Geography & climate
The total area of the mount-ainous archipelago is 1,399 square kilometres, or 540 square miles. In the north the distance between the most westerly island Mykines and the most easterly island Fugloy is approximately 79 kilometres. The north-south distance (Vi?oy-Sumbiasteinur) is 118 kilometres. The total coastline measures 1,117 kilo-metres, consisting mostly of cliffs. The average height above sea level is around 300 metres, and the highest point, 882 metres above sea level, is the mountain Slættaratin?ur on Eysturoy. The capital of Tórshavn is situated on the largest island, Streymoy. GMT is the official time used in the Faroe Islands.

Climate
The climate of the Faroes is oceanic, and in general the islands have cool summers and mild winters, and are usually overcast with frequent fog and strong winds. August is the warmest month with an average temperature of +10.5°C, and January is the coldest with an average temperature of +3.2°C. The annual water precipitation is around 850 mm on Mykines, increasing to about 2,750 mm in the mountains. Because the tropical current of the Gulf Stream passes the islands the water temperature never drops below +10°C.

Flora and fauna
The geographical isolation and the climate of the Faroe Islands are reflected in both flora and fauna. The native vegetation of the islands consists only of about 400 different plant species, as well as mosses and lichens. With the exception of some woody plants, the islands have no natural trees or bushes. Over the decades trees from other oceanic climates have been quite successfully introduced to the islands. There are no native land mammals on the islands, but the surrounding ocean is rich in cetaceans, porpoises and dolphins. Almost 50 species of birds, mainly seabirds, breed regularly and roughly 30 further species breed occasionally on the islands. The islands boast a natural wealth of fish.

Infrastructure
Massive investments during the last four decades have given the Faroes a modern transport system with roads, bridges and tunnels, supplemented with ferries and helicopters. There are 18 major harbours on the islands, as well as numerous smaller ones. Three shipping companies operate weekly routes all year round to and from the Faroe Islands. There are regular scheduled connections by sea all year round to Iceland and several European countries, incl. Denmark.
The only airport on the islands is situated on the island of Vágar. From Vágar there are regular flights to Denmark and other destinations.