Editing Frisia

{{Short description|Cross-border cultural region in Northwestern Europe}}
{{About|the cultural region|the medieval kingdom|Frisian Kingdom|the Dutch province|Friesland|other uses}}
{{Infobox country
|conventional_long_name = Frisia
|common_name = Frisia
|image_map = Frisia map.svg
|map_caption = Location of Frisia in the northern Netherlands and northwestern Germany
|largest_city = [[Leeuwarden]]
|languages_type = Regional languages
|languages = {{unbulleted list|[[Dutch language|Dutch]]|[[German language|German]]|[[Low German|Low Saxon]]|[[North Frisian language|North Frisian]]|[[Saterland Frisian language|Saterland Frisian]]|[[West Frisian language|West Frisian]]}}
|languages2_type = Dialects
|languages2 = {{unbulleted list|[[Friso-Saxon]]|[[Southern Jutlandic]]|[[Stadsfries dialects|Stadsfries]]|[[West Frisian dialect|West Frisian Dutch]]}}
|languages2_sub = yes
|demonym = Frisian
|coordinates = {{Coord|53|29|00|N|7|34|00|E|display=title}}
|sovereignty_type = Integrated parts {{nobold|of [[Germany]] and the [[Netherlands]] with varying degrees of autonomy}}
|area_km2 = 9378.7
|area_label = Narrow sense
|area_label2 = Broad sense
|area_data2 = {{convert|13482.7|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
|stat_year1 = Narrow sense
|stat_pop1 = 1,475,380 (in 2<span>0</span>20)
|stat_year2 = Broad sense
|stat_pop2 = 2,678,792 (in 2<span>0</span>20)
|time_zone = [[Central European Time|CET]]
|utc_offset = +1
|time_zone_DST = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
|utc_offset_DST = +2
}}

'''Frisia'''{{efn|{{plainlist|
* [[Dutch language|Dutch]], [[German language|German]]: ''Friesland''
* [[Dutch Low Saxon]]: ''{{lang|nds|Fraislaand}}''
* [[East Frisian Low Saxon]]: ''{{lang|frs|Fräisland}}''
* North Frisian ([[Amrum North Frisian|Amrum]], [[Föhr North Frisian|Föhr]]): ''{{lang|frr|Fresklun}}''
* North Frisian ([[Bökingharde North Frisian|Bökingharde]]): ''{{lang|frr|Fraschlönj}}''
* North Frisian ([[Goesharde Frisian|Goesharde]]): ''{{lang|frr|Freeschlon}}''
* North Frisian ([[Halligen Frisian|Halligen]]): ''{{lang|frr|Freesklöön}}''
* North Frisian ([[Heligoland Frisian|Heligoland]]): ''{{lang|frr|Friislon}}'' 
* North Frisian ([[Karrharde Frisian|Karrharde]]): ''{{lang|frr|Fräischlön}}''
* North Frisian ([[Sylt North Frisian|Sylt]]): ''{{lang|frr|Friislön}}''
* North Frisian ([[Wiedingharde Frisian|Wiedingharde]]): ''{{lang|frr|Freesklön}}''
* [[Saterland Frisian language|Saterland Frisian]]: ''{{lang|stq|Fräislound}}'' {{IPA|stq|ˈfrɛi̯slɔu̯nd|}}
* [[West Frisian language|West Frisian]]: ''{{lang|fy|Fryslân}}''
}}}} ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|f|r|ɪ|z|ɪ|ə|,_|ˈ|f|r|iː|ʒ|ə}}) is a [[Cross-border region|cross-border]] [[Cultural area|cultural region]] in [[Northwestern Europe]]. Stretching along the [[Wadden Sea]], it encompasses the north of the [[Netherlands]] and parts of northwestern [[Germany]]. Wider definitions of "Frisia" may include the island of [[Rømø|Rem]] and the other [[Danish Wadden Sea Islands]]. The region is traditionally inhabited by the [[Frisians]], a [[Germanic peoples|West Germanic]] ethnic group.

