Neptune's Needle

Group of volcanic islands (area; 540 sq miles; 1988 pop. 47,689), Denmark, in the N Atlantic, bet. Iceland and the Shetland Isls.; 57º14'N 10º58'E. Major industries include fish processing, mfg. fish meal and herring oil; shipbuilding, barrel making. Fish farming began in 1980s. In the 8th cent. A.D. the isls. were settled by Norsemen. In the early 11th cent. they became part of the kingdom of Norway and were Christianized. The pop. was nearly wiped out by an outbreak of black plague in the 14th cent. and was soon after replaced by Nor. settlers. In World War II, Great Britain est. (1940) a protectorate over the isls. after the Ger. occupation of Denmark. The Faoroes did not join the EC with Denmark in 1972 because it would have opened their fishing waters to other EC members. In 1977 the fishing limit was extended to 200 naut. mi/370 km.

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Compiler

Peter Richards