The Faroe Islands are divided into six regions, seven constituencies and 30 municipalities. The region of Streymoy is composed of two constituencies. Each region has one sheriff.
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Regions and municipalities
03/08/2019
The Faroe Islands are administratively divided in 30 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 foreseen 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 anguish towards the amalgamation process, and in turn two kinds of municipalities are being created: large municipalities (town-municipalities) that are eager to attract smaller municipalities into amalgamation, and small municipalities that are either trying to avoid amalgamation or seek to amalgamate with other small municipalities. The geographically large Sunda kommuna is an example of this.
The larger municipalities are organized in Kommunusamskipan Føroya (KFS) and the smaller are organized in Føroya Kommunufelag (FKF).
The administrative subdivisions of the Faroe Islands are frequently changing. In the 1980s there were more than 50 municipalities.
During the last past decades the number has been decreasing steadily, and more municipal-mergers can be expected within the following years.
The aim of the ministry of interior is that in 2015 there will be only seven or nine municipalities in the Faroe Islands, more or less following the boundaries of the districts and constituencies.
If this happens the Faroe Islands will have left the administrative structure of "parish-municipalities" which was built up in the first half of the 20th century and entered a structure of "regional-municipalities".
Furthermore there was a long-running discussion on reducing or even removing the constituencies. In the end, from the 2008 election onwards, the constituencies were abolished.
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 foreseen 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 anguish towards the amalgamation process, and in turn two kinds of municipalities are being created: large municipalities (town-municipalities) that are eager to attract smaller municipalities into amalgamation, and small municipalities that are either trying to avoid amalgamation or seek to amalgamate with other small municipalities. The geographically large Sunda kommuna is an example of this.
The larger municipalities are organized in Kommunusamskipan Føroya (KFS) and the smaller are organized in Føroya Kommunufelag (FKF).
The administrative subdivisions of the Faroe Islands are frequently changing. In the 1980s there were more than 50 municipalities.
During the last past decades the number has been decreasing steadily, and more municipal-mergers can be expected within the following years.
The aim of the ministry of interior is that in 2015 there will be only seven or nine municipalities in the Faroe Islands, more or less following the boundaries of the districts and constituencies.
If this happens the Faroe Islands will have left the administrative structure of "parish-municipalities" which was built up in the first half of the 20th century and entered a structure of "regional-municipalities".
Furthermore there was a long-running discussion on reducing or even removing the constituencies. In the end, from the 2008 election onwards, the constituencies were abolished.