My Science School

          Faroe Islands is a cluster of beautiful islands in the North Atlantic Ocean that lie between Iceland and Norway. It is a self-governing administrative division of Denmark. As many as 17 inhabited islands are part of this cluster, along with many islets and reefs.

          The Faroe Islands are said to be high and rugged due to their volcanic composition.

          The islands are largely treeless and the natural vegetation consists of moss, grass, and wetland. It also lacks indigenous mammals, reptiles and toads but is home to rats and hares. There are as well numerous sea birds on the island.

          The Faroese people are said to be mostly descendants of Norwegian Vikings who colonized the place in AD 800. Many of them depend on sheep rising for their livelihood. But the economy of the island primarily focuses on fishing and related industries. Faroese and Danish are the two official languages on the island. The former had a rich oral literature that was not written down until the 19th century.

          One of the most attractive places in Africa, the Lamu Island, is a part of the Lamu Archipelago of Kenya. The island stands out for its beauty.

          Geographically, the island is composed of a town and three villages - Shela, Matondoni and Kipungani. When one reaches the land, one cannot wait for a taxi or any other motor vehicle, simply because there aren’t any on the island! Yes, that is one of the major features of Lamu that people use only non-motor modes of transportation like donkeys, bicycles etc.

          The most important part of the island is the Lamu Old Town, which was once a major trading centre in coastal East Africa. It is also a historically important centre of Swahili culture, as well as religion.

          Some of the historic sites here include the German Post Office and the Lamu Fort. Another sight that stirs wonder in the mind of any traveller is the use of coral stone and mangrove timber throughout the island, which is a Swahili feature.