Geography of the Faroe Islands
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Faroe_islands_sm01.jpg
Map of Faroe
Location: The Faroe Islands are an island group off the coast of Northern Europe, between the Norwegian Sea and the north Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Iceland to Norway. Its coordinates are Template:Coor d. It is 1,399 square kilometers in area, and includes no major lakes or rivers. There are 1,117 kilometers of coastline, and no land boundaries with any other country.
The Faroe Islands generally have cool summers and mild winters, with a usually overcast sky and frequent fog and heavy winds. The islands are rugged and rocky with some low peaks; the coasts are mostly bordered by cliffs. The lowest point is at sea level, and the highest is at Slættaratindur, which is 882 meters above sea level.
Natural resources include fish, whales and hydropower.
Statistics
- Location
- Northern Europe, island group between Norway and Iceland in Atlantic Ocean, north of the United Kingdom.
- Geographic coordinates
-
- Template:Coor dm
- North: Enniberg, 62°29′,2 N
- South: Sumbiarsteinur, 61°21′,6 N
- West: Gáadrangur, 7°40′,1 W
- East: Stapi, 6°21′,5 W
- Area--comparative
- Eight times the size of Washington, DC
- Land boundaries
- 0 km
- Coastline
- 1,117 km
- Maritime claims
-
- Continental shelf: 200 nautical miles or or agreed boundaries or median line
- Exclusive economic zone: 200 nautical miles or agreed boundaries or median line
- Territorial sea: 3 nautical miles
- Climate
- Temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; cool summers, damp in the South and West. Arctic climate in some mountains.
- Terrain
- Rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast. The coasts are deeply indented with fjords, and the narrow passages between islands are agitated by strong tidal currents.
- Elevation extremes
-
- Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
- Highest point: Slættaratindur 882 m
- Natural resources
- Fish, Whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas.
- Land use
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- Arable land: 2.14%
- Permanent crops: 0%
- Other: 97.86% (2001 est.)
- Irrigated land
- 0 km²
- Natural hazards
- NA
- Environment--current issues
- NA
- Environment--international agreements
- NA
- Geography--note
- Archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and 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.
See also : List of islands of the Faroe Islands
References
- "Faroe Islands" World Fact Book 2004, CIA, Washington.de:Geologie und Geographie der Färöer