In the North Atlantic region, approximately halfway between Norway and Iceland, there is a special group of islands of volcanic origin, the Faroe Islands. The archipelago consists of eighteen small and large islands and numerous rocky reefs, and contains a fair number of unique geographical features.
A distinctive and unknown archipelago on the map of Europe
Compared to the popular tourist destination, Iceland, the lesser-known Faroe Islands are a very special world in the harsh North Atlantic. The Faroe Islands were born as a result of the expansion of the Atlantic Ocean: they were formed about 60 million years ago in the form of the remains of a huge extinct stratovolcano. The Faroe Islands are part of an undersea ridge that rises above the surface of the ocean, to which Iceland also belongs.
Basalt blocks from the depths of the sea that rose to the surface, building islands, were carved by massive glaciers into diverse and deep glacial valleys during the Pleistocene Ice Age.
When the small islands were almost completely covered by ice cover.
The basalt layers that make up the islands slope continuously eastward to ocean level, while the western shores are bordered by steep rock walls, often hundreds of meters high.
The eighteen major islands are separated from each other by a strait ranging from a few hundred meters to a few kilometers in width. The larger islands have been inhabited since the Viking Age. The population of the archipelago, which is currently an autonomous region of Denmark, is 54,000.
A mysterious cover of clouds remains almost all year round
The wild world of the Faroe Islands is rich in unique natural attractions. One of the most unique meteorological phenomena in the archipelago is associated with a small and uninhabited island, Lítla Dímun. Of the main islands of the Faroes, this small piece of land is the only one not inhabited by humans, but for centuries Faroese farmers have more than once made the uncertain and dangerous journey to Lítla Dímun to care for these creatures. What dominates the island: sheep.
These black short-tailed feral sheep are thought to be descendants of animals brought to the area in the Neolithic era. But the island is special not primarily for this reason, but because of it
Because there is almost always a huge lens-shaped cloud formation at the top.
These permanent clouds usually form above mountain peaks that protrude from their surroundings. Lítla Dímun, no matter how small, are able to influence local weather conditions.
The mass of vapor formed by the rising ocean air stops and condenses on the top of Lítla Dímun, which is why a cloud of mysterious effect hovers over the island almost all year round. The wind sometimes whips up an eerie cover of clouds, which then “flows” up the steep, rocky side of the island, providing an equally stunning sight for the few approaching Lítla Dímun.
