Languages of the Faroe Islands Languages of the Faroe Islands The official language of the Faroe Islands is Faroese. The Faroese language is a Germanic language which is descended from Old Norse. Faroese is similar in grammar to Icelandic and Old Norse, but closer in pronunciation to Norwegian. In the twentieth century Faroese became the official language and, because the Faroe Islands are a self-governing country within the Kingdom of Denmark, Danish is taught in Faroese schools. The first recorded settlers of the Faroe Islands were Irish monks (papar), so it is possible to assume, that one of the first languages in the islands was
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