Regions of the Faroe Islands
Encyclopedia
The Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...

are divided into six regions, seven constituencies and 30 municipalities. The region of Streymoy is composed of two constituencies. Each region has one sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....

.
  • Eysturoy
    Eysturoy
    Eysturoy means East island and is the second-largest of the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic, both in size and population. It is separated by a narrow sound from the main island of Streymoy. Eysturoy is extremely rugged, with some 66 separate mountain peaks, including Slættaratindur, the...

    ar sýsla
    Sýsla
    A sýsla is a police district in Iceland and the Faroe Islands, and formerly in Denmark.Spelled syssel, the name still can be found in the Danish district Vendsyssel and in Norway in the title: sysselmann .-Faroe Islands sýsla:* Norðoyar* Eysturoy* Streymoy* Vágar* Sandoy*...

     og valdømi - Eysturoy
    Eysturoy
    Eysturoy means East island and is the second-largest of the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic, both in size and population. It is separated by a narrow sound from the main island of Streymoy. Eysturoy is extremely rugged, with some 66 separate mountain peaks, including Slættaratindur, the...

     region and constituency. (FD) 5 MPs are elected here.
  • Norðoyar
    Norðoyar
    The six islands in the northeast of the Faroe Islands are together referred to as Norðoyar, i.e. the Northern Isles . These Islands are Kalsoy, Kunoy, Borðoy, Viðoy, Svínoy and Fugloy. Klaksvík is regarded as the natural capital of this region. Norðoyar is sometimes spelled Norðoyggjar.-Further...

     sýsla og valdømi - Norðoyar
    Norðoyar
    The six islands in the northeast of the Faroe Islands are together referred to as Norðoyar, i.e. the Northern Isles . These Islands are Kalsoy, Kunoy, Borðoy, Viðoy, Svínoy and Fugloy. Klaksvík is regarded as the natural capital of this region. Norðoyar is sometimes spelled Norðoyggjar.-Further...

     ("Northern Isles") region and constituency. (KG) Borðoy
    Borðoy
    Borðoy is an island in the north-east of the Faroe Islands. There are eight settlements: Klaksvík , Norðoyri, Ánir, Árnafjørður, Strond, Norðtoftir, Depil and Norðdepil. There are also three abandoned settlements: Skálatoftir, Múli and Fossá, all in the north...

    , Fugloy
    Fugloy
    Fugloy is the eastern-most island in the Faroe Islands. The name means bird island, and refers to the large number of birds that nest on the island's cliffs.- Geography :...

    , Kalsoy
    Kalsoy
    Kalsoy is an island located in the north-east of the Faroe Islands between Eysturoy and Kunoy.- Geography :The western coast has dramatically steep cliffs for the full length of the island, whereas idyllic valleys on the eastern slopes protect the four tiny settlements, Húsar, Mikladalur,...

    , Kunoy
    Kunoy
    Kunoy is an island located in the north-east of the Faroe Islands between Kalsoy and Borðoy .- Settlements and transport :...

    , Svínoy
    Svínoy
    Svínoy is an island located in the north-east of the Faroe Islands, to the east of Borðoy and Viðoy. It is divided into two unequally sized peninsulas. The island takes its name from Old Norse, Svíney, meaning "Swine Isle"...

    , Viðoy
    Viðoy
    Viðoy is the northern-most island in the Faroe Islands, located east of Borðoy to which it is linked via a causeway. The name means wood island, despite the fact that no trees grow on the island: the name relates to the driftwood that floats in from Siberia and North America.- Geography :The...

    . 4 MPs are elected here.
  • Sandoy
    Sandoy
    Sandoy is a small island that is part of the Faroe Islands, an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Denmark. The largest population center on the island is the village of Sandur with a population of six hundred....

    ar sýsla og valdømi - Sandoy region and constituency (SA) Lítla Dímun
    Lítla Dímun
    Lítla Dímun is a small island between the islands of Suðuroy and Stóra Dímun in the Faroe Islands. It is the smallest of the main 18 islands, being less than in area, and is the only uninhabited one...

    , Sandoy
    Sandoy
    Sandoy is a small island that is part of the Faroe Islands, an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Denmark. The largest population center on the island is the village of Sandur with a population of six hundred....

    , Skúvoy
    Skúvoy
    Skúvoy is an island in central Faroe Islands, located to the south of Sandoy. It is named after the large number of skua present on the island . There is only one settlement on the island: Skúvoy on the east coast...

