1st April: Home Rule for the Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands were Home Rule on this date in 1948. Here are ten things you might not know about these islands:

1. The Faroe Islands are an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located halfway between Norway and Iceland, and 320 kilometres (200 mi) north-northwest of Great Britain. The country consists of 18 major islands.
2. The area of the islands is approximately 1,400 km2 (540 sq mi) and you are never more than 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the ocean. In 2015 the population was 48,700.
3. The name derives from Danish and means "Island of Sheep".
4. Connecting the islands Streymoy and Eysturoy is the Streymin bridge, which has the distinction of being the only bridge anywhere over the Atlantic Ocean.
5. The island has no prison (crime is low, but if a prison sentence is needed the convict is shipped to Denmark), no McDonalds (although there is a Burger King).
6. There are only three Traffic Lights. These are situated very close to one another in the capital, Tórshavn (which is also where the Burger King is).
7. There are few trees growing on the islands - few trees survive because of the North Atlantic winds. However, a few trees imported from Alaska and Tierra del Fuego do thrive there.
8. National costume is a big tradition there. Children get a set of traditional clothes handed down to them, and in their teens will start to collect their own adult outfit. Traditionally, they will have collected these clothes to wear at their wedding. Each item of clothing is hand made - even the cloth will have been woven by hand, and intricately embroidered with depictions of native plants and flowers. After this, a row of Faroese solid silver buttons are sewn on. Hence collecting one's national costume takes a lot of time and money.
9. The highest point is Slættaratindur, 882 metres (2,894 ft) above sea level.
10. One town, Gásadalur on the island of Vágar, was even more isolated then the rest of the country because it was separated by mountains. The postman had to walk over the mountains every day to deliver the mail. In 2006, a tunnel was opened through the mountains, which to begin with, only residents of Gásadalur could use. The tunnel was locked and each resident would have a key.