Faroe Islands (2008) | Uruguay (2003) | |
Administrative divisions | none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 34 municipalities | 19 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento); Artigas, Canelones, Cerro Largo, Colonia, Durazno, Flores, Florida, Lavalleja, Maldonado, Montevideo, Paysandu, Rio Negro, Rivera, Rocha, Salto, San Jose, Soriano, Tacuarembo, Treinta y Tres |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 20.6% (male 4,882/female 4,904)
15-64 years: 65.3% (male 16,353/female 14,668) 65 years and over: 14.1% (male 3,041/female 3,663) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: 24.3% (male 425,642; female 404,987)
15-64 years: 62.6% (male 1,057,187; female 1,079,549) 65 years and over: 13.1% (male 182,696; female 263,268) (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | milk, potatoes, vegetables; sheep; salmon, other fish | rice, wheat, corn, barley; livestock; fish |
Airports | 1 (2007) | 64 (2002) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 15
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 49
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 16 under 914 m: 31 (2002) |
Area | total: 1,399 sq km
land: 1,399 sq km water: 0 sq km (some lakes and streams) |
total: 176,220 sq km
land: 173,620 sq km water: 2,600 sq km |
Area - comparative | eight times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than the state of Washington |
Background | The population of the Faroe Islands is largely descended from Viking settlers who arrived in the 9th century. The islands have been connected politically to Denmark since the 14th century. A high degree of self government was attained in 1948. | A violent Marxist urban guerrilla movement, the Tupamaros, launched in the late 1960s, led Uruguay's president to agree to military control of his administration in 1973. By yearend, the rebels had been crushed, but the military continued to expand its hold throughout the government. Civilian rule was not restored until 1985. Uruguay's political and labor conditions are among the freest on the continent. |
Birth rate | 14.12 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 17.19 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $588 million
expenditures: $623 million (2005) |
revenues: $3.7 billion
expenditures: $4.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $500 million (2000) |
Capital | name: Torshavn
geographic coordinates: 62 01 N, 6 46 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Montevideo |
Climate | mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy | warm temperate; freezing temperatures almost unknown |
Coastline | 1,117 km | 660 km |
Constitution | 5 June 1953 (Danish constitution) | 27 November 1966, effective February 1967, suspended 27 June 1973, new constitution rejected by referendum 30 November 1980; two constitutional reforms approved by plebiscite 26 November 1989 and 7 January 1997 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Faroe Islands local long form: none local short form: Foroyar |
conventional long form: Oriental Republic of Uruguay
conventional short form: Uruguay local long form: Republica Oriental del Uruguay local short form: Uruguay former: Banda Oriental, Cisplatine Province |
Currency | - | Uruguayan peso (UYU) |
Death rate | 8.69 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 8.97 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | $64 million (1999) | $11.8 billion (2002 est.) |
Dependency status | part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1948 | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) | chief of mission: Ambassador Martin J. SILVERSTEIN
embassy: Lauro Muller 1776, Montevideo 11200 mailing address: APO AA 34035 telephone: [598] (2) 418-7777 FAX: [598] (2) 418-8611 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) | chief of mission: Ambassador Hugo FERNANDEZ-FAINGOLD
chancery: 1913 I Street NW, Washington, DC 20006 telephone: [1] (202) 331-1313 through 1316 FAX: [1] (202) 331-8142 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York |
Disputes - international | because anticipated offshore hydrocarbon resources have not been realized, earlier Faroese proposals for full independence have been deferred; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm | uncontested dispute with Brazil over certain islands in the Quarai/Cuareim and Invernada streams and the resulting tripoint with Argentina |
Economic aid - recipient | $105 million; note - annual subsidy from Denmark (2005) | $NA |
Economy - overview | The Faroese economy is dependent on fishing, which makes the economy vulnerable to price swings. Since 2003 the Faroese economy has picked up as a result of higher prices for fish and for housing. Unemployment is minimal and government finances are relatively sound. Oil finds close to the Islands give hope for economically recoverable deposits, which could eventually lay the basis for a more diversified economy and lessen dependence on Danish economic assistance. Aided by a substantial annual subsidy (about 15% of GDP) from Denmark, the Faroese have a standard of living not far below the Danes and other Scandinavians. | Uruguay's economy is characterized by an export-oriented agricultural sector, a well-educated workforce, and high levels of social spending. After averaging growth of 5% annually during 1996-98, in 1999-2002 the economy suffered a major downturn, stemming largely from lower demand in Argentina and Brazil, which together account for nearly half of Uruguay's exports. Total GDP in these four years dropped by nearly 20%, with 2002 the worst year. Unemployment rose to nearly 20% in 2002, inflation surged, and the burden of external debt doubled. Cooperation with the IMF and the US has limited the damage, which is still extensive. Moves to reschedule debt and promote economic recovery may help limit a further decline in output in 2003. |
Electricity - consumption | 269.7 million kWh (2005) | 6.152 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 1.377 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 123 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 290 million kWh (2005) | 7.963 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 0.7%
hydro: 99.1% nuclear: 0% other: 0.3% (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Slaettaratindur 882 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Cerro Catedral 514 m |