    , Stóra Dímun
    Stóra Dímun
    Stóra Dímun is an island in the southern Faroe Islands, sometimes only referred to as Dímun. The island is accessible from sea only during periods of clear and calm weather, but regular helicopter service is available twice a week through the whole year....

    . 2 MPs are elected here.
  • Streymoy
    Streymoy
    Streymoy is the largest and most populated island of the Faroe Islands. The capital, Tórshavn is located there. The name means "island of currents".- Geography :...

    ar sýsla, divided into:
    • Norðstreymoyar valdømi - Northern Streymoy
      Streymoy
      Streymoy is the largest and most populated island of the Faroe Islands. The capital, Tórshavn is located there. The name means "island of currents".- Geography :...

       constituency (VN). 2 MPs are elected here.
    • Suðurstreymoyar valdømi - Southern Streymoy constituency (TN), Hestur
      Hestur
      Hestur is an island in central Faroe Islands, located to the west of Streymoy and to the south of Koltur. Hestur means horse in Faroese. Located on the west coast is a large colony of guillemot. In the north of Hestur there is a moorland with four small lakes, of which Fagradalsvatn is the largest...

      , Koltur
      Koltur
      Koltur is an island in the Faroe Islands, located to the west of Streymoy and to the north of Hestur. The island has just one settlement: Koltur. It was abandoned in the 1980s by the sheep-farmers whose flocks grazed on the southern part of the island. Since then only two people have returned , and...

      , Nólsoy
      Nólsoy
      Nólsoy is an island and village in central Faroe Islands, located to the east of the capital Tórshavn in Streymoy. There is only one settlement on the island: Nólsoy on the north-west coast on Stongin, a peninsula attached to the rest of the island by a metres-wide isthmus...

      , Southern Streymoy
      Streymoy
      Streymoy is the largest and most populated island of the Faroe Islands. The capital, Tórshavn is located there. The name means "island of currents".- Geography :...

      . 8 MPs are elected here.
  • Suðuroy
    Suðuroy
    Suðuroy is the southernmost of the Faroe Islands. The island covers 163.7 km². In 2010 there were 4763 inhabitants, but there has been a gradual decline in the population numbers ever since the 1950s....

    ar sýsla og valdømi - Suðuroy
    Suðuroy
    Suðuroy is the southernmost of the Faroe Islands. The island covers 163.7 km². In 2010 there were 4763 inhabitants, but there has been a gradual decline in the population numbers ever since the 1950s....

     region and constituency (TG). 4 MPs are elected here.
  • Vága
    Vágar
    Vágar is one of the 18 islands in the archipelago of the Faroe Islands and the most westerly of the large islands. With a size of 178 km² , it ranks number three, behind Streymoy and Eysturoy....

     sýsla og valdømi - Vágar region and constituency. Mykines, Vágar
    Vágar
    Vágar is one of the 18 islands in the archipelago of the Faroe Islands and the most westerly of the large islands. With a size of 178 km² , it ranks number three, behind Streymoy and Eysturoy....

     (VA). 2 MPs are elected here.


The administrative subdivisions of the Faroe Islands are frequently changing. In the 1980s there were more than 50 municipalities. During the last past decades the number has been decreasing steadily, and more municipal-mergers can be expected within the following years. The aim of the ministry of interior is that in 2015 there will be only seven or nine municipalities in the Faroe Islands, more or less following the boundaries of the districts and constituencies. If this happens the Faroe Islands will have left the administrative structure of "parish-municipalities" which was built up in the first half of the 20th century and entered a structure of "regional-municipalities".

Furthermore there was a long-running discussion on reducing or even removing the constituencies. In the end, from the 2008 election
Faroese parliamentary election, 2008
Parliamentary elections were held in the Faroe Islands on 19 January 2008, the latest possible date. The Self-Government Party and the Centre Party gained a seat each while the Social Democratic Party lost a seat. The number of women went from three to seven...

 onwards, the constituencies were abolished.

See also

  • Municipalities of the Faroe Islands
    Municipalities of the Faroe Islands
    The Faroe Islands are administratively divided in 30 municipalities , with about 120 cities and villages. Until December 31, 2008, there were 34 municipalities, and until December 31, 2004, there were 48 municipalities...

  • List of islands of the Faroe Islands
  • Subdivisions of Norden
  • Politics of the Faroe Islands
    Politics of the Faroe Islands
    Politics of the Faroe Islands takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic dependency, whereby the Prime Minister of the Faroe Islands is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. The Faroe Islands are politically associated with the Kingdom of Denmark, but...

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