Despite the sheer fewness of inhabitants and defying the shifting, seasonal winds of economic volatility, the Faroe Islands is a very progressive community where hard work meets digital diversity
Intrepid Viking mariners and other restless souls walking the hills and shores of Scotland and Ireland long ago, upon observing the annual spring flights of greylag geese heading northward out to sea, early on must have surmised that something … something very tempting … lay beyond the horizon. Speculation must have run rampant, as they pondered what grand and nurturing landmass must lay to the north that would so attract the unerring interest of Europe’s noble ancestral birdlife.
Following the north-westerly course set by the greylag geese and no doubt sharing the rumours of mythic voyages by itinerant Irish monks in the early days of Christianity, hardy Viking settlers, seeking out new vistas and a chance to create a new homeland, arrived in the Faroe Islands around 825 A.D. They found a land of sheltering fjords, splendid valleys, temperate maritime climate and abundant fisheries. Here was a land of promise and expectation worthy of exploration.
Over the centuries, others arrived, scattering about the archipelago to establish their farms and village clusters. They gathered every summer to discuss the affairs of their new homeland, meeting on a rocky spit in the heart of the archipelago, and established what many scholars believe to be the oldest parliament in Europe. Governing laws were debated and promulgated and an independent community began to flourish. That self-same rocky spit, bearing the name of Tinganes, is home to the Faroese government and the office of the prime minister overlooks the very site of those early meetings.
It was indeed a land of promise and extraordinary vision, yet there were many centuries of unprecedented hardship. Ravaged by the Black Death, forgotten and ignored by clashing Scandinavian powers, often destitute and subject to an onerous trade monopoly controlled by Danish government edict, the Faroese in 1872 seized an opportunity to become one of the world’s foremost fishing nations with the purchase of an old and weather-beaten fishing schooner from Scotland. That fledgling entry into the world’s economy was followed by others and now the Faroese fishing fleet roams the globe.
What sense of purpose and vision has enabled this far-flung archipelago with a population of less than 50,000 to survive and prosper? What animating force has propelled this microcosm of humanity to achieve against all odds a standard of living and per capita income among the highest in the world with a gross domestic produc of nearly DKK 10 (EUR 1.34 / USD 1.75) billion?
The answer may lie in the spirit of tenacity, of collective endeavour that pervades the Faroese society and enables it to seize opportunity and to awaken individual innovation in service to the entire community.
Oil and gas deposits: The ebb and flow of worldwide economic reality has not left the Faroes unscathed. Dependency upon fisheries creates a vulnerability to fluctuating prices and quixotic catches, yet with each troubling downturn of the economy innovation blooms to take advantage of the next upswing, which in turn draws the attention of the world to this small archipelago situated in the heart of the North Atlantic and their collective efforts are justly rewarded.
Averting a rising tide of foment for independence, the Danish government in 1948 negotiated a new status for the Faroes within the Kingdom of Denmark. The Faroe Islands became an autonomous, self-governing region with some of the basic governmental services, such as the police, the airport and similar services, administered by the Danish government. The yearning for independence is, however, still widespread and the Faroese government is slowly assuming more and more of the administrative responsibilities now within the aegis of the Danish government.
Because of this relationship, unique in the annals of international jurisprudence, the Faroese have no international voice in world affairs, as Denmark retains control over matters of defence and international relations, including negotiations with the WTO, for example, as well as other international organisations. Neither is the Faroes a part of the Nordic Council of Ministers, being subsumed under Danish hegemony, and the country does not compete in the Olympics, although it does triumph in the Paralympics, especially in swimming.
The international relations mandate of Denmark is not pervasive, however. Many international conventions to which Denmark is a signatory do not automatically govern the actions of the Faroes until they are ratified by the Faroese parliament. Moreover, the Faroe Islands is not a member of the European Union, as is Denmark. Current EU fisheries policy works to the disadvantage of the Faroese, although the success of Faroese fisheries resource management is the subject of much debate among EU member states.
In 1992, the Faroese were granted exclusive control of the underground mineral rights, a factor contributing to the latest endeavours to explore for oil and gas deposits, presumed to be present in abundance, although to date extremely elusive, deep under the basalt that is the remnant of the explosive birth of the Faroe Islands some 60 million years ago.
DTT expertise: Paved roads reach nearly every village and town throughout the country. Ferries reach those isolated villages and islands not linked to the national roadway system. Some 16 tunnels course through the mountains and a newly constructed tunnel under the sea links the capital of Tórshavn with the country’s airport on the island of Vágar, home to the national carrier, Atlantic Airways. Flights from neighbouring countries arrive twice a week, if not daily. These flights are complemented by a capacious car and cargo ferry that sails among the country’s closest neighbours—Iceland, Shetland, Norway and Denmark, as well as regular container ship service between Iceland and Denmark. Soon another undersea tunnel will provide a road link to Klaksvík in the northern reaches of the country, which is a major fisheries port. This new link will dramatically improve the transport connection within the country and facilitate even greater interaction between the central core of the country and the outlying villages and islands to the north. These undersea tunnels have been privately funded and tolls are charged, which is yet another example of Faroese resourcefulness when faced with difficult challenges.
The Faroe Islands also has a highly advanced telecommunications infrastructure. The FarIce large-capacity undersea fibre optic cable, constructed by a private consortium, links Iceland, the Faroes and Scotland, which is backed up by an earlier undersea cable as well as satellite linkages. This new undersea cable will greatly facilitate emerging telecommunications initiatives in the Faroes, such as international web services and hosting. Nearly everyone has a mobile phone and landlines reach every household. Internet usage is quite high; DSL is common; WiMax is being explored and digital terrestrial television (DTT) beams throughout the major metropolitan areas. In fact, the Faroes was the fourth nation in the world to deploy a fully operational DTT system and now markets its expertise worldwide.
Exceeding openness: All these communication linkages to the world beyond the heart of the North Atlantic support an ever-growing tourist industry. Recently featured on the Ophra Winfrey show and at a number of tourism trade fairs in Europe and the United States, the Faroe Islands is beginning to attract more and more worldwide interest. Although the relative number of tourists remains under 40,000 per year, the local tourist industry is determined to foster a professional business approach to this most important industry. The industry has banded together to facilitate better marketing and establishment of universal standards. The national tourist board as well collaborates with the regional tourist organisations to ensure a welcoming environment throughout the country.
Some communities have instigated music festivals featuring world-renowned artists to encourage tourism to their region and others are planning focused tours designed for knitting groups or history buffs or the inveterate walker who desires to explore new vistas. The Faroese economy needs other sources of income beyond the fisheries and many feel that tourism will at some point in the future provide another economic option for many Faroese, especially those residing in the more remote areas where the natural beauty of the Faroes is its most splendid.
Because of the small population, there is an historic openness to taking on a variety of tasks and challenges that far exceeds that experienced in countries with larger populations. The fisherman may operate a small import business that services his local village; the radio personality plays the tympani in the national symphony orchestra; the university professor operates a farm; the secretary manages the budding career of a talented musician. The end result is a population that is multi-talented, well networked, audacious and willing to take a chance and seize an opportunity even in the face of hardship and challenges—and challenges come fast and furious in the Faroes.
| Next > |
|---|