Environment - current issues | NA | water pollution from meat packing/tannery industry; inadequate solid/hazardous waste disposal |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Marine Dumping -associate member to the London Convention and Ship Pollution | party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban |
Ethnic groups | Scandinavian | white 88%, mestizo 8%, black 4%, Amerindian, practically nonexistent |
Exchange rates | Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.4797 (2007), 5.9468 (2006), 5.9969 (2005), 5.9911 (2004), 6.5877 (2003) | Uruguayan pesos per US dollar - 21.26 (2002), 13.32 (2001), 12.1 (2000), 11.34 (1999), 10.47 (1998) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Birgit KLEIS, chief administrative officer (since 1 November 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Joannes EIDESGAARD (since 3 February 2004) cabinet: Landsstyri appointed by the prime minister elections: the monarch is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the Faroese Parliament; election last held 20 January 2004 (next to be held no later than January 2008) election results: Joannes EIDESGAARD elected prime minister; percent of parliamentary vote - NA |
chief of state: President Jorge BATLLE Ibanez (since 1 March 2000) and Vice President Luis HIERRO (since 1 March 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Jorge BATLLE Ibanez (since 1 March 2000) and Vice President Luis HIERRO (since 1 March 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president with parliamentary approval elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 31 October 1999, with runoff election on 28 November 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: Jorge BATLLE Ibanez elected president; percent of vote - Jorge BATLLE Ibanez 52% in a runoff against Tabare VAZQUEZ 44% |
Exports | 0 bbl/day (2004) | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | fish and fish products 94%, stamps, ships (1999) | meat, rice, leather products, wool, vehicles, dairy products |
Exports - partners | Denmark 31%, UK 27.4%, Norway 10.3%, Nigeria 9.5%, Netherlands 5.6% (2006) | Brazil 21%, Argentina 15%, US 8.1%, Germany 5.1%, Italy 4% (2002) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | white with a red cross outlined in blue extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted toward the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) | nine equal horizontal stripes of white (top and bottom) alternating with blue; there is a white square in the upper hoist-side corner with a yellow sun bearing a human face known as the Sun of May and 16 rays alternately triangular and wavy |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $26.82 billion (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 27%
industry: 11% services: 62% (1999) |
agriculture: 6%
industry: 27% services: 67% (2001) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $7,900 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.4% (2005 est.) | -10.8% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 62 00 N, 7 00 W | 33 00 S, 56 00 W |
Geography - note | archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one uninhabited island, and a few uninhabited islets; strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands | second-smallest South American country (after Suriname); most of the low-lying landscape (three-quarters of the country) is grassland, ideal for cattle and sheep raising |
Highways | - | total: 8,983 km
paved: 8,081 km unpaved: 902 km (1999 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 3.7%
highest 10%: 25.8% (1997) |
Imports | 4,580 bbl/day (2004) | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | consumer goods 36%, raw materials and semi-manufactures 32%, machinery and transport equipment 29%, fuels, fish, salt (1999) | machinery, chemicals, road vehicles, crude petroleum |
Imports - partners | Denmark 52.6%, Norway 20.7%, Iceland 6.1%, Sweden 4.3% (2006) | Argentina 25.6%, Brazil 22.7%, US 7.7%, Venezuela 6.2% (2002) |
Independence | none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) | 25 August 1825 (from Brazil) |
Industrial production growth rate | 8% (1999 est.) | -12% (2002 est.) |
Industries | fishing, fish processing, small ship repair and refurbishment, handicrafts | food processing, electrical machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, textiles, chemicals, beverages |
Infant mortality rate | total: 6.01 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.25 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.76 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
total: 13.8 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 15.61 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.8% (2005) | 14.1% (2002 est.) |
International organization participation | Arctic Council, IMO (associate), NC, NIB, UPU | ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, Mercosur, MINURSO, MONUC, NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMISET, UNMOGIP, UNMOT, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 14 (2001) |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km | 1,800 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | none | Supreme Court (judges are nominated by the president and elected for 10-year terms by the General Assembly) |
Labor force | 24,250 (October 2000) | 1.2 million (2001) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 33%
industry: 33% services: 34% (October 2000) |
agriculture 14%, industry 16%, services 70% |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 1,564 km
border countries: Argentina 579 km, Brazil 985 km |
Land use | arable land: 2.14%
permanent crops: 0% other: 97.86% (2005) |
arable land: 7.21%
permanent crops: 0.27% other: 92.52% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish | Spanish, Portunol, or Brazilero (Portuguese-Spanish mix on the Brazilian frontier) |
Legal system | the laws of Denmark, where applicable, apply | based on Spanish civil law system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | unicameral Faroese Parliament or Logting (33 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis from the seven constituencies to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 19 January 2008 (next to be held no later than January 2012) election results: percent of vote by party - Union Party 21%, Social Democratic Party 19.4%, Republican Party 23.3%, People's Party 20.1%, Center Party 8.4%, Self-Government Party 7.2%, other 0.6%; seats by party - Republican Party 8, Union Party 7, Social Democratic Party 6, People's Party 7, Center Party 3, Independence Party 2 note: election of two seats to the Danish Parliament was last held on 13 November 2007 (next to be held no later than November 2011); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 1, Union Party 1 |
