Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands or simply Faroes (Faroese: Føroyar, meaning "Sheep Islands", Danish: Færøerne) are a group of islands in the north Atlantic Ocean between Scotland, Norway and Iceland. They have been an autonomous region of the kingdom of Denmark since 1948 and have, over the years, taken control of most matters, except defense and foreign affairs.

Culture

Main article: Culture of the Faroe Islands

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The phrase "Faroe Islands" is in some sense redundant, since øerne or oyar means "islands" in Danish and Faroese respectively. The Faroes have a culture very much their own, but it holds elements in common with Norway, Iceland, and Denmark.

Related Topics:
Norway - Iceland - Denmark

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The Faroese language, spoken by all Faroese people, is most similar to Icelandic and Old Norse.

Related Topics:
Faroese language - Icelandic - Old Norse

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Traditional food

Traditional Faroese food is mainly based on meat and potatoes and uses few fresh vegetables. Mutton is the basis of every meal, and one of the most popular treats is skerpikjøt, well aged, wind-dried mutton which is quite chewy. The drying shed, known as a hjallur, is a standard feature in many Faroese homes. Other traditional foods are rast kjót (semi-dried mutton) and rastan fisk, matured fish. After the bloody grindadráp, a speciality is grind og spik, whale and blubber. Fresh fish also features strongly in the local diet, as do seabirds, such as puffin, and their eggs.

Related Topics:
Grindadráp - Grind og spik - Whale - Blubber - Seabirds - Puffin

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See also:

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• Music of the Faroe Islands
• Pilot Whale Knives - How to make a Faroese PilotWhale knife and/or buy (Danish)