The Faeroe Islands
from Udenrigsministeren [Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs]



The first inhabitants on the islands were probably Irishmen who arrived around 600 AD. A couple of centuries later, Norwegian Vikings took possession of the country. From around 1135, the Faeroe Islands were brought under the Norwegian crown as a tributary country and in 1271, they became subject to the Norwegian Gulating (Parliament) Act. The Alting was replaced by a legislative assembly, the Lagting (now Løgting) with 36 members, and subsequently the Løgting mainly functioned as a court of law. In 1380, Denmark and Norway (including the Faeroe Islands) were joined in monarchical union. Initially, Faeroese trade links were with Bergen, but during the 16th and 17th centuries, they gradually shifted to Copenhagen. Trade on the islands was regulated by the king and in 1709, became a royal monopoly, which lasted until 1856.

At the time of the Reformation of 1536, church property was confiscated by the king, who subsequently owned almost half of all land in the Faeroe Islands. In time, the Løgting lost its importance and in 1816, it was abolished. The Danish Constitution of 1849 also applied to the Faeroe Islands, which were allowed to send two representatives to the Danish Rigsdag (parliament), and in 1852, an elected county council was introduced, adopting the traditional name Løgting.

When contact with Denmark was suspended during World War II, the political situation changed. A referendum in 1946 showed a small majority in favour of secession, but the Løgting was dissolved, a general election was called and the result was a Løgting which reached an agreement with the Danish government on the current Home Rule Act of 1948. This divides fields of responsibility into matters of common interest handled by the Danish Rigsdag (since 1953 the Folketing) and the Danish government, and matters of local interest handled by the Faeroese home rule autthorities, the Løgting and the Landsstýri. Gradually, more fields of responsibility have been taken over by Faeroese authorities. Today, the principal matters of common interest are foreign policy and defence, administration of justice, banking, currency and church.

Denmark's membership of the EU does not extend to the Faeroe Islands, which are covered by special trade and fishing agreements with the EU. The Danish government and the Landsstýri have likewise entered into fishing and trade agreements with a number of other countries. Faeroese nationals living on the Faeroe Islands are exempt from Danish national service. NATO has installations on the Faeroe Islands. Two Faeroese delegates are elected to the Nordic Council.

posted by prof_booty | 12:04 PM