The Faroe Islands is one of the territories of Northern Europe that appears on world lists without being a UN member state. Unlike most entries, its formal name adds nothing to the short one. Government sits in Tórshavn.
It is home to roughly 54,681 people, placing it 210th of 250 by population — between Greenland above it and Saint Kitts and Nevis below. Measured only against its own subregion, it is 13th of 16 in size and 14th in population.
It covers 1,393 km², which ranks it 187th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind the Åland Islands and just ahead of Martinique. For scale, it is roughly half the size of Luxembourg.
Geography and neighbours of the Faroe Islands
The coordinates the dataset gives are 62.0° N, 7.0° W, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 6,902 km from the equator, in what geographers would call high-latitude latitudes.
Russia and Canada sit at almost exactly the same latitude on other parts of the globe.
There is no land frontier at all — every boundary it has is a coastline. That puts it among the 85 entries of 250 here with no land neighbours, which shapes how it trades and who it deals with.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Who lives in the Faroe Islands
Spread across 1,393 km², that works out at about 39 people per square kilometre, which makes it less crowded than the typical entry on this list. For comparison, the median entry on this list sits near 90 per square kilometre.
People from the Faroe Islands are called Faroese.
2 languages carry official status: Danish and Faroese. Faroese is listed for no other entry in this dataset, which makes it effectively unique to the Faroe Islands. Danish, the first listed, is shared with 1 other entry worldwide.
Against Europe as a whole it is the 46th most populous of 53 entries, and it accounts for under 1% of everyone living in Northern Europe.
Money, codes and practical details
More than one currency circulates: Danish krone (DKK) and Faroese króna (FOK). It shares that currency with Denmark and Greenland.
If a quiz asks for the capital of the Faroe Islands, the answer is Tórshavn.
The top-level domain is .fo. Calls from overseas start with +298. Its ISO codes are fo and FRO, which is what most databases and flag files use.
On the UN list it does not appear as a member. The dataset does not record which state administers it, so this page does not guess. Of the 250 entries here, 57 are territories or observers rather than member states.
Fun facts about Faroe Islands
- Population density works out at roughly 39 people per square kilometre.
- Danish is official here and in 1 other entry worldwide.
- Its capital city is Tórshavn.
- In land area it is roughly half the size of Luxembourg.
- It lies about 6,902 km from the equator, in high-latitude latitudes.
- Ranked by land area, the Faroe Islands is 187th out of the 250 countries and territories on this site.
- It has no land border with any other country — one of 85 such entries in this dataset.
Faroe Islands — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of the Faroe Islands?
- The capital of the Faroe Islands is Tórshavn.
- What language is spoken in the Faroe Islands?
- The Faroe Islands lists 2 official languages: Danish and Faroese. Faroese does not appear as an official language anywhere else in this dataset.
- What is the population of the Faroe Islands?
- The Faroe Islands has a population of about 54,681, which makes it the 210th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. Greenland sits just above it and Saint Kitts and Nevis just below.
- How big is the Faroe Islands?
- The Faroe Islands covers 1,393 km², ranking 187th of 250 by land area. That makes it roughly half the size of Luxembourg.
- Is the Faroe Islands a country?
- Not in the political sense. The Faroe Islands is a dependent territory rather than a sovereign state, and it is not a UN member. It appears on this site because it has its own flag, codes and statistics, but it does not have a seat at the United Nations.
- Where is the Faroe Islands located?
- The Faroe Islands is in Northern Europe, part of Europe. Its reference coordinates are 62.0° north and 7.0° west, roughly 6,902 km from the equator in high-latitude latitudes.
- What currency does the Faroe Islands use?
- The Faroe Islands uses the Danish krone, written kr (currency code DKK). It is shared with 2 other entries: Denmark and Greenland.
- Does the Faroe Islands border any other country?
- No. The Faroe Islands has no land border with any other country, so every route in or out is by sea or air. 85 of the 250 entries on this site are in the same position.
