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Faeroe Island Cites with Hotels
Faroe Islands (Danish Färöerne; Faroese
Føroyar), island group that is an integral part of
Denmark, located in the North
Atlantic Ocean, about midway between the Shetland Islands and
Iceland. The
capital and principal harbor of the islands is Torshavn (population, 1990
estimate, 14,682) on the southeastern coast of Streymoy Island; it is ice-free.
Streymoy, Eysturoy, Sudhuroy, Vágar, and Bordhoy are the most important of the
18 islands, of which 17 are inhabited.
Some of the hotels, motels and resorts available for booking
in our reservation network include, Ramada Inn, Marriott Hotels, Super 8 Motels,
Econo Lodge, Holiday Inn & Holiday Inn Express, Travelodge, Hampton Inn,
Sheraton, Hilton, Best Western, Hyatt and Hyatt Regency, Wyndham Inn, Ritz and
Ritz Carlton, Days Inn, Courtyard by Marriott, La Quinta Inns, Comfort Inn and
Comfort Suite, Embassy Suites, Quality Inn, Radisson Inn, Sleep Inn, Numerous
Resorts and Resort Villas throughout the globe, along with Plaza and Plaza
Suites and and array of private and Golf Clubs and Golf Resorts.
Select a city or territory from the list below.
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Faroe Islands
The Faroes were formed by a submarine
eruption of basalt during the Tertiary period (between 65 million and 2.5
million years ago). A "coal formation" (fireclay, sandstone, shale, and
brown coal) makes up the secondary stratum, and this is topped by dolerite.
The topography of the islands is characterized by high escarpments and
plateaus separated by deep chasms. The peak of Slaettaratindur on Østerø
Island is 882 m (2894 ft) above sea level. The Faroes are traversed by a
number of fjords and have deeply indented coastlines. The islands, mainly
treeless because of continual high winds, have been planted with sturdy
conifers, maples, and mountain ash. The principal industries are fishing,
sheep raising, and cloth manufacturing. The chief products, mainly for
export, are fresh, frozen, filleted, and salted fish; gelatin made from air
bladders of fish; sheep, lambskins, and woolen goods; and puffin and
eider-duck feathers. About 2 percent of the soil is cultivated.
The Faroes were part of Norway until the latter part of the
14th century, after which they were held jointly with
Denmark, which became
sole owner in 1814. The inhabitants are of Scandinavian descent and still
speak a modified form of the old Norse called Faroese. The islands passed
under the military control of
Great Britain in April 1940, during World War
II, following the invasion of
Denmark by German forces. The British
occupation ended in September 1945.
In September 1946, as a result of a close plebiscite vote,
the Lagting (parliament) of the Faroes declared the islands independent of
Denmark. This action was ratified by a Lagting vote of 12 to 11. Sudhuroy,
the third-largest island, however, announced its continued union with
Denmark. The Danish government immediately declared the ballot inconclusive
and temporarily dissolved the Lagting. A subsequent poll gave the proponents
of continued union with
Denmark a slight plurality, and a parliamentary
delegation was invited to Copenhagen, the Danish capital, for further
discussion. In 1948 an agreement was reached whereby the Faroes exercise
local autonomy; foreign relations remain under the control of
Denmark. The
islands send two representatives to the Danish parliament. Area, 1399 sq km
(540 sq mi); population (1994 estimate) 46,804.
"Faroe Islands," Microsoft® Encarta® 97 Encyclopedia.
© 1993-1996 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

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