Lítla Dímun

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Coordinates: 61°38′00″N, 6°42′30″W

Position of Lítla Dímun island
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Position of Lítla Dímun island
Postverk Føroya stamp issued 16 January 2004
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Postverk Føroya stamp issued 16 January 2004

Lítla Dímun is a small island between the islands of Suðuroy and Stóra Dímun in the Faroe Islands. It is the smallest of the main 18 islands, being less than 1 sq km in area, and is the only uninhabited one. The island can be seen from the villages Hvalba and Sandvík.

The southern 1/3 of the island is sheer cliff, with the rest rising to the mountain of Slættirnir (413 m). The island is only inhabited by sheep and seabirds. Getting ashore is difficult, and can be performed only in perfect weather. The Skladanek brothers were the first recorded as getting ashore on the island in 1844. The cliffs can be climbed with the aid of ropes placed by the sheep owners.

Map of Lítla Dímun
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Map of Lítla Dímun

The island features as the site of a battle in the 13th century work Færeyinga Saga (Saga of the Faroese).

Lítla Dímun
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Lítla Dímun

The name means "Little Dímun", in contrast to Stóra Dímun or "Great Dimun". According to the Faroese placename expert Jakobsen, "Dimun" may represent a pre-Norse, Celtic placename element, with 'di' representing "two".

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Islands of the Faroe Islands
Flag of the Faroe Islands

Borðoy | Eysturoy | Fugloy | Hestur | Kalsoy | Koltur | Kunoy | Lítla Dímun | Mykines | Nólsoy | Sandoy | Skúvoy | Stóra Dímun | Streymoy | Suðuroy | Svínoy | Vágar | Viðoy