North Frisian Islands 89311 225685039 2008-07-14T22:02:41Z Caiaffa 905389 Image {{Infobox Islands |name = North Frisian Islands |image_flag = [[Scandinavian Cross Variant.jpg‎|thumb|Scandinavian Cross Variant]] |location = [[North Sea]] |country = Germany| Denmark }} {{Unreferenced|date=February 2007}} [[Image:Nordfriesisches Wattenmeer D und DK.png|thumb|Map of North Frisian and Danish Islands]] [[Image:SatNordfriesischeInseln.jpg|thumb|Satellite image]] The '''North Frisian Islands''' are a group of islands in the [[Wadden Sea]], a part of the [[North Sea]], off the western coast of [[Schleswig-Holstein]], [[Germany]]. The German islands are in the traditional region of [[North Frisia]] and are part of the [[Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park]] and the ''[[Districts of Germany|Kreis]]'' (district) of [[Nordfriesland]]. Occasionally [[Heligoland]] is also included in this group. Sometimes the North Frisian Islands include also the [[Danish Wadden Sea Islands]] on the western coast of [[Jutland]], [[Denmark]]. They belong to ''[[South Jutland County|Sønderjyllands Amt]]'' and ''[[Ribe County|Ribe Amt]]''. The ethnic group of [[Frisians]] lives only on the German-ruled islands. == The German islands == There are four larger islands and ten tiny islets. The names of the large islands are [[Sylt]], [[Föhr]], [[Amrum]], and [[Pellworm]]. The islets are called ''[[Hallig]]en''. In [[medieval]] times the present-day [[peninsula]] [[Nordstrand, Germany|Nordstrand]] and Pellworm as well as the Halligen were part of the large island of Strand. This island was torn to pieces in a [[Burchardi flood|disastrous storm tide]] in 1634. [[Sylt]] ([[Söl'ring|''Söl'ring'' North Frisian]]: ''Söl' ''; {{lang-da|Sild}}) is the largest of the North Frisian Islands, consisting of about 100 km². It is accessible by a [[causeway]] called the ''[[Hindenburgdamm]]''; this causeway is only accessible to trains. In the summer months the island is crowded with tourists, including those who have a preference for [[nudism]]. Sylt's image is that of a meeting point for the jet-set. The main town on the island is [[Westerland]]. The northern end of Sylt, the ''Ellenbogen'' ("elbow"), is Germany's northernmost point. [[Lager Sylt]], the [[Nazi Germany|Nazi]] [[concentration camp]] on [[Alderney]] was named after the island. Compared with Sylt, [[Föhr]] ([[Fering|''Fering'' North Frisian]]: ''Feer''; {{lang-da|Før}}) is a relatively silent island. Its area is 82 km². Sixteen old [[Hamlet (place)|hamlets]] are scattered over the island, some of which already existed in the 13th century. The main town is [[Wyk auf Föhr|Wyk]] on the south eastern shore. Wyk is a popular German seaside resort. There is no bridge or causeway connecting Föhr and the mainland; so ferries are the only connection. The ferry port, the harbour and Föhr marina are in Wyk. [[Amrum]] ([[Öömrang|''Öömrang'' North Frisian]]: ''Oomram'') is only 20 km², but it is popular with tourists, though less crowded than Sylt. The western half of the island features a beach 12 km in length and 1 km in width. The villages are situated on the eastern shore, with Wittdün being the most important of them. [[Pellworm]] ([[Mooring (North Frisian dialect)|''Mooring'' North Frisian]]: ''Pälweerm'') and the peninsula of [[Nordstrand, Germany|Nordstrand]] (''Mooring'': ''Nordströön'') are the remains of the submerged island of [[Strand (island)|Strand]]. The main town of this sunken island was [[Rungholt]], thought to be the largest town in the surrounding area, but it was totally destroyed and submerged by a storm in 1362, 272 years before another storm destroyed Strand itself. Nordstrand has an area of 49 km², Pellworm 37 km². Smaller remains of Strand are the ten islets called [[Hallig]]en. The houses on these tiny islets are built on artificial hills. In a storm tide only these hills rise above the sea, while the remainder of the islet is flooded. The names of the ''Halligen'' are Nordmarsch-Langeness, [[Norderoog]], Süderoog, Nordstrandischmoor, [[Oland (German island)|Oland]], Südfall, Gröde-Appelland, Hooge, [[Hallig Habel|Habel]] and the Hamburger Hallig. == The Danish islands == [[Fanø]] is located just off [[Esbjerg]] to which it is connected by ferry. The main towns on Fanø are Nordby and Sønderho. Other towns include Fanø Vesterhavsbad and Rindby. The island is 16 km long and 5 km wide, and has an area of 56 km². As of 2005, about 3169 people live there. A variety of environments is to be found on Fanø. Not surprisingly, a very common one is sand. The island's whole western shore is made up of beaches, and the sea off the island's northwest end is also home to the "Søren-Jessens-Sand", a vast [[sandbank]]. Fanø also has [[heath (habitat)|heath]] and a small [[pine]] wood. [[Mandø]] is a smaller island farther south, a bit farther from the mainland. It is Denmark's only [[Hallig]], being much like the islands bearing that description among the German islands. A dike on Mandø keeps the sea at bay. Much of the islanders' history involves efforts to reclaim parts of their island from the sea. [[Rømø]] is currently the southernmost of Denmark's [[Danish Wadden Sea Islands|Wadden Sea Islands]] (a little, uninhabited one called Jordsand was farther south, but it sank in 1999). Rømø is linked to the Danish mainland by a road running across a causeway, and the island also lies only about 3 km from its German neighbour Sylt, to which it is connected by ferry. It is home to a number of small communities such as Kongsmark, Østerby, Lakolk, and Sønderstrand. [[Langli]] is the smallest and northernmost island among Denmark's share of the [[archipelago]], in the Ho Bugt north of Esbjerg. It was once part of a peninsula whose landward stretch was washed away in a storm tide centuries ago. Since then, another [[Spit (landform)|spit]] has formed to the west, called ''Skallingen'', and now shields Langli from some of the sea's more destructive tendencies. [[Langli]] is nowadays home to a natural science station, housed in a villa built in the 20th century. [[Langli]] has an area of about 0.8 km² and can be reached from the mainland over an ''ebbevej'' (watershed) that is 3 km long. [[Koresand]] is a former island and currently a [[sandbank]] southwest off [[Mandø]]. ==See also== *[[List of islands of Denmark]] *[[List of islands of Germany]] *[[German Bight]] *[[Frisia]] *[[Image:Scandinavian Cross Variant.jpg|thumb|Scandinavian Cross Variant]] {{Frisian Islands}} {{coor title dm|54|55|N|8|20|E|type:isle}} [[Category:Frisian Islands]] [[Category:Geography of Schleswig-Holstein]] [[da:De Nordfrisiske Øer]] [[de:Nordfriesische Inseln]] [[el:Νησιά βόρειας Φρισίας]] [[es:Islas Frisias septentrionales]] [[fr:Îles frisonnes septentrionales]] [[it:Isole Frisone Settentrionali]] [[nl:Noord-Friese Waddeneilanden]] [[nn:Dei nordfrisiske øyane]] [[nds:Nordfreeschen Inseln]] [[pl:Wyspy Północnofryzyjskie]] [[fi:Pohjois-Friisein saaret]] [[sv:Nordfrisiska öarna]]