Tórshavn
Nickname: Havn
Location in Faroe Islands
Coordinates: 62°0′42″N 6°46′3″W / 62.01167, -6.7675
Autonomous Province	Faroe Islands
Municipality	Tórshavn municipality
Founded	10th century
Government
- Mayor	Heðin Mortensen (Javnaðarflokkurin)
Area
- Land	158 km² (61 sq mi)
Elevation	24 m (79 ft)
Population (2007)
- City	19,000
- Density	78/km² (202/sq mi)
- Metro	20,000
- Metro Density	125/km² (323. A nickname is a Name of an entity or thing that is not its Proper name. The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse Tórshavnar kommuna is the municipality of the Faroese capital Tórshavn and its surroundings The Social Democratic Party or Equality Party ( Javnaðarflokkurin) is a Centre-left, Social-democratic, Political party in the Faroe Islands Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume A metropolitan area is a large population center consisting of a large Metropolis and its adjacent zone of influence or of more than one closely adjoining neighboring central 7/sq mi)
	population-ranking: 1st
Postal code	100
Website: http://www.torshavn.fo/

Tórshavn (IPA: [ˈtʰɔuʂhaun]) is the capital of the Faroe Islands. The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. Streymoy is the largest and most populated island of the Faroe Islands. To the north west of the town lies the 347-metre (1,140 ft) high mountain Húsareyn, and to the southwest, the 350-metre (1,100 ft) high Kirkjubøreyn. The city itself has a population of 19000 (2008). The city was founded in the 10th century and may well be the oldest capital in Northern Europe.

The Vikings established their parliament on the Tingenes peninsula in Tórshavn 825 AD. Events By Place Europe Egbert of Wessex defeats Beornwulf of Mercia at Ellandun. All through the Middle Ages the narrow peninsula jutting out into the sea made up the main part of Tórshavn. Sources do not mention a built-up area in Tórshavn until after the Protestant reformation in 1539. Early on Tórshavn became the center of the monopoly trade, therefore being the only legal place for the islanders to sell and buy goods. In 1856 the trade monopoly was abolished and the islands were left open to free trade. Year 1856 ( MDCCCLVI) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year The town has grown rapidly ever since the turn of the 20th century into the undisputed administrative, economic and cultural center of the Faroes.

Etymology

The name of the city means Thor's Harbour, named after the god of thunder and lightning in Norse mythology. Thor ( Old Norse: Þórr) is the red-haired and bearded God of Thunder in Germanic paganism and its subset Norse paganism Thunder is the sound made by Lightning. Depending on the nature of the lightning and distance of the listener it can range from a sharp Lightning is an atmospheric discharge of Electricity, which typically occurs during Thunderstorms and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or Norse mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and Legends of the Scandinavian peoples including those who settled on Iceland The City's coat of arms shows Thor's hammer Mjolnir, which tells people that Tórshavn dates back to pre-Christian times. The Faroese usually refer to their capital as Havn - harbour.

History

Early History

The Tinganes peninsula, in Tórshavn, is the seat of the Faroese government. Tinganes is the historic location of the Faroese Løgting (parliament and is a part of Torshavn. The Faroe Islands or Faeroe Islands or simply Faroe(s or Faeroes (Føroyar meaning " Sheep Islands" Færøerne Old Norse

According to the earliest source to the Faroe Islands, Færeyinga Saga, emigrants who left Norway to escape the tyranny of Harald I of Norway settled in the islands about the end of the ninth century. The Færeyinga Saga, the Norse saga of Faroemen, is the story of how the Faroes were converted to Christianity and became a part of the Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair ( Old Norse: Haraldr hárfagri, Norwegian: Harald Hårfagre) (c Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Viking settlers established their own parliament called ting. Local tings where established in different parts of the islands. The main ting was established on Tinganes in Tórshavn 825 AD. Tinganes is the historic location of the Faroese Løgting (parliament and is a part of Torshavn. Tinganes is the peninsula that divides the harbour into the two parts Eystaravág and Vestaravág. A peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by Water but connected to Mainland via an Isthmus. Færeyinga Saga says: "the ting stead of the Faroese was on Streymoy, and there is the harbour that is called Tórshavn". In the Viking Age it was a tradition to hold the ting at a neutral and thus uninhabited place, so nobody had an advantage of the location. In fact, there was no settlement at Tinganes to that time, but it was the most central place of the islands. The Vikings would meet on the flat rocks of Tinganes every summer. The Viking age eventually ended in 1035. The ting was followed by a market which gradually grew into a permanent trading area.

