Tórshavn

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Tórshavn

Thorshavn
Tinganes, Tórshavn auld toun
Tinganes, Tórshavn auld toun
Official seal of Tórshavn
Seal
Coat of airms o Tórshavn
Coat airms
Eik-name(s): 
Havn
Tórshavn is located in Denmark Faroe Islands
Tórshavn
Tórshavn
Location in Faroe Islands
Coordinates: 62°0′42″N 6°46′3″W / 62.01167°N 6.76750°W / 62.01167; -6.76750Coordinates: 62°0′42″N 6°46′3″W / 62.01167°N 6.76750°W / 62.01167; -6.76750
State Denmark
Constituent KIntra Faroe Islands
MunicipalityTórshavn municipality
Foondit10t century
Govrenment
 • MayorHeðin Mortensen (Javnaðarflokkurin)
Area
 • Laund158 km2 (61 sq mi)
Elevation
24 m (79 ft)
Population
 (2007)
 • City13,000
 • Density78/km2 (200/sq mi)
 • Metro
20,000 (2,011)
 • Metro density125/km2 (320/sq mi)
 population-ranking: 1st
Postal code
100
Websitehttp://www.torshavn.fo/

Tórshavn (IPA: [ˈtʰɔuʂhaun]; Dens: Thorshavn) is the caipital an lairgest toun o the Faroe Islands. It is locatit in the soothren pairt on the east coast o Streymoy. Tae the north wast o the toun lies the 347-metre (1,138 ft) heich muntain Húsareyn, an tae the soothwast, the 350-metre (1,150 ft) heich Kirkjubøreyn. The ceety itsel haes a population o 19,000 (2008). The ceety wis foondit in the 10t century.

A panoramic picture o Tórshavn.

The Vikings established thair parliament on the Tingenes peninsula in Tórshavn 825, sicweys Tórshavn wis made caipital o Faroe Islands an haes remained sae iver syne. Aw throu the Middle Ages the narrae peninsula juttin oot intae the sea made up the main pairt o Tórshavn. Soorces dae no mention a biggit-up aurie in Tórshavn till efter the Protestant Reformation in 1539. Early on, Tórshavn became the centre o the monopoly tred, therebi bein the anerlie legal place for the islanders tae sell an buy guids. In 1856, the tred monopoly wis abolished an the islands wur left open tae free tred. The toun haes grown rapidly iver syne the turn o the 20t century intae the undisputit admeenistrative, economic an cultural centre o the Faroes.

Etymology[eedit | eedit soorce]

The name o the toun means Thor's Harbour, an it mey be named efter the god o thunner an lichtnin in Norse meethology; sicweys the toun's coat o airms shows Thor's hammer Mjolnir, but mair likely it wis named efter the first settler whose name then wis Thor. The Faroese uisually refer tae thair caipital as Havn - harbour.

Internaitional relations[eedit | eedit soorce]

Twin touns — Sister ceeties[eedit | eedit soorce]

Tórshavn is twinned wi:

References[eedit | eedit soorce]