Faroe Islands a reaction to the growing self-government and independence movements, Denmark finally granted the Faroe Islands home-rule with a high degree of local autonomy on 30 March 1948. In 1973 the Faroe Islands declined to join Denmark in entering the European Economic Community (later absorbed into the European Union). The islands experienced considerable economic difficulties following the collapse of the fishing industry in the early 1990s, but have since made efforts to diversify the economy. Support for independence has grown and is the objective of the Republican Party. The Faroe Islands are an island group consisting of 18 major islands (and
Football in the Faroe Islands 5000 registered football players in the Faroe Islands. As follows: All Players 8,094, Registered players 5,694, Unregistered Players 2,400 and Officials 1,050. The media's coverage of football is also intense. A ten-team Faroe Islands first division, the Vodafonedeildin, flourishes despite a total population of just 46,000. The record attendance for a football match in the Faroe Islands is 6,642. It was set in 1998 when the Faroe Islands won 2-1 against Malta, at the Svangaskarð. English Football is also very popular in the Faroe Islands, many people with access to satellite television and the internet watch the Premier League. In