All through the Middle Ages the narrow peninsula jutting out into the sea made up the main part of Tórshavn. It belonged to the outfield of two farmers. Although, unlike the rest of the Faroese villages Tórshavn was never a distinct farming community. In 1271 a royal trade monopoly was established in Tórshavn by the Norwgian Crown. During the 12th century all trade between Norway and the Faroes, along with other tributary islands to the west, became centralised in Bergen. is the second largest city in Norway. It is located on the south-western coast of Norway in the county of Hordaland in between a group of mountains known as De syv fjell According to a document from 1271 two ships would sail regularly to Tórshavn from Bergen with cargoes of salt, timber and cereal. Tórshavn therefore had more contact with the outside world than the other villages. Under the Norwegian and then later Danish rule, the government officials made Tórshavn their home. All of these tings put together with the fact that Tórshavn was the thingstead of the islands influenced the towns development in a different direction.

1500-1800

Sources do not mention a built-up area in Tórshavn until after the Protestant reformation in 1539.

When pirate attacks became quite frequent in the Faroes it became a priority to protect the town and its trade. In ca. 1580 a small fort, Skansin, was built by the Faroese naval hero and trader Magnus Heinason at the north end of the harbour. Magnus Heinason or Mogens Heinesøn (1545 - 18 January 1589) was a Faroese naval hero trader and Privateer. Later small fortifications were built at Tinganes.

Skansin has been rebuilt several times since it was first built in 1580, the last time rebuilding took place was in 1790. This picture is from 2004.

In 1584 Tórshavn had 101 inhabitants. The population was divided into three equally large groups made up of farmers, their families and servants, trade and government officials and people who owned no land and therefore not much else; this included the landless proletariat from the villages that during this period come to Tórshavn in search of work. The proletariat (from Latin la ''proles'' "offspring" is a term used to identify a lower Social class; a member of such a class is proletarian They were imposed guard duty on Skansin without pay, for clothing and food they depended on the bounty of the farmers. Because of this poor people from Tórshavn were often contemptuously referred to as beggars and considered of no account. Fishing became their livelihood.

In 1655 king Frederick III of Denmark endowed the Faroe Islands to his favourite statesman Kristoffer Gabel, the rule of the von Gabel Family, 1655-1709, is known as Gablatíðin. Frederick III ( March 18, 1609 &ndash February 19, 1670) was king of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death A statesman or stateswoman or statesperson is usually a Politician or other notable figure of State who has had a long and respected career in Christoffer Gabel ( January 6, 1617 &ndash October 13, 1673) was a Danish statesman Year 1709 ( MDCCIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year It is the darkest chapter in the history of Tórshavn. Gabel's administration suppressed the islanders in various ways. The trade monopoly was in the family’s hands and it wasn’t designed for the needs of the Faroese people. People across the country brought products into town and had to be satisfied with whatever price they were given. At the same time imported goods where limited and expensive. There came considerable complaints from the islands' inhabitants of unjust treatment by the civil administration in Tórshavn. These not only included the persons in charge of the monopoly trade, but also the bailiff and others. Bailiff (from Late Latin baiulivus, Adjectival form of baiulus) is a Governor or Custodian (cf It was during this period, in 1673, that Tinganes was ravaged by a fire. A store of gunpowder kept at Tinganes had blown up. Many old houses burnt to the ground and old Faroese records where lost as were Gabel's documents.

Conditions improved in Tórshavn when the trade monopoly became a royal monopoly in 1709. Year 1709 ( MDCCIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The royal monopoly was supplied with goods from Copenhagen three times a year. Copenhagen (ˌkəʊpənˈheɪgən ˌkəʊpənˈhɑːgən ˈkəʊpənˌheɪgən ˈkəʊpənˌhɑːgən kʰøb̥ənˈhɑʊ̯ˀn kʰøb̥m̩ˈhɑʊ̯ˀn is the capital and largest city However, in 1709 Tórshavn was hit by a plague of smallpox, killing nearly the entire population. The town had by this time reached a population of 300 and 250 of the inhabitants died. Still, it was during the latter half of the 18th century that Tórshavn started to develop into a small town. This was while Niels Ryberg was in charge of the trade monopoly. From 1768 and during the next 20 years onwards Ryberg was allowed to carry on an entrepot trade which was mainly based on smuggling to England. Year 1768 ( MDCCLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Because of the French-British conflict there was room for this kind of operation. In Tórshavn his warehouses filled up with goods. Ryberg was the first person who thought of making a financial profit from fishing, which later became the most important economic factor to the islands. He experimented with salted cod and herring but at this point in time nothing much beyond this happened.

