Norðreyjar — A Proposed North Atlantic Island State

For years I have worked with the history of the North Atlantic, the Norse cultural sphere, and the historical development of the islands that lie scattered across this ocean. Through this work, I have become increasingly aware of how strong and persistent the historical and cultural connections are between three territories that today exist politically apart from one another: the Faroe Islands, Shetland, and Orkney.

This realisation has led me to ask a question I did not expect to ask:

If these three island communities were ever to gain full political sovereignty, could they benefit from forming a common state?

My answer is that such an idea is not only conceivable — it is historically grounded, culturally coherent, and geopolitically logical.

I have therefore chosen to present the concept of a potential future island nation under the name: Norðreyjar or in English “The Northern Isles”.

A Shared Norse Heritage

The Faroe Islands, Shetland and Orkney were all shaped profoundly by Norse settlement from the 9th century onwards. For centuries, these islands shared:

• Interconnected trade routes.
• Common legal traditions.
• Norse governance closely related linguistic heritage (Faroese and the now-extinct Norn).
• Cultural practices shaped by isolation, sea-navigation, and resource-based subsistence.

For hundreds of years the were part of the same nation. Even after Shetland and Orkney were pledged to Scotland in 1468–69, the cultural fabric remained distinctly Norse well into modern times. The remnants of this can still be traced in place names, folklore, social structures and linguistic echoes.

It is this shared historical foundation that makes a political vision for Norðreyjar plausible rather than fanciful.

Why a Common State?

If the Faroe Islands one day finalised independence from the Kingdom of Denmark, and if Shetland and Orkney sought separation from Scotland, they would each face the difficult task of building small, isolated micro-states in the North Atlantic.

A joint state — a North Atlantic island union — could offer several advantages:

1. Critical mass

A combined population of roughly 120,000 people, with a relatively similar cultural and social profile, would create a far more stable demographic and economic base than any of the islands could sustain individually.

2. Shared maritime economy

The islands already rely on the same pillars:

• Fishing
• Aquaculture
• Shipping
• Energy (especially wind and marine energy)

In a unified structure, these could be coordinated strategically instead of competitively.

3. Cultural and linguistic continuity

The Faroese language could serve as the administrative language of the new state, while still allowing for:

• Local dialects
• Cultural autonomy
• And, if desired, the revival or symbolic recognition of Norn, the extinct Norse language once spoken in Shetland and Orkney.

4. Geographic and geopolitical coherence

A single state in the central and northern North Atlantic would have greater negotiating power in:

• Fisheries agreements
• Energy partnerships
• Environmental protections
• Arctic and North Sea security considerations

In short: together, the islands would be more than the sum of their parts.

Choosing the Name: Norðreyjar

I chose the Old Norse name Norðreyjar, meaning “The Northern Isles,” because it ties the proposed state to a historical reality. In medieval usage, the term referred specifically to Shetland and Orkney.

In this new vision, the concept is expanded to include the Faroe Islands — reclaiming and reimagining a shared Norse identity in a modern political context.

A Proposed Flag

To support the idea visually, I have also designed a flag for Norðreyjar. The design follows the Nordic cross tradition, emphasising the Norse heritage linking the islands:

• Deep ocean blue field.
• White cross with Golden outline.

A Shared Identity: The Northlanders

One of the central ideas behind the proposed union is the creation of a shared civic identity for the inhabitants of the Faroe Islands, Shetland, and Orkney. While each of the three island groups possesses its own traditions, history, and sense of place, they also share a deep cultural foundation rooted in the Norse world.

For this reason, I suggest the collective demonym “Northlanders.”

The term reflects several layers of meaning:

• Geographical reality: All three communities inhabit the northernmost island arc of the North Atlantic.
• Historical continuity: The word echoes the old Norse world, in which the islands formed part of a connected maritime sphere.
• Civic identity: It avoids favouring any specific island group and instead emphasises the idea of a shared political and cultural home.

The name is not intended to erase local identities — Faroese, Orcadian, and Shetlander — but to provide a unifying label for a common citizenship. In this sense, a Faroese person, an Orcadian, and a Shetlander would all retain their regional identity while also being part of a broader collective defined by their shared history and future: the Northlanders.

A Vision, Not a Movement

At present, Norðreyjar is not an organised political movement, and I do not present it as such. Rather, it is a historical and political thought-experiment — a proposal rooted in cultural analysis, shared heritage and geopolitical possibility.

I put it forward because I believe the idea deserves consideration, reflection, and discussion. And because the North Atlantic — this ocean that has shaped us for more than a thousand years — might yet have room for something new built on something very old.

Conclusion

Norðreyjar is a proposal grounded in history and shaped by the realities of the modern world. It imagines a future where three island communities recognise their shared foundations and choose to build a new political home together.

Whether this future ever comes to pass is uncertain. But ideas have power — especially in places where the sea connects more than it separates.