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).

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 km2Area (in km2)MarkatalIsland(s)Region
Tórshavn21,926127173327Streymoy, Nólsoy, Hestur, KolturTórshavn
Klaksvík5,24745116.4Borðoy, Svínoy, KalsoyKlaksvík
Runavík4,1574299.9EysturoySouthern Eysturoy
Eystur2,1565142EysturoySouthern Eysturoy
Vágar2,13021102.8VágarVágar
Sunda1,81011158152Eysturoy, StreymoyNorthern Eysturoy and Northern Streymoy
Tvøroyri1,714404360SuðuroySuðuroy
Fuglafjørður1,589692332EysturoyNorthern Eysturoy
Vágur1,351642161SuðuroySuðuroy
Nes1,338961440EysturoySouthern Eysturoy
Vestmanna1,245245256StreymoyStreymoy
Sørvágur1,2361584124Vágar, MykinesVágar
Sjóvar1,089333370EysturoySouthern Eysturoy
Eiði 761 21 37 49 Eysturoy Northern Eysturoy
Hvalba 679 17 40 99 Suðuroy, Lítla Dímun Suðuroy
Kvívík 597 12 49 75 Streymoy Streymoy
Sandur 532 11 48 97 Sandoy Sandoy
Skopun 440 49 9 0 Sandoy Sandoy
Hvannasund 416 13 33 38 Viðoy and Borðoy Klaksvík
Sumba 358 14 25 64 Suðuroy Suðuroy
Viðareiði 346 12 30 48 Viðoy Norðoyggjar
Porkeri 318 23 14 37 Suðuroy Suðuroy
Kunoy 156 4 35.5 65 Kunoy Norðoyggjar
Skálavík 144 5 29 24 Sandoy Sandoy
Húsavík 115 4 26 66 Sandoy Sandoy
Hov 99 10 10 24 Suðuroy Suðuroy
Fámjin 83 6 13 24 Suðuroy Suðuroy
Skúvoy 40 4 10 73 Skúvoy, Stóra Dímun Sandoy
Fugloy 38 3 11.2 14 Fugloy Norðoyggjar

History

Municipalities from 1 January 2005 until 31 December 2008
  • On 1 January 2017 (30 municipalities reduced to 29):
  • On 1 January 2009 (34 municipalities reduced to 30):
  • On 1 January 2005 (38 municipalities reduced to 34):
    • Elduvík, Oyndarfjørður and Skála fused with Runavík.
    • Gjógv, Haldarsvík, Hósvík, Hvalvík and Saksun fused with Sunda municipality.
    • Hestur, Kirkjubøur and Nólsoy fused with Tórshavn.
    • Mikladalur fused with Klaksvík.
    • Mykines fused with Sørvágur.
  • On 1 January 1997
    • Argir and Kaldbak fused with Tórshavn.
  • On 1 August 1948
    • Funningur split into Funningur and Gjógv.

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.

References

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