Friesland
11254
224667108
2008-07-09T21:53:34Z
86.81.169.144
{{Unreferenced|date=June 2008}}
{{otheruses4|the Dutch province}}
{{Infobox Dutch Province
|ename = Province of Friesland
|fname = Provinsje Fryslân
|dname = Provincie Fryslân
|common_name = Friesland
|image_flag = Frisian_flag.svg
|image_coat = WapenFriesland.gif
|location_image = {{Clicksensitive map of provinces of the Netherlands|province=Friesland}}
|capital = [[Leeuwarden]]
|official_languages = [[Dutch language|Dutch]], [[West Frisian language|West Frisian]]
|commissioner = [[John Jorritsma]]
|religion_year = 1999
|religion = [[Protestant]] 39%<br />[[Roman Catholic]] 8%
|area_land = 3,349
|area_water = 2,392
|area_rank = 3rd
|population_year = 2006
|population = 642,230
|population_rank = 8th
|density = 192
|density_rank = 11th
|anthem = [[De âlde Friezen]]
|ISO = FY
|website = www.fryslan.nl
}}
'''Friesland''' ({{Pronunciation|439 Friesland.ogg}}, [[West Frisian language|West Frisian]]: '''Fryslân''', Dutch: '''Friesland''') is a province in the north of the [[Netherlands]] and part of the bigger region known as [[Frisia]]. In order to distinguish it from the other Frisian regions, it is commonly specified as '''Westerlauwer Frisia''', '''Westerlauwer Friesland''', '''West Frisia''' or '''West Friesland'''. The latter two names may lead people to confuse the region with the neighbouring landscape called 'West-Friesland', in the [[North Holland]] province.
Up until the end of 1996, the province bore '''Friesland''' as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian [[endonym]] '''Fryslân'''.
Friesland has 643,000 inhabitants (2005) and its [[capital]] is [[Leeuwarden]] (''Ljouwert''), with 91,817 inhabitants, in the center of the province.
==Distinguishing features==
{{importance-sect}}
Friesland distinguishes itself from the other eleven provinces through having its own language, [[West Frisian language|West Frisian]], which is also spoken in a minor part of the province of [[Groningen (province)|Groningen]], to the east. Closely related languages, [[Saterland Frisian language|East Frisian]] ("''Seeltersk''", which is different from "[[East Frisian Low Saxon|East Frisian (''Ostfriesisch'')]]", a collection of [[Low German]] dialects of [[East Frisia]]) and [[North Frisian language|North Frisian]], are spoken in the [[Saterland]] and in [[North Friesland]] areas in [[Germany]], respectively. Friesland was a part of the German empire until 1680 when it separated and joined the Netherlands. Part of Friesland is still considered part of Germany (Ostfriesland)
The [[English language]] is also closely related to West Frisian. There is a saying about it: "As milk is to cheese, are English and Fries." Another version of this saying reads (in West Frisian): "Bûter, brea, en griene tsiis; wa't dat net sizze kin, is gjin oprjochte Fries", which in English reads: "Butter, bread, and green cheese, whoever can't say that is no upright Fries" (According to legend, the 16th century Frisian freedom fighter [[Pier Gerlofs Donia]] forced his captives to repeat this [[shibboleth]] to distinguish Frisians from Dutch and Low Germans). The saying plays on the sound differences between the [[Dutch language|Dutch]] and Frisian words for "butter, bread, and green cheese", which in Frisian are pronounced almost identically to their English counterparts (showing the original closeness between the two languages), while in Dutch ("Boter, brood, en groene kaas"), these words sound quite different.
Friesland is mainly an agricultural province. The famous black and white [[Holstein (cattle)|Friesian]] [[cattle]] and the well known black [[Friesian horse]] originated here. [[Tourism]], mainly on the [[lake]]s in the south west of the province, and on the [[island]]s in the [[Wadden Sea]] in the north, is an important source of income, too. Technology companies such as [[Asset Control]] have also set up base in Friesland.
The province is famous for its [[Speed skating|speed skaters]], with mass participation in cross-country skating when weather conditions permit. In winters that are cold enough to allow the freshwater canals to freeze hard, the province is the focus of the [[Elfstedentocht]] (Eleven cities tour), a 200 kilometers [[ice skating]] tour. In the warmer months, many Frisians practice ''[[wadlopen]]'', the traditional art of wading across designated sections of the Wadden Sea at low tide. Another Frisian practice is [[fierljeppen]], a sport with some similarities to pole vaulting. A jump consists of an intense sprint to the pole (polsstok), jumping and grabbing it, then climbing to the top while trying to control the pole's forward and lateral movements over a body of water and finishing with a graceful landing on a sand bed opposite to the starting point. Because of all the diverse skills required in fierljeppen, fierljeppers are considered to be very complete athletes with superbly developed strength and coordination. Another interesting feature are the many [[windmill]]s. There are 195 windmills in the province of Friesland, from a total of about 1200 in the entire country.
