban recorded as the first permanent settler. The islands were initially believed to be mainly settled by Norwegians and Norse-Gaels who also brought thralls (i.e. slaves or serfs) of Gaelic origin, as with Iceland; this was disproved by a 2024 study, which found the origins to be different.
Initially governed as an independent commonwealth under the Løgting, the islands came under Norwegian rule in the early 11th century after the introduction of Christianity by Sigmundur Brestisson. The Faroe Islands followed Norway's integration into the Kalmar Union in 1397 and came under de facto Danish rule following that union's dissolution in 1523. Following the introduction of Lutheranism in 1538, the Faroese language was banned in public institutions and disappeared from writing for more than three centuries. The islands were formally ceded to Denmark in 1814 by the Treaty of Kiel along with Greenland and Iceland, and the Løgting was subsequently replaced by a Danish judiciary.
Following the re-establishment of the Løgting and an official Faroese orthography, the Faroese language conflict saw Danish being gradually displaced by Faroese as the language of the church, public education, and law in the first half of the 20th century. The islands were occupied by the British during the Second World War, who refrained from governing Faroese internal affairs: inspired by this period of relative self-government and the declaration of Iceland as a republic in 1944, the islands held a referendum in 1946 that resulted in a narrow majority for independence.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Faroe Islands (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Geography and Climate of Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands were already populated by about A.D. 500, but whether the original settlers were Celtic or early Norse (or someone else) has yet to be determined. Viking settlers arrived on the islands in the 9th century, and the islands served as an important stepping stone for medieval Viking exploration of the North Atlantic. The islands have been connected politically to Denmark since the 14th century, and today the Faroe Islands are a self-governing dependency of Denmark. The Home Rule Act of 1948 granted a high degree of self-government to the Faroese, who have autonomy over most internal affairs and external trade, while Denmark is responsible for justice, defense, and some foreign affairs. The Faroe Islands are not part of the European Union.
- Location
- Northern Europe, island group between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Iceland and Norway.
- Climate
- Mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy.
- Terrain
- Rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast.
- Highest point
- Slaettaratindur 882 m.
- Lowest point
- Atlantic Ocean 0 m.
- Coastline
- 1,117 km.
- Land borders
- Total: 0 km.
- Natural resources
- Fish, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas.
- Land use
- Agricultural land: 70.1% (2023 est.); arable land: 0.1% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.); permanent pasture: 70.1% (2023 est.); forest: 0.1% (2023 est.); other: 29.8% (2023 est.)
- Natural hazards
- Strong winds and heavy rains can occur throughout the year.
- Geographic note
- Archipelago of 17 inhabited islands, 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.
- Languages
- Faroese 93.8% (derived from Old Norse), Danish 3.2%, other 3% (2011 est.)
- Religions
- Christian 87% (predominantly Evangelical Lutheran), other 0.9%, none 3.7%, unspecified 8.9% (2011 est.)
- Ethnic groups
- Faroese 83.8% (Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon descent), Danish 8.3%, Filipino 1.2%, other Nordic 0.9%, other 4.5% (includes Polish and Romanian) (2024 est.)
- Economy
- High-income Danish territorial economy; party neither to the EU nor the Schengen Area; associate Nordic Council member; very low unemployment; unique foreign ownership allowance in fishing industry; known salmon exporter; growing IT industries.
From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.
Faroe Islands in Numbers
- Population
- 54,900
- GDP
- US$4.1 billion
- GDP per person
- US$74,175
- Life expectancy
- 83.1 years
- Population growth
- 0.47% a year
- Population density
- 40 per km²
- Urban population
- 39.6%
- Surface area
- 12,960 km²
- Forest cover
- 0.1%
- Arable land
- 0.1%
- Access to electricity
- 100.0%
- Internet users
- 97.6%
Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.
Faroe Islands in Depth
History
Archaeological studies from 2021 found evidence of settlement on the islands before the arrival of Norse settlers, uncovering burnt grains of domesticated barley and peat ash deposited in two phases: the first dated between the mid-fourth and mid-sixth centuries, and another between the late-sixth and late-eighth centuries. Researchers have also found sheep DNA in lake-bed sediments dating to the year 500. Barley and sheep had to have been brought to the islands by humans; as Scandinavians did not begin using sails until about 750, it is unlikely they could have reached the Faroes before then, leading to the study concluding that the settlers were more likely to originate from Scotland or Ireland.
