Faroe Islands islands, along with two other Norwegian island possessions: Greenland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands have been a self-governing country within the Kingdom of Denmark since 1948. The Faroese have control of most of their domestic affairs. Those that are the responsibility of Denmark include military defence, policing and the justice department, currency, and foreign affairs. However, as they are not part of the same customs area as Denmark, the Faroe Islands have an independent trade policy and can establish trade agreements with other states. The islands also have representation in the Nordic Council as members of the Danish delegation. The
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