Surprising facts about the Faroe Islands and the Faroese language

Facts about the Faroe Islands:

• Føroyar is translated from the Faroese as "sheep island". This is not surprising, as there are about one and a half times as many sheep as people living on the 18 Faroe Islands.
• Although the islands belong to Denmark, they are managed autonomously and are therefore not members of the EU.
• The individual islands are so small that no matter where you go, you are no further than five kilometres away from the sea.
• The climate on the islands is surprisingly mild, although they are located in the middle of the North Atlantic. In summer it rarely gets above 15 degrees, but in winter the temperature almost never drops below freezing point.
• The islanders are a football-loving nation, and have even received a special dispensation from FIFA. Because it is very windy on the islands, a player is allowed to hold on to the ball when a penalty kick is due, so that it cannot roll away from the penalty spot.

The Faroese language dispute and its consequences

Like many nations, the Faroes, who see themselves as descendants of the Vikings living on the Faroes, did not want their language to disappear.

In the 9th century, the islands were inhabited by Vikings who immigrated from Norway. From 1035, the islands then politically belonged to Norway and it was only in 1380 that they came under Danish-Norwegian rule. Until 1540, Danish completely displaced the Faroese language in all areas of public life. It was not until 1905, that the Faroe Islands began to push for their own language to be used again.

English has now became more and more established as a second language, and the Danish language has slowly receded into the background.

We also offer professional translations for Faroese. Please contact us if you have any questions!