Geography
The Faroe Islands are an island group consisting of 18 major islands (and a total of 779 islands, islets, and skerries) about 655 kilometres (407 mi) off the coast of Northern Europe, between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Iceland and Norway, the closest neighbours being the Northern Isles and the Outer Hebrides of the United Kingdom. Its coordinates are 62°00′N 06°47′W.
The islands cover an area of 1,399 square kilometres (540 sq. mi) and have small lakes and rivers, but no major ones. There are 1,117 kilometres (694 mi) of coastline. The only significant uninhabited island is Lítla Dímun.
The islands are rugged and rocky with some low peaks; the coasts are mostly cliffs.
Economy
Economic troubles caused by the collapse of the Faroese fishing industry in the early 1990s brought high unemployment rates of 10 to 15% by the mid-1990s. Unemployment decreased in the later 1990s, down to about 6% at the end of 1998. By June 2008 unemployment had declined to 1.1%, before rising to 3.4% in early 2009. In December 2019 the unemployment reached a record low 0.9%. Nevertheless, the almost total dependence on fishing and fish farming means that the economy remains vulnerable. The largest private company of the Faroe Islands is the salmon farming company Bakkafrost, which is also the largest of the four salmon farming companies in the Faroe Islands, and eighth largest in the world.
Demographics
There is a gender deficit of about 2,000 women owing to migration. As a result, some Faroese men have married women from the Philippines and Thailand, whom they met through such channels as online dating websites, and arranged for them to emigrate to the islands. This group of approximately three hundred women makes up the largest ethnic minority in the Faroes.
The total fertility rate of the Faroe Islands is one of the highest in Europe. The 2015 fertility rate was 2.409 children born per woman.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Faroe Islands (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Faroe Islands: Key Facts
| Currency | Faroese króna |
|---|---|
| Official languages | Faroese, Danish |
| Head of state | Frederik X of Denmark |
| Head of government | Aksel V. Johannesen |
| Calling code | +298 |
| Internet domain | .fo |
| Highest point | Slættaratindur |
| Established | 1 April 1948 |
Facts from Wikidata Q4628 (CC0).
History of Faroe Islands: Empires and States
The atlas records 6 polities whose mapped territory included part of Faroe Islands, from Viking settlements in 800 CE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.
| Polity | Period here | Extent |
|---|---|---|
| Viking settlements | 800–1325 CE | A large part |
| Old Kingdom of Norway | 1040–1401 CE | A large part |
| Norway-Denmark | 1046–1055 CE | A large part |
| Kalmar Union | 1402–1525 CE | A large part |
| Denmark-Norway | 1526–1940 CE | A large part |
| Denmark | 1945–2024 CE | A large part |
Historical Maps of Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands on the world map in each year one of these states held it:
Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.
Visiting Faroe Islands
The Faroe or Faeroe Islands (Faroese: Føroyar; Danish: Færøerne) are an archipelago of 18 islands in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, with roughly 54,000 inhabitants (2022). Like Greenland, the Faroe Islands are an autonomous territory of Denmark.
When visiting the Faroes you are never more than 5 km (3 mi) away from the ocean. The countryside is dominated by steep mountains and there are about 70,000 sheep and some 2 million pairs of sea birds, including the largest colony of storm petrels in the world. The Faroe Islands are undeniably beautiful: green, rugged and wind-swept. Most visitors to the islands come between early July and late August.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Faroe Islands (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Largest Cities in Faroe Islands
2 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.
| # | Name | Population | Region | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tórshavn | 14,398 | Eysturoyar | Admin-1 capital |
| 2 | Klaksvík | 4,664 | Eysturoyar | Admin-1 capital |
Highest Mountains in Faroe Islands
1 mountain recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.
| # | Name | Elevation | Feet | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slaettaratindur | 882 m | 2,894 ft | Europe |
Slaettaratindur
Mountain · 882 m
Slaettaratindur is a mountain rising to 882 metres (2,894 ft) in the Faroe Islands, in the Europe region. From PeakBagger.com, with kind permission..
Slættaratindur is the highest mountain in the Faroe Islands, at an elevation of 880 metres. It is located in the northern part of Eysturoy, between the villages of Eiði, Gjógv, and Funningur. Funningur is situated at the base of the mountain. Due to the steepness of the surrounding terrain, the mountain's summit is not visible from within the village itself.
