West Friesland (region)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/West_Friesland-Position.png)
West Friesland (Dutch: West-Friesland) is a contemporary region in the Northwest of the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/West-Frise.jpg/220px-West-Frise.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/WF_historisch.jpg/290px-WF_historisch.jpg)
The River Vlie (also called Fli), is an extension of the IJssel branch of the Rhine River. The river divides the northern Netherlands into two parts, the western and the eastern part. In the eleventh century, heavy rainfall caused the river to flood over large parts of the land. The Zuiderzee bay (previously a lake called Lacus Flevo by Roman authors) was formed, separating West Friesland from the contemporary Province of Friesland.[1] In the Middle Ages, the Westflinge area of West Friesland became an island, bordered on the north by the Medem and Zijpe inlets, and to the south by various interconnecting lakes (now polder land) that were connected with the Zuiderzee. Because of this, the toponym "West Friesland" was applied more to the Westflinge area than to the original West Friesland.
For approximately 300 years, West Friesland operated as an autonomous area as the West Frisians did not wish to be vassals of lords from
Early Medieval Vroonen
The first inhabitants of Alkmaar, Oudorp, and St Pancras likely settled along the high beach ridges of the Vroonermeer in the 9th century AD. Better known as Vroonen, this settlement subsequently grew into a village. In the late 13th century, when the Dutch conquered West Frisians, the victors crossed the village and set it on fire. The few surviving inhabitants fled the region. After a long time, people returned to Vroonen and a chapel was built. The village of St Pancras was founded around this church [1484]. Vroonermeer was drained in 1561.
The reclamation of the North Holland lakes was a purely private business affair intended for the establishment of new tracts of fertile land. Investors financed the operation and leased their new land to farmers.
Geography
The exact location of West Friesland is not clearly defined, but it has been suggested that it comprised the area north of an imaginary line through
The area between the rivers Vlie and IJ consists of the present-day municipalities of Alkmaar, Amsterdam (Landelijk Noord), Beemster, Bergen, Castricum, Den Helder, Drechterland, Edam-Volendam, Enkhuizen, Heerhugowaard, Heiloo, Hollands Kroon, Hoorn, Koggenland, Landsmeer, Langedijk, Medemblik, Purmerend, Oostzaan, Opmeer, Schagen, Stede Broec, Texel, Uitgeest, Vlieland, Waterland, Wognum, Wormerland, and Zaanstad.
Municipalities
The region covers an area of about 800 km2 (309 sq mi), delineated by the Westfriese Omringdijk. It consists of the following municipalities:
Dutch name | West Frisian Name
|
Alkmaar | Alkmar |
Beverwijk | Beverwyk |
Den Helder | Dan Haldar |
Dijk en Waard | Doik en Weerd |
Drechterland | Drechterland |
Edam-Volendam | Edam Volendam |
Enkhuizen | Henkhúze |
Hollands Kroon | Hollands Kroon |
Hoorn | Hoorn |
Koggenland | Koggeland |
Medemblik | Memeloik |
Opmeer | Obmar or Opmar |
Purmerend | Purmerend |
Schagen | Skagen |
Stede Broec | Stee Broek |
Uitgeest | Uitgeezd |
Velsen | Velzen |
Wormerland | Wormerland |
Zaanstad | Zaanzdat |
Major cities include Hoorn (which was the capital of West-Friesland) and Alkmaar.
Dialect
The traditional dialect of the region is the
The
-
Westfrisian flag
See also
- Frisia
- Frisian Islands
- West Frisian Dutch language
References
- ^ ISBN 3-88042-257-5.
- ^ Delaissé, L. M. J. (1968). A Century of Dutch Manuscript Illumination. California Studies in the History of Art. University of California Press and Cambridge University Press. p. 5.
- ISBN 9780691135649.
External links
- The region website (in Dutch and partly Westfrisian)