DEMOGRAPHY AND GEOGRAPHY OF THE FAROES

Population: 47.120 (March 2002)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 23% (male 5,233; female 5,163)
15-64 years: 63% (male 15,270; female 13,382)
65 years and over: 14% (male 2,788; female 3,460) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.83% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 13.58 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 3.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 6.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.43 years
male: 74.96 years
female: 81.92 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.32 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups: Scandinavian

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write - total population: 100%

Location: Northern Europe, island group between the Norwegian Sea and the north Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Iceland to Norway

Area: total: 1,399 sq km, comparative: eight times the size of Washington, DC

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

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

Terrain: rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast

Natural resources: fish, whales, hydropower