Coordinates: 6200N 0647W / 62.000N 6.783W / 62.000; -6.783

Location of the Faroe Islands in Northern Europe.

The Faroe Islands (//; Faroese: Froyar pronounced[fja]; Danish: Frerne Danish pronunciation:[fn]) are an island group and archipelago under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark, situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Norway and Iceland, at about 320 kilometres (200mi) north-north-west of mainland Scotland. The total area is approximately 1,400km2 (540 sq mi) with a 2010 population of almost 50,000 people.

The Faroe Islands have been a self-governing country within the Danish Realm since 1948. Over the years, the Faroese have taken control of most domestic matters. Areas that remain the responsibility of Denmark include military defence, police, justice, currency and foreign affairs. The Faroe Islands also have representatives in the Nordic Council as members of the Danish delegation.

The islands were associated with and taxed by Norway, then the Union of Kalmar, and then Denmark-Norway until 1814, when Norway was united with Sweden. Scandinavia was in political turmoil following the Sixth Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars, when the Treaty of Kiel granted Denmark control over the Faroes, Iceland and Greenland in 1814. The Danish trade monopoly ended in 1856.

Archaeological evidence has been found of settlers lived on the Faroe Islands in two successive periods prior to the arrival of the Norse, the first between 400 and 600 AD and the second between 600 and 800 AD.[5] Scientists from Aberdeen University have also found early cereal pollen from domesticated plants, which further suggests people may have lived on the islands before the Vikings arrived.[6] Archaeologist Mike Church noted that Dicuil (see below) mentioned what may have been the Faroes. He also suggested that the people living there might have been from Ireland, Scotland or Scandinavia, with possibly groups from all three areas settling there.[7]

There is a Latin account of a voyage made by Saint Brendan, an Irish monastic saint who lived around 484578, there is a description of "insulae" (islands) resembling the Faroe Islands. This association, however, is far from conclusive in its description.[8]

More pertinent is the account by Dicuil, an Irish monk of the early 9th century. In his geographical work De menura orbis terrae he wrote that he had been reliably informed of "heremitae ex nostra Scotia" ("hermits from our land of Ireland") who had lived on the northerly islands of Britain for almost a hundred years until the arrival of Norse pirates.[9]

It is known that Norsemen settled the islands c. 800, bringing the Old Norse language that evolved into the modern Faroese language. According to Icelandic Sagas such as Freyjar Saga one of the best known men in the island was Trndur Gtu, a descendant of Scandinavian chiefs who settled in Dublin, Ireland. Trndur led the battle against Sigmund Brestursson, the Norwegian monarchy and the Norwegian church.

These settlers are not thought to have come directly from Scandinavia, but rather from Norse communities surrounding the Irish Sea, Northern Isles and Western Isles of Scotland, including the Shetland and Orkney islands, and Norse-Gaels. A traditional name for the islands in the Irish language, Na Scigir, means the Skeggjar and possibly refers to the Eyja-Skeggjar (Island-Beards), a nickname given to the island dwellers.

Excerpt from:

Faroe Islands - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia