Since 1948, the Faroe Islands have been a self-governing dependency of the Kingdom of Denmark. The country is made up of a large number of islands housing a population of 50,000 people. The islands’ location, equidistant between Scotland, Scandinavia and Iceland, has created a rich cultural mix as well as defiant independence.

The islands’ peculiar isolation throughout the 19th and 20th centuries has led to the population speaking Faroese, a direct descendant of Old Norse. The Faroese people have an enormous wealth of stories, poems and songs in this language that were orally passed down from countless generations before being written down in the 19th century.

For an academic take on the culture and national identity of the islands, pick up NoNationisanIsland:Language,CultureandNationalIdentityinthe FaroeIslands by Tom Nauerby. James Proctor’s Faroe Islands is a perfect all-round tourist guide to the islands.

The music scene is particularly vibrant on the Faroe Islands. The country even has its own symphony orchestra and many choirs of international acclaim. The Summartónar Festival is a contemporary and classical music festival that takes place every summer. The most famous Faroese composer is Sunleif Rasmussen whose music combines the folk melodies of the country with jazz, spectral and serialist techniques.