General practitioners are stationed in each of eleven medical districts. Specialized care is available at two small regional hospitals, at the main hospital in Torshavn, at two small regional hospitals, and in Denmark. Old and disabled people are cared for in nursing homes or with the help of visiting home-care providers.
The population of the Faroe Islands as per December 2009 was 48,660. With a population density of 34,5 per square kilometer, the Faroe Islands have the second highest population density of the Nordic countries after Denmark. The Faroese are of Scandinavian origin, descendants of Vikings who came from Norway.
As a self-governing region of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Faroese government prints its own currency, the króna, although Danish coins are used. The exchange value is equivalent to the Danish krone, and there is no service charge on exchange, as Danish notes are equally acceptable as the Faroese króna throughout the country.