== Etymology ==
The contemporary name for the region stems from [[Latin]] {{lang|la|{{linktext|Frisii}}}}, an ethnonym used for [[Frisii|a group of ancient tribes]] in modern-day Northwestern [[Germany]], possibly being a loanword of [[Proto-Germanic]] [[wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/frisaz|*''frisaz'']], meaning "curly, crisp", presumably referring to the hair of the tribesmen. In some areas, the local translation of "Frisia" is used to refer to another subregion. On the [[North Frisian islands]], for instance, "Frisia" and "Frisians" refer to (the inhabitants of) mainland [[North Frisia]]. In Saterland Frisian, the term ''Fräislound'' specifically refers to [[East Frisia|Ostfriesland]].<ref>cf. Fort, Marron Curtis (1980): Saterfriesisches Wörterbuch. Hamburg, p.45.</ref>

During the [[Kingdom of Holland|French occupation of the Netherlands]], the name for the Frisian [[Departments of France|department]] was {{lang|fr|[[Frise (department)|Frise]]}}. In English, both "Frisia" and "'''Friesland'''" ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|f|r|iː|z|l|ə|n|d}}) may be interchangeably used to refer to the region.

== Subdivisions ==
Frisia is commonly divided into three sections:

*'''[[West Frisia]]''' in the Netherlands roughly corresponds to the [[Provinces of the Netherlands|province]] of [[Friesland]] (''Fryslân''). In a broader sense, it also includes [[West Friesland (region)|West Friesland]] in northern [[North Holland]] and the [[Ommelanden]] in the province of [[Groningen (province)|Groningen]], though the [[West Frisian language]] is only spoken in Friesland proper. Dialects with strong West Frisian [[Substrata (linguistics)|substrate]]s, including [[Low German]] and [[Low Franconian languages|Low Franconian]], are also spoken in West Frisia. In the province of Groningen, people speak [[Gronings]], a [[Low German|Low Saxon]] dialect with a strong Frisian substrate. Rural Groningen originally belonged to the Frisian lands "east of the [[Lauwers]]" and is therefore more closely linked to East Frisia than to the west. In West Friesland, [[West Frisian Dutch]] – a [[Hollandic dialect]] with strong Frisian influences – is spoken.
*'''[[East Frisia (peninsula)|East Frisia]]''' in [[Lower Saxony]], Germany roughly corresponds to the historical regions of [[East Frisia]] ([[Aurich (district)|Aurich]], [[Leer (district)|Leer]], [[Wittmund (district)|Wittmund]] and [[Emden]]) and [[Oldenburger Friesland]] ([[Friesland (district)|Friesland]] and [[Wilhelmshaven]]), and the municipality of [[Saterland]]. In a broader sense, it also includes the [[Butjadingen]] peninsula (former [[Rüstringen]]) and [[Land Wursten]]. Usually, only the people from East Frisia proper ({{Langx|de|Ostfriesland}}) refer to themselves as East Frisians. The German name ''Ostfriesland'' distinguishes the historical region from ''Ost-Friesland'', which refers to East Frisia as a whole.
*'''[[North Frisia]]''' in [[Schleswig-Holstein]], Germany roughly corresponds to the district of [[Nordfriesland]] and the archipelago of [[Heligoland]]. It includes the [[North Frisian Islands]], where varieties of the [[North Frisian language]] are spoken. It stretches from the [[Eider (river)|Eider River]] in the south to the border of [[Denmark]] in the north. Until the [[Second Schleswig War]] in 1864, the region belonged to the Danish [[Duchy of Schleswig]].

