Part 243

Area: total area: 1,400 sq km land area: 1,400 sq km comparative area: eight times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 764 km

Maritime claims: exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 3 nm

International disputes: none

Climate: mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy

Terrain: rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Slaettaratindur 882 m

Natural resources: fish

Land use: arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 0% forest and woodland: 0% other: 98%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment: current issues: NA natural hazards: NA international agreements: NA

Geographic note: archipelago of 18 inhabited islands and a few uninhabited islets; strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands

People ------

Population: 43,857 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 24% (male 5,461; female 5,280) 15-64 years: 62% (male 14,488; female 12,617) 65 years and over: 14% (male 2,661; female 3,350) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: -1.8% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 13.91 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 8.69 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -23.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 0.99 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.15 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female all ages: 1.06 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 7.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.83 years male: 74.75 years female: 80.88 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.38 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: Faroese (singular and plural) adjective: Faroese

Ethnic divisions: Scandinavian

Religions: Evangelical Lutheran

Languages: Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish

Literacy: NA