Its name means "flat summit". It can be climbed in about three hours, and although the routes are steep, technical climbing skills are not necessary to reach the summit. In clear weather, the summit gives views over the entire archipelago. Slættaratindur is one of ten mountains in the Faroe Islands which rise to over 800 m above sea level. Gráfelli, the second-highest peak at 856 m, lies just to the north-east of Slættaratindur.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Slættaratindur (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Elevation
- 882 m (2,894 ft)
- Global rank
- #574 of 641 indexed
- Region
- Europe (#67)
- Subregion
- North Atlantic Ocean
- Country
- Faroe Islands
- Coordinates
- 62.3003°, -6.9944°
Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Slaettaratindur ranks #574 by elevation, below Mount Afadjoto (885 m) and above Mount Scenery (870 m).
- Ranges:
- Grampian Mountains (Europe), Cambrian Mountains (Europe)
- Neighbouring summits:
- Ben Nevis (1,343 m), Snaefell (621 m), Beerenberg (2,277 m)
More about Slaettaratindur
Slaettaratindur: Key Facts
| Topographic prominence | 880 m |
|---|
Facts from Wikidata Q738746 (CC0).
Ports in Faroe Islands
9 ports recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.
| # | Name | Channel Depth | Class | Sea | Max Vessel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vestmanna | 53 m | Very Small | Norwegian Sea & European Arctic | point_of_interest |
| 2 | Klaksvik | 53 m | Very Small | Norwegian Sea & European Arctic | medium vessels |
| 3 | Tvoroyri | 49.4 m | Very Small | Norwegian Sea & European Arctic | medium vessels |
| 4 | Fuglafjordur | 45.7 m | Very Small | Norwegian Sea & European Arctic | point_of_interest |
| 5 | Torshavn | 45.7 m | Very Small | Norwegian Sea & European Arctic | large vessels |
| 6 | Vagur | 34.7 m | Very Small | Norwegian Sea & European Arctic | medium vessels |
| 7 | Kongshavn | 31.1 m | Very Small | Norwegian Sea & European Arctic | point_of_interest |
| 8 | Runavik | 27.4 m | Very Small | Norwegian Sea & European Arctic | medium vessels |
| 9 | Sorvagur | 5.5 m | Very Small | Norwegian Sea & European Arctic | medium vessels |
Largest Islands of Faroe Islands
1 island recorded. Ranked by mapped area. An island divided between countries is listed under each, with the area of the whole island.
| # | Name | Area | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Føroyar | 6,257 km² | Island group |
Føroyar
Island group · 6,257 km²
Føroyar is an island group in Europe (North Atlantic Ocean), covering an estimated 6,257 km². It extends across the Faroe Islands and Denmark.
The Faroe Islands ( FAIR-oh), also known as the Faroes, are an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean and a rigsdel ('autonomous territory') of the Kingdom of Denmark. Located between Iceland, Norway, and the Hebrides and Shetland isles of Scotland, the islands have a population of 54,870 as of November 2025 and a land area of 1,393 km2 (538 sq mi). The official language is Faroese, which is partially mutually intelligible with Icelandic. The terrain is rugged, dominated by fjords and cliffs with sparse vegetation and few trees. As a result of their proximity to the Arctic Circle, the islands experience perpetual civil twilight during summer nights and very short winter days; nevertheless, they experience a subpolar oceanic climate and mild temperatures year-round due to the Gulf Stream. The capital, Tórshavn, receives the fewest recorded hours of sunshine of any city in the world at only 840 hours per year.
Færeyinga saga and the writings of Dicuil date initial Norse settlement in the early 9th century, with Grímur Kamban recorded as the first permanent settler. The islands were initially believed to be mainly settled by Norwegians and Norse-Gaels who also brought thralls (i.e.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Faroe Islands (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Feature class
- Island group
- Mapped extent
- 6,257 km²
- Size rank
- #179 of 445 islands
- Region
- Europe
- Subregion
- North Atlantic Ocean
- Countries
- Faroe Islands, Denmark
- Coordinates
- 62.1278°, -6.9462°
- Summits:
- Slaettaratindur (882 m)
- Ranges:
- Grampian Mountains (Europe), Cambrian Mountains (Europe)
More about Føroyar
Geography
The Faroe Islands are an island group consisting of 18 major islands (and a total of 779 islands, islets, and skerries) about 655 kilometres (407 mi) off the coast of Northern Europe, between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about halfway between Iceland and Norway, the closest neighbours being the Northern Isles and the Outer Hebrides of the United Kingdom. Its coordinates are 62°00′N 06°47′W.