bicameral General Assembly or Asamblea General consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (30 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and Chamber of Representatives or Camara de Representantes (99 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Senators - last held 31 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004); Chamber of Representatives - last held 31 October 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: Chamber of Senators - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Encuentro Progresista 12, Colorado Party 10, Blanco 7, New Sector/Space Coalition 1; Chamber of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Encuentro Progresista 40, Colorado Party 33, Blanco 22, New Sector/Space Coalition 4 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 79.49 years
male: 76.06 years female: 82.93 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 75.87 years
male: 72.54 years female: 79.38 years (2003 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% note: probably 100%, the same as Denmark proper |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: 97.6% female: 98.4% (2003 est.) |
Location | Northern Europe, island group between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Iceland to Norway | Southern South America, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Argentina and Brazil |
Map references | Europe | South America |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line |
contiguous zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 16 ships (1000 GRT or over) 92,454 GRT/63,291 DWT
by type: cargo 10, container 2, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: 8 (Iceland 4, Norway 4) (2007) |
total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 10,918 GRT/9,775 DWT
ships by type: chemical tanker 1, container 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Argentina 4, Greece 1 (2002 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Denmark | - |
Military branches | no regular military forces | Army, Navy (including Naval Air Arm, Coast Guard, Marines), Air Force, Police (Coracero Guard, Grenadier Guard) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $250 million (1999) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA | 1.1% (2000) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 831,297 (2003 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 672,030 (2003 est.) |
National holiday | Olaifest (Olavasoka), 29 July | Independence Day, 25 August (1825) |
Nationality | noun: Faroese (singular and plural)
adjective: Faroese |
noun: Uruguayan(s)
adjective: Uruguayan |
Natural hazards | NA | seasonally high winds (the pampero is a chilly and occasional violent wind which blows north from the Argentine pampas), droughts, floods; because of the absence of mountains, which act as weather barriers, all locations are particularly vulnerable to rapid changes from weather fronts |
Natural resources | fish, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas | arable land, hydropower, minor minerals, fisheries |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | -0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Pipelines | - | gas 192 km (2003) |
Political parties and leaders | Center Party [Jenis A. RANA]; Independence Party [Kari P. HOJGAARD]; People's Party [Jorgen NICLASEN]; Republican Party [Hogni HOYDAL]; Social Democratic Party [Joannes EIDESGAARD]; Union Party [Kaj Leo JOHANNESEN] | Colorado Party [Jorge BATLLE Ibanez]; National Party or Blanco [Luis Alberto LACALLE Herrera]; New Sector/Space Coalition or Nuevo Espacio [Rafael MICHELINI]; Progressive Encounter/Broad Front Coalition or Encuentro Progresista/Frente Amplio [Tabare VAZQUEZ] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 47,511 (July 2007 est.) | 3,413,329 (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 6% (1997) |
Population growth rate | 0.543% (2007 est.) | 0.79% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Colonia, Fray Bentos, Juan La Caze, La Paloma, Montevideo, Nueva Palmira, Paysandu, Punta del Este, Piriapolis |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 91, FM 149, shortwave 7 (2001) |
Railways | - | total: 2,073 km
standard gauge: 2,073 km 1.435-m gauge note: 461 km have been taken out of service and 460 km are in partial use (2002) |
Religions | Evangelical Lutheran | Roman Catholic 66% (less than half of the adult population attends church regularly), Protestant 2%, Jewish 1%, nonprofessing or other 31% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.996 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.115 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1.045 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory |
Telephone system | general assessment: good international communications; good domestic facilities
domestic: digitalization was completed in 1998; both NMT (analog) and GSM (digital) mobile telephone systems are installed international: country code - 298; satellite earth stations - 1 Orion; 1 fiber-optic submarine cable to the Shetland Islands, linking the Faroe Islands with Denmark and Iceland; fiber-optic submarine cable connection to Canada-Europe cable |
general assessment: fully digitalized
domestic: most modern facilities concentrated in Montevideo; new nationwide microwave radio relay network international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2002) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 23,000 (2006) | 929,141 (2001) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 50,000 (2006) | 350,000 (2001) |
Television broadcast stations | 3 (plus 43 repeaters) (September 1995) | 20 (2001) |
Terrain | rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast | mostly rolling plains and low hills; fertile coastal lowland |
Total fertility rate | 2.15 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 2.35 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 2.1% (2006) | 19.4% (2002) |
Waterways | - | 1,600 km (used by coastal and shallow-draft river craft) |