Faroe Islands institutions started operating in the last quarter of the nineteenth century and developed throughout the twentieth century. The status of the Faroese language in education was a significant issue for decades, until it was accepted as a language of instruction in 1938. Initially education was administered and regulated by Denmark. In 1979 responsibilities on educational issues started transferring to the Faroese authorities, a procedure which was completed in 2002. The Ministry of Education, Research and Culture has the jurisdiction of educational responsibility in the Faroe Islands. Since the Faroe Islands is a constituent country of the Danish Realm, education in
Flora of the Faroe Islands the abundance of "Corylus" pollen in deep layers, suggest that at least some local stands of birch and hazel trees were present in the Faroe Islands, prior to human settlement. Four species of willow are still present in the Faroe Islands: "Salix herbacea" is very common in the mountains, but the other three species: "Salix phylicifolia", "Salix lanata" and "Salix arctica" are only to be found in a few places, due to heavy grazing by animals. Only one evergreen, "Juniperus communis" (the prostrate form) grows naturally in the Faroe Islands, and small populations are spread throughout the islands, though for