The islands cover an area of 1,399 square kilometres (540 sq. mi) and have small lakes and rivers, but no major ones. There are 1,117 kilometres (694 mi) of coastline. The only significant uninhabited island is Lítla Dímun.
The islands are rugged and rocky with some low peaks; the coasts are mostly cliffs.
History
Archaeological studies from 2021 found evidence of settlement on the islands before the arrival of Norse settlers, uncovering burnt grains of domesticated barley and peat ash deposited in two phases: the first dated between the mid-fourth and mid-sixth centuries, and another between the late-sixth and late-eighth centuries. Researchers have also found sheep DNA in lake-bed sediments dating to the year 500. Barley and sheep had to have been brought to the islands by humans; as Scandinavians did not begin using sails until about 750, it is unlikely they could have reached the Faroes before then, leading to the study concluding that the settlers were more likely to originate from Scotland or Ireland.
Demographics
There is a gender deficit of about 2,000 women owing to migration. As a result, some Faroese men have married women from the Philippines and Thailand, whom they met through such channels as online dating websites, and arranged for them to emigrate to the islands. This group of approximately three hundred women makes up the largest ethnic minority in the Faroes.
The total fertility rate of the Faroe Islands is one of the highest in Europe. The 2015 fertility rate was 2.409 children born per woman.
The 2011 census shows that of the 48,346 inhabitants of the Faroe Islands (17,441 private households in 2011), 43,135 were born in the Faroe Islands, 3,597 were born elsewhere in the Kingdom of Denmark (Denmark proper or Greenland), and 1,614 were born outside the Kingdom of Denmark.
Economy
Economic troubles caused by the collapse of the Faroese fishing industry in the early 1990s brought high unemployment rates of 10 to 15% by the mid-1990s. Unemployment decreased in the later 1990s, down to about 6% at the end of 1998. By June 2008 unemployment had declined to 1.1%, before rising to 3.4% in early 2009. In December 2019 the unemployment reached a record low 0.9%. Nevertheless, the almost total dependence on fishing and fish farming means that the economy remains vulnerable.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Faroe Islands (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Føroyar: Key Facts
| Area | 1,399 km² |
|---|---|
| Population | 54,149 (2023) |
| Highest point | Slættaratindur |
| Surrounded by | Norwegian Sea |
Facts from Wikidata Q4628 (CC0).
Visiting Føroyar
The Faroe or Faeroe Islands (Faroese: Føroyar; Danish: Færøerne) are an archipelago of 18 islands in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, with roughly 54,000 inhabitants (2022). Like Greenland, the Faroe Islands are an autonomous territory of Denmark.
When visiting the Faroes you are never more than 5 km (3 mi) away from the ocean. The countryside is dominated by steep mountains and there are about 70,000 sheep and some 2 million pairs of sea birds, including the largest colony of storm petrels in the world. The Faroe Islands are undeniably beautiful: green, rugged and wind-swept. Most visitors to the islands come between early July and late August.
Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Faroe Islands (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Countries Bordering Faroe Islands
Land and maritime neighbours.
More Maps in Europe
Faroe Islands: Quick Answers
- What is the capital of Faroe Islands?
- The capital of Faroe Islands is Tórshavn.
- What is the population of Faroe Islands?
- Faroe Islands has a population of about 54,900, the #207 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
- How big is Faroe Islands?
- Faroe Islands covers 1,399 km², ranking #186 by area, with about 39 people per square kilometre.
- Which continent is Faroe Islands in?
- Faroe Islands is in Europe.
- Which countries border Faroe Islands?
- Faroe Islands shares a land or maritime border with Iceland.
- What is the largest city in Faroe Islands?
- Tórshavn is the largest city in Faroe Islands, with a metropolitan population of about 14,398.
- What is the highest mountain in Faroe Islands?
- The highest summit recorded for Faroe Islands in YearMaps is Slaettaratindur at 882 m (2,894 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.