Tórshavn, the Faroe Islands' largest city and capital, is in so many ways a product of its many occupations. The product of medieval policies of trade monopoly, the city has prospered - and faltered - in the many foreign occupations to come. Danish for much of modern history, it fell into British hands when WW2 began, and into American when the war ended. In 1946, it became the site of the Faroe Islands declaration of independence - the birthplace of the republic.

Now, it bears all the fruits and scars of that relationship. Tórshavn's century-old buildings have been modernized by American money, but its streets remain teeming with foreign businesses and OFN soldiers. Which truly matters more is a matter of perspective - and a bitter political battle which rages until present.