My Faroe-Stamp’s collection

Geography

Islands

 

The Faeroe Islands are an archipelago of volcanic origin, made of basalt and tufa, consisting in 22 islands, 18 of which are inhabited. The Faeroes are midway between Scotland and Iceland in North Atlantic. Born during the Tertiary, the Faeroes acquired their present characteristics during the last glaciations, and they are the remnants of a big mountain range between Scotland and Greenland.  

The landscape is characterized by wide terraces and steep slopes, with high cliffs on the ocean, where millions of birds build their nests, and with precipitous paths walked by the brave and omnipresent sheep, to which the major part of the surface is reserved. Indeed, only 6% of the land is cultivated; the rest is left to the over 80,000 sheep, which are both a characteristic element of the landscape as well as an effective barometer: when the sheep climb the mountains, the weather means well, to worsen when they descend towards the sea.

Agriculture is not at all the major resource of the Faeroes, although potatoes are of a superior quality for sure! Imported in the last century, potatoes have soon become one of the basic ingredients of the local cooking, apprised almost as much as early strawberries. In most cases, potatoes are grown in small gardens for personal use by one or two families, and that is often happening from two or three generations, thus proving how cooperation and the pursuit of a common goal are the usual way of living on the Islands.

Because of the Gulf Stream touching the coast, winter is never too cold and hardly drops to less than -5°, so that sea and fiords never freeze.

However, weather conditions are extremely unpredictable: rain, wind, snow and sun often alternate within the same day. Every decision about moving must be taken under this condition, also considering the strong wind, which prevents trees from growing and makes connections  via air and sea much harder.

During wintertime, days are very short (the shortest is just 5 hours), and the sunset is at midday. Storms can last weeks and are extremely harsh, with big and noisy waves hitting the cliffs.

Fugloy

Svinoy

Bordoy

Vidoy

Kunoy

Kalsoy

Streymoy

Mykines

Vagar

Koltur

Hestur

Sandoy

Eysturoy

Nolsoy

Skugvoy

Stora Dimun

Litla Dimun

Suduroy

Bordoy

Fulgoy

Kalsoy

Kunoy

Mykines

Suduroy

Svinoy

Vidoy

Locations

Mean temperature in january

Mean temperature in july

Annual rain’s mm

Faroer

3,5 °C

T9,8 °C

1.395 mm

Milan

1,2 °C

21,2 °C

929 mm

Napoles

7,6 °C

21,3 °C

1.531 mm

The summer is cold, but at least daylight lasts quite a lot (over 19 hours), and, on July, even all day long. Especially in the summer, clouds are extremely low, and fog influences the frequency of flights from Vagar, the only airport of the Faeroes.

However, sunlight can also last for weeks, together with the sea-breeze.

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