Feroe islands The Faroe or Faeroe Islands [1] (in Faroese Froyar) are 18 islands in the middle of the

North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Scotland and halfway between Iceland and Norway. The Islands are a self-governing island territory of Denmark, although they politically aim for higher independence. The Islands have a population of nearly 50,000 (48.511 November 2010), and a language and culture of their own. When visiting the Faroes you are never more than 5 km (3 miles) away from the ocean. The countryside is dominated by steep mountains and there are about 70,000 sheep and some 2 million pairs of seabirds, 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. *The Faroe Islands or Froyar (that meaning "Sheep Islands") are a group of eighteen islands in the north Atlantic Ocean between Scotland, Norway, and Iceland. They are a part of the Kingdom of Denmark, but have had local (autocratic) rule since 1948

The people Most Faroese people are very proud of their national heritage, so avoid criticizing Faroese traditions. You may have heard of the grindadrp whale hunts and dolphin kills; most Faroese regard these hunts as an important part of their culture, it is best to avoid strongly criticizing the hunts as there is likely to be a sharp retort. Faroese people are known to be very helpful, friendly and hospitable and expect you to be the same way.

Climate The weather is maritime and quite unpredictable. It can change quickly and it varies extremely, from moments of brilliant sunshine to misty hill fog, to showers - there can be sunshine on one side of the mountain range, while it's raining on the other side. During the summer the islands are often overcast by summer fog. The Gulf Stream south of the islands tempers the climate. The harbors never freeze and the temperature in winter time is very moderate considering the high latitude. Snowfall occurs, but it is short-lived. The average temperature ranges from 3 C in the wintertime to 11 C during the summer, the temperature can be much higher, but the air is always fresh and clean no matter the seasonThe average temperature in the warmest months is 13C resulting is mild

summer days and during the winther the average temperature is 3C. Visitors during the summer are taken aback by the characteristic long days and the light nights. In the middle of the summer the sun hardly sets and the longest day is 19 hours long.

Landscape

With their volcanic origin the 18 islands are rugged and rocky. The average height above sea level for the country is 300 m (982 ft). The highest peak, Slttaratindur, is 882 m (2883 ft) above sea level. There are 1100 km (687 miles) of coastline and at no time is one more than 5 km (3 miles) away from the ocean. Mountains and valleys mostly characterize the inner landscape. The Faroese west coast is characterized by steep slopes and bird cliffs, that in the summertime are full of nesting seabirds such as puffins. Something that first meets the eye of a traveler is the lack of trees in the Faroes. The reason for this are the thousands of sheep that occupy the islands

Towns and villages

. Today there are still over a hundred villages in the Faroe Islands. Nearly every single one of them is situated near the ocean, and to new visitors they may all seem to be very much alike. The houses are either painted in bright colours or the traditional black, whilst the roofs are often turf covered. The buildings are usually built very close to each other, which is very cosy. Every village is surrounded by a cultivated infield, and surrounding it is the uncultivated outfield. In most places the sheep occupy the outfield troughout the whole year.

Faroese salmon farming company.

It is one of the world's large salmon producing countries.

Food
Traditional Faroese food is mainly based on meat and potatoes and uses few fresh vegetables. A very important meat in the islands,is the lamb,the first ingredient,of many dishes.Others typically dishes,from islands are fresh fish,blubber,whale,seabirds,and Faroese puffins, and their eggs.

Climate
The climate is defined as Maritime Subarctic,with not hot summers,and with cold winters,usually there is fog or a heavy wind,that causes air traffic problems.

Animals and vegetation in the islands

Many species of birds live sometimes in the islands,like:Eider, Starling, Wren, Guillemot, and Black Guillemot.Only a few species of wild land seals are found in the Faroe Islands today,the Grey Seals.Sometimes tourists can see whales,in the waters near the islands. Grey Seals are very common around the Faroese shores.The natural vegetation of the Faroe Islands is,like in the Scottish islands,or in Ireland; dominated by, wild flowers, grasses, moss and lichen.

Faroese sheep, Hvalba.