Languages of the Faroe Islands of tourism. Norwegian is occasionally heard too, due to the islands' geographical proximity to Norway. 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
Fauna of the Faroe Islands might start again on the islands at some point. Several species of whales live in the waters around the Faroe Islands. Best known are the long-finned pilot whales ("Globicephala melas"), but the more exotic killer whales ("Orcinus orca") sometimes visit the Faroese fjords, and this can lead to a somewhat dangerous encounter if you are in a small boat. Harbor porpoises are the most frequently sighted cetacea. They frequent the islands year round, though it seems to be in larger numbers around the northern islands than the rest of the country. Blue whales can sometimes appear during the months of