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- Economy
-
- Overview: The Faroese enjoy the high standard of living
- characteristic of the Danish and other Scandinavian economies.
- Fishing is the dominant economic activity. It employs over
- 25% of the labor force, accounts for about 25% of GDP, and
- contributes over 80% to export revenues. A handicraft industry
- employs about 20% of the labor force. Because of cool summers
- agricultural activities are limited to raising sheep and
- to potato and vegetable cultivation. There is a labor shortage,
- and immigrant workers accounted for 5% of the work force
- in 1989. Denmark annually subsidizes the economy, perhaps
- on the order of 15% of GDP.
-
- GDP: $662 million, per capita $14,000; real growth rate 3%
- (1989 est.).
-
- Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.0% (1988).
-
- Unemployment rate: labor shortage.
-
- Budget: revenues $176 million; expenditures $176 million,
- including capital expenditures of NA (FY86).
-
- Exports: $267 million (f.o.b., 1986); commodities--fish
- and fish products 86%, animal feedstuffs, transport equipment;
- partners--Denmark 18%, US 14%, FRG, France, UK, Canada.
-
- Imports: $363 million (c.i.f., 1986); commodities--machinery
- and transport equipment 38%, food and livestock 11%, fuels
- 10%, manufactures 10%, chemicals 5%; partners: Denmark 46%,
- FRG, Norway, Japan, UK.
-
- External debt: $NA.
-
- Industrial production: growth rate NA%.
-
- Electricity: 80,000 kW capacity; 280 million kWh produced,
- 5,910 kWh per capita (1989).
-
- Industries: fishing, shipbuilding, handicrafts.
-
- Agriculture: accounts for 27% of GDP and employs 27% of labor
- force; principal crops--potatoes and vegetables; livestock--
- sheep; annual fish catch about 360,000 metric tons.
-
- Aid: none.
-
- Currency: Danish krone (plural--kroner); 1 Danish krone
- (DKr) = 100 ore.
-
- Exchange rates: Danish kroner (DKr) per US$1--6.560 (January
- 1990), 7.310 (1989), 6.732 (1988), 6.840 (1987), 8.091 (1986),
- 10.596 (1985).
-
- Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March.
-