Tórshavn 1864, the Løgting in the top left

1800-Present

In 1856 free trade came to the Faroe Islands. Year 1856 ( MDCCCLVI) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year It opened the islands up to the world and transformed the economy and Tórshavn forged ahead. The farming land was rented out to townspeople who could later buy it if they wished to. These small plots of land eased people’s existence considerably, as they now could be able to keep a cow and perhaps some sheep. The population grew considerably.

In 1866 Tórshavn's town council was founded. The town has been the capital of the Faroe Islands ever since. And later, in 1909, Tórshavn became a market town with the same municipal charter as Danish market towns.

In 1927 Tórshavn had a modern harbour built. This made it possible for larger ships to berth.

During the British occupation of the Faroe Islands in World War II, Skansin was used as the headquarter of The Royal Navy Commands and two 5. The British occupation of the Faroe Islands in World War II, also known as "Operation Valentine" was implemented immediately following the German invasion of Denmark 5" guns, used aboard the HMS Furious before WWII, were deployed. Five vessels of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Furious: ''Furious'', launched 1797 was a 12-gun Gunvessel. ^[1]

Today Tórshavn is prosperous and full of activity. In 1974 the neighbouring villages Hoyvík and Hvítanes were made part of the town area. Hoyvík is the third largest town in the Faroe Islands. It has grown in size for many years and is now merged with Tórshavn becoming an eastern Suburb Hvítanes is a village in the Faroe Islands, noted for its beauty. Later even more municipalities joined the Torshavn municipality. In 1978 Kaldbak, in 1997 Argir, in 2001 Kollafjørður and finally in 2005 Kirkjubøur, Hestur and Nólsoy.

Tórshavn Cathedral was first built in 1788 and partly rebuilt in 1865. Tórshavner Cathedral (in Faroese Havnar Kirkja or Dómkirkjan is the second oldest received church of the Faroe Islands, on Tinganes in the old town of Tórshavn Year 1788 ( MDCCLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Since 1990 it has been the seat of the Bishop of the Faroe Islands (in the national Evangelical–Lutheran Church). Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar)

Politics and government

Tórshavn is the capital of the Faroe Islands, and as such is the seat of the Faroe's home rule government. The government holds the executive power in local government affairs. Today the government is located on the Tinganes peninsula of Tórshavn. Tinganes is the historic location of the Faroese Løgting (parliament and is a part of Torshavn. The parliament, the Løgting, which was originally located on Tinganes, was relocated to the town square in 1856. The Løgting, or determined in Faroese Løgtingið (full official name Føroya løgting "Løgting of the Faroes" is the Parliament Year 1856 ( MDCCCLVI) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year

Climate

Tórshavn Cathedral

Sport

Football teams in Tórshavn: Havnar Bóltfelag, B36 Tórshavn, Argja Bóltfelag, FRAM Ítróttarfelag and Undri. Tórshavner Cathedral (in Faroese Havnar Kirkja or Dómkirkjan is the second oldest received church of the Faroe Islands, on Tinganes in the old town of Tórshavn Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered HB Tórshavn is one of the oldest Faroes football teams founded in 1904 B36 Tórshavn (B36 means Bóltfelagið 1936 "Ball Club 1936" or F Argja Bóltfelag is an Faroese football club based in Argir. They play in the 1

Handball teams in Tórshavn: Kyndil, Neistin and H71

Transport

Map of Tórshavn

See also: Transport in the Faroe Islands

The harbour is served by the Smyril Line international ferry service to Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Scotland. Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, or Olympic handball) is a Team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six History The general history of the Faroese transportation-system can be summed up into four general periods 19th century and earlier In the first period Smyril Line is a Faroese Shipping company linking the Faroe Islands and Iceland with Denmark, Norway and the The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. The harbour is also used by domestic ferry services of Strandfaraskip Landsins within the Faroe Islands, chiefly on the route to Tvøroyri. Strandfaraskip Landsins is the Public transport company of the Faroe Islands. Tvøroyri lies picturesquely on the north side of the Trongisvágsfjørður ( Fjord) on the east coast of Suðuroy

The town is served by Bussleiðin - a network of local buses. History The general history of the Faroese transportation-system can be summed up into four general periods 19th century and earlier In the first period Buses also depart to villages throughout the islands.

