Municipalities of the Faroe Islands

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The Faroe Islands are administratively divided in 29 municipalities (kommunur), with about 120 cities and villages. Until December 31, 2008, there were 34 municipalities, and until December 31, 2004, there were 48 municipalities. In the coming years the number of Faroese municipalities is expected to drop to somewhere between 7 and 15, as there is currently a rationale towards municipal amalgamation and a decentralization of public services. In 1998 it was suggested that no municipality should have fewer than 2,000 inhabitants, but whether this will be true is a political question. The Faroese government has furthermore decided not to conduct forced, top-down amalgamation, but to leave the process to the free will of the municipalities. In many small municipalities there is some resistance to the amalgamation process, and as a result two kinds of municipalities are being created: large municipalities (town-municipalities) that are eager to attract smaller municipalities into amalgamation, and small municipalities which are either trying to avoid amalgamation or seek to amalgamate with other small municipalities. The geographically large Sunda municipality is an example of this. The larger municipalities are organized in Kommunusamskipan Føroya (KFS) and the smaller are organized in Føroya Kommunufelag (FKF).

Contents

Municipalities of the Faroe Islands since 2017 Map-kommunur-foroya-2017.png
Municipalities of the Faroe Islands since 2017

List of municipalities

As of June 1, 2019, there were 29 municipalities in the Faroe Islands.

MunicipalityPopulation (January 2020) [1] Inhabitants per km2 Area (in km2) Markatal Island(s) Region
Tórshavn 21,926127173327 Streymoy, Nólsoy, Hestur, Koltur Tórshavn
Klaksvík 5,24745116.4 Borðoy, Svínoy, Kalsoy Klaksvík
Runavík 4,1574299.9 Eysturoy Southern Eysturoy
Eystur 2,1565142 Eysturoy Southern Eysturoy
Vágar 2,13021102.8 Vágar Vágar
Sunda 1,81011158152 Eysturoy, Streymoy Northern Eysturoy and Northern Streymoy
Tvøroyri 1,714404360 Suðuroy Suðuroy
Fuglafjørður 1,589692332 Eysturoy Northern Eysturoy
Vágur 1,351642161 Suðuroy Suðuroy
Nes 1,338961440 Eysturoy Southern Eysturoy
Vestmanna 1,245245256 Streymoy Streymoy
Sørvágur 1,2361584124 Vágar, Mykines Vágar
Sjóvar 1,089333370 Eysturoy Southern Eysturoy
Eiði 761213749 Eysturoy Northern Eysturoy
Hvalba 679174099 Suðuroy, Lítla Dímun Suðuroy
Kvívík 597124975 Streymoy Streymoy
Sandur 532114897 Sandoy Sandoy
Skopun 4404990 Sandoy Sandoy
Hvannasund 416133338 Viðoy and Borðoy Klaksvík
Sumba 358142564 Suðuroy Suðuroy
Viðareiði 346123048 Viðoy Norðoyggjar
Porkeri 318231437 Suðuroy Suðuroy
Kunoy 156435.565 Kunoy Norðoyggjar
Skálavík 14452924 Sandoy Sandoy
Húsavík 11542666 Sandoy Sandoy
Hov 99101024 Suðuroy Suðuroy
Fámjin 8361324 Suðuroy Suðuroy
Skúvoy 4041073 Skúvoy, Stóra Dímun Sandoy
Fugloy 38311.214 Fugloy Norðoyggjar

History

Municipalities from 1 January 2005 until 31 December 2008 Map-kommuna-2005new-color-caption.png
Municipalities from 1 January 2005 until 31 December 2008

See also

Notes

^ Hagstova Føroya - information from 2007.
^ Tórshavn is both the capital of the Streymoy region and its own region, the latter being identical with Tórshavn municipality, but not including the area of the former Kollafjarðar kommuna.
^ Klaksvík both capital of the Norðoyggjar region as well of its own region, which constitute of the two municipalities Klaksvík and Hvannasund.

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References

  1. "Faroe Islands: Administrative Division (Municipalities) - Population Statistics, Charts and Map".