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Subdivisions of Frisia
! scope="col" width="100px" | Section
! scope="col" width="350px" | Subdivision
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Flag
! scope="col" width="150px" | Population (2020)
! scope="col" width="170px" | Area
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" | [[North Frisia]]
| style="text-align:left;" | '''[[Nordfriesland (district)|Nordfriesland]]'''
| [[File:Flag of North Frisia.svg|border|55x55px]]
| {{nts|167147}}
| {{convert|2047|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | '''[[Heligoland]]'''
| [[File:Flag_of_Helgoland.svg|border|55x55px]]
| {{nts|1307}}
| {{convert|1.7|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="5" | [[East Frisian Peninsula|East Frisia]]
| style="text-align:left;" | '''[[East Frisia|Ostfriesland]]''' ([[Aurich (district)|Aurich]], [[Emden]], [[Leer (district)|Leer]], [[Wittmund (district)|Wittmund]])
| [[File:Flag_of_East_Frisia.svg|border|55x55px]]
| {{nts|468919}}
| {{convert|3142|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | '''Oldenburger Friesland''' ([[Friesland (district)|Friesland]], [[Wilhelmshaven]])
| [[File:Landkreis_Friesland_flag.svg|border|55x55px]]
| {{nts|174160}}
| {{convert|715|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | '''[[Saterland]]'''
| [[File:DEU Saterland Flag.svg|border|55x55px]]
| {{nts|13903}}
| {{convert|124|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | '''[[Rüstringen]]''' ([[Butjadingen]] peninsula)
| [[File:Butjadingen_peninsula_flag.svg|border|55x55px]]
| {{nts|45538}}
| {{convert|423|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | '''[[Land Wursten]]'''
| [[File:Land_Wursten_flag.svg|border|55x55px]]
| {{nts|17101}}
| {{convert|182|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="3" | [[West Frisia]]
| style="text-align:left;" | '''[[Friesland|Fryslân]]'''
| [[File:Frisian_flag.svg|border|55x55px]]
| {{nts|649944}}
| {{convert|3349|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | '''[[West Friesland (region)|West Friesland]]'''
| [[File:West-Friesland_vlag.svg|border|55x55px]]
| {{nts|554464}}
| {{convert|1174|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | '''[[Ommelanden]]''' ([[Groningen (province)|Groningen]])
| [[File:Flag_Ommelanden.svg|border|55x55px]]
| {{nts|586309}}
| {{convert|2325|km2|sqmi|abbr=on|sortable=on}}
|}

== History ==
{{main|Frisian history}}

=== Roman era ===
The people, later to be known as [[Frisii]], began settling in Frisia in the 6th century BC. According to [[Pliny the Elder]], in Roman times, the Frisians (or rather their close neighbours, the [[Chauci]]) lived on [[terp]]s, man-made hills.<ref name="Bos2001">{{cite book|location=Tübingen|publisher=Niemeyer|editor1-last=Munske|editor1-first=Horst H.|editor2-last=Århammar|editor2-first=Nils R.|title=Handbuch des Friesischen = Handbook of Frisian studies|year=2001|isbn=9783484730489|chapter=Archaeological evidence pertaining to the Frisians in the Netherlands|pages=487–492|last=Bos|first=Jurjen M.|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0nx-GUm-0OIC&pg=PA480|access-date=2009-01-11}}{{rp|page=480}}</ref> According to other sources, the Frisians lived along a broader expanse of the North Sea (or "Frisian Sea") coast.{{efn|A more extensive, though outdated review of Frisia in Roman times is {{cite journal|location=Northfield, MN|publisher=The Classical Association of the Middle West and South|journal=The Classical Journal|issn=0009-8353|volume=48|issue=4|date=Jan 1953|last=Springer|first=Lawrence A.|title=Rome's Contact with the Frisians|pages=109–111|jstor=3292503}}}} At this time, Frisia comprised the present-day provinces of [[Friesland]], [[Groningen (province)|Groningen]], [[North Holland]] and parts of [[South Holland]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Tacitus |url=http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/tacitus/tac.ann4.shtml |title=Annales IV |language=la}}</ref>

=== Early Middle Ages ===
{{See also|Frisian kingdom|Frisian-Frankish Wars}}
[[File:Frisia 600-734-la.svg|thumb|The Frisian Realm during its great expansion]]
[[File:Frisian kingdom.gif|thumb|The Frisian Kingdom, 6th–8th century AD]]

Frisian presence during the Early Middle Ages has been documented from North-Western Flanders up to the Weser River Estuary. According to archaeological evidence, these Frisians were not the Frisians of Roman times, but the descendants of Anglo-Saxon immigrants from the [[German Bight]], arriving during the [[Migration Period|Great Migration]]. By the 8th century, ethnic Frisians also started to colonize the coastal areas North of the Eider River under Danish rule. The nascent Frisian languages were spoken all along the southern North Sea coast.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Frisian-language|title=Frisian language|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=2017-11-13|language=en}}</ref> Today, the whole region is sometimes referred to as '''Greater Frisia''' ({{Langx|la|Frisia Magna}}).

Distant authors seem to have made little distinction between Frisians and Saxons. The Byzantine [[Procopius