Capital
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name: Torshavn
geographic coordinates: 62 01 N, 6 46 W
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
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Country Name
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Faroe Islands
local long form: none
local short form: Foroyar
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Dependency Status
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part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1948
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Type of Government
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NA
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Background
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The population of the Faroe Islands is largely descended from Viking settlers who arrived in the 9th century. The islands have been connected politically to Denmark since the 14th century. A high degree of self government was granted the Faroese in 1948, who have autonomy over most internal affairs while Denmark is responsible for justice, defense, and foreign affairs. The Faroe Islands are not part of the European Union.
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Branches
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no regular military forces
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Age Structure
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0-14 years: 21.3% (male 5,403/female 5,053)
15-64 years: 64% (male 16,777/female 14,644)
65 years and over: 14.6% (male 3,406/female 3,774) (2010 est.)
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Languages
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Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish
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Population
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49,057 (July 2010 est.)
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Religions
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Evangelical Lutheran 83.8%, other and unspecified 16.2% (2006 administrative data)
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Internet Users
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37,500 (2008)
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Area - Comparative
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eight times the size of Washington, DC
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Area
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total: 1,393 sq km
land: 1,393 sq km
water: 0 sq km (some lakes and streams)
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Terrain
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rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast
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Climate
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mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy
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Natural Hazards
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NA
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