POWER AND STATE
Shetland’s modern demographic history is complex. The population of Shetland rose steadily until the 1860’s, to a peak of about 32,000, owing to the flourishing fisheries based in the islands. This number fell in the 1870’s and early 1880’s because of clearances of crofters to provide space for sheep, and then stabilised following the Crofters Act of 1886, which gave Shetlanders security of tenure. During the Great War many Shetlanders were killed, and the population began to slump, reaching a low point in the 1960’s. The pattern changed again in the 1970’s, when oil came to the scene. Shetland’s population is now fairly stable at around 21,000, but that stability is always under threat from fluctuations in the economy.
An early road map of Shetland (1851) |
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A paraffin street lamp |