There is a helipad in Tórshavn; the nearest airport is Vágar Airport. The word helipad is a portmanteau meaning helicopter landing pad, a landing area for Helicopters Though helicopters can usually land anywhere flat a fabricated Vágar Airport (Vága Floghavn Vágar Lufthavn is the only airport in the Faroe Islands, a self-governing territory of Denmark.

Music

• Tórshavn Jazz Festival -held annually since 1983

Sites of interest

• Tinganes, the old part of town, it is still made up of small wooden houses covered with turf roofs. The Tórshavn Jazz Festival or the Torshavn Jazz Folk and Blues Festival is an Annual Music festival held in the month of August in the city of Tórshavn Tinganes is the historic location of the Faroese Løgting (parliament and is a part of Torshavn. The oldest one dates back 500 years.
• Tórshavn Dome, the second oldest church in the country.
• Tórshavn harbour
• Skansin
• Listasavn Føroya, the Faroese art museum
• The church, Vesturkirkjan, with outside art work by Hans Pauli Olsen. Listasavn Føroya is an Art museum in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands for mostly permanent exhibits of Faroese arts Hans Pauli Olsen (born in 1957 in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands) is a Sculptor based in Denmark, and held in high regard
• The Nordic House in the Faroe Islands, the most important cultural institution in the Faroes. The Nordic House (in Faroese Norðurlandahúsið) is the most important cultural institution in the Faroe Islands.
• The historical museum in Hoyvík, with all its treasures.
• The museum of Natural History, with a small botanical garden with 150 Faroese plants.
• Kirkjubøur, the country's most important historical site. Kirkjubøur is the southernmost village on Streymoy, Faroe Islands and the country's most important historical site
• Niels Finsens gøta, Tórshavns only walking street

Institutions in Tórshavn

• Løgtingið and Landstýrið, is the Faroese parliament and government with all its national institutions. The Løgting, or determined in Faroese Løgtingið (full official name Føroya løgting "Løgting of the Faroes" is the Parliament
• Faroese television and Radio Faroe Islands, both publicly owned. Sjónvarp Føroya (SvF means Television of the Faroe Islands.
• University of the Faroe Islands, situated next to the national archives, a navigational college, a teachers college, etc. The University of the Faroe Islands is a state-run university located in Tórshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands.
• Postverk Føroya is the postal service of the Faroe Islands. Postverk Føroya ˈfœɹja}} is the postal service of the Faroe Islands and was founded on 1 April 1976 under the Home Rule of the Faroe
• 12 countries have a representative Consul in Tórshavn: Brazil, Finland, France, Greece, the Netherlands, Iceland, Italy, Norway, Russia, Britain, and Sweden. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Iceland, officially the Republic of Iceland ( ( Ísland or Lýðveldið Ísland ( Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation.

Notable natives and inhabitants

The writers William Heinesen and Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen, 1918 (both at the age of 18)

• Niels Ryberg Finsen (1860-1904), winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology 1903. Niels Ryberg Finsen ( December 15, 1860 &ndash September 24, 1904) was a Icelandic / Faroese / Danish
• William Heinesen (1900-1991), writer, poet, composer and painter. Andreas William Heinesen ( 15 January 1900 - 12 March 1991) is the most famous writer from the Faroe Islands.
• Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen (1900-1938), writer. Jørgen-Frantz Jacobsen   ( November 29, 1900 - March 24, 1938) occupies a distinct place in Scandinavian literature
• Ingálvur av Reyni (1920-2005), painter. Ingálvur av Reyni ( 18 December 1920 - 26 November 2005) was the most celebrated painter of the Faroe Islands during
• Janus Djurhuus (1881-1948), writer.
• Janus Kamban (1913), sculptor.
• Zacharias Heinesen (1936), painter. Zacharias Heinesen (borne 1936 in Tórshavn) is a Faroese Landscape painter
• Katrin Ottarsdóttir (1957), filmmaker. Katrin Ottarsdóttir (born 1957, Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands) is a Faroese Movie director.
• Teitur (1977), singer-songwriter. Teitur (born 1977 is a Singer-songwriter from the Faroe Islands.

Gallery

Vestaravág

Eystaravág

Niels Finsens Gøta

Tórshavn Cathedral

Twinnings

See also

• List of towns in the Faroe Islands

References

1. ^ British 5.5"/50 (14 cm) BL Mark I
2. ^ Mariehamns stads vänorter. Accessed May 27, 2008

External links

• faroeislands.dk: Tórshavn — Images and description of Tórshavn
• Torshavn Weather Guide