== Cities ==
[[Image:Elfstedentocht.png|thumb|The [[Elfstedentocht]] passes all eleven cities of Fryslân]]
*[[Leeuwarden]] ({{lang-fry|Ljouwert}})
*[[Sneek]] (''Snits'')
*[[IJlst]] (''Drylts'')
*[[Sloten (Friesland)|Sloten]] (''Sleat'')
*[[Stavoren]] (''Starum'')
*[[Hindeloopen]] (''Hylpen'')
*[[Workum]] (''Warkum'')
*[[Bolsward]] (''Boalsert'')
*[[Harlingen, Netherlands|Harlingen]] (''Harns'')
*[[Franeker]] (''Frjentsjer'')
*[[Dokkum]] (''Dokkum'')
==Major towns==
*[[Drachten]] (mun. [[Smallingerland]])
*[[Heerenveen]] (''It Hearrenfean'')
[[Image:Holstein cows large.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Frisian [[cattle]]]]
== Municipalities ==
*[[Achtkarspelen]]
*[[Ameland]]
*[[Boarnsterhim]]
*[[Bolsward]]
*[[Dantumadeel]]
*[[Dongeradeel]]
*[[Ferwerderadiel]]
*[[Franekeradeel]]
*[[Gaasterlân-Sleat]]
*[[Harlingen, Netherlands|Harlingen]]
*[[Heerenveen]]
*[[Het Bildt]]
*[[Kollumerland c.a.]]
*[[Leeuwarden]]
*[[Leeuwarderadeel]]
*[[Lemsterland]]
*[[Littenseradiel]]
*[[Menaldumadeel]]
*[[Nijefurd]]
*[[Ooststellingwerf]]
*[[Opsterland]]
*[[Schiermonnikoog]]
*[[Skarsterlân]]
*[[Smallingerland]]
*[[Sneek]]
*[[Terschelling]]
*[[Tytsjerksteradiel]]
*[[Vlieland]]
*[[Weststellingwerf]]
*[[Wûnseradiel]]
*[[Wymbritseradiel]]
==See also==
*[[Frisia]]
*[[Frisian Islands]]
*[[Frisian Solar Challenge]]
*[[Frisians]]
*[[West Frisian language]]
*[[Frise (department)|Frise]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.visitfryslan.com/ Website of visitFryslân.nl]
*[http://www.friesland.nl/ Website of the province]
*[http://www.friesfilmarchief.nl Frisian Film Archive]
*[http://www.i-friesland.com/history.html Ancient History of Friesland]
*[http://www.sdu.nl/staatscourant/gemeentes/gemprovin.htm#F Map of Province]
*[http://hem.passagen.se/melki9/frisian.htm Frisian Droughts]
*[http://www.heitelan.nl Frisian homeland site]
* Bus schedules:
**[http://www.reiziger.connexxion.nl/web/show Friesland]
{{Provinces of the Netherlands}}
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[[Category:Provinces of the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Friesland|*]]
[[Category:NUTS 2 statistical regions of the European Union]]
[[Category:Seventeen Provinces|Friesland]]
[[Category:Burgundian Circle|Friesland]]
[[af:Friesland]]
[[ar:فريزلند]]
[[be:Фрысландыя]]
[[br:Friz]]
[[ca:Província de Frísia]]
[[cs:Frísko]]
[[cy:Fryslân]]
[[da:Frisland (Nederland)]]
[[de:Friesland (Provinz)]]
[[et:Friisimaa provints]]
[[es:Frisia]]
[[eo:Frislando]]
[[eu:Friesland]]
[[fa:فریسلاند]]
[[fr:Frise (province)]]
[[fy:Fryslân]]
[[ga:Friesland]]
[[ko:프리슬란트 주]]
[[hsb:Friziska]]
[[id:Friesland]]
[[it:Frisia (Paesi Bassi)]]
[[jv:Friesland]]
[[la:Frisia (provincia)]]
[[lb:Provënz Friesland]]
[[lt:Fryzija]]
[[li:Friesland]]
[[hu:Frízföld]]
[[nl:Friesland]]
[[nds-nl:Frieslaand]]
[[ja:フリースラント州]]
[[no:Friesland (Nederland)]]
[[nn:Friesland i Nederland]]
[[oc:Frisa (província)]]
[[nds:Fryslân]]
[[pl:Fryzja (prowincja)]]
[[pt:Frísia (província)]]
[[ro:Provincia Frizia]]
[[ru:Фрисландия]]
[[sq:Friesland]]
[[simple:Friesland]]
[[sk:Frízsko (provincia)]]
[[fi:Friisinmaa]]
[[sv:Friesland]]
[[tg:Вилояти Фрисландия]]
[[tr:Frizye]]
[[vo:Friesland]]
[[zea:Friesland]]
[[zh:弗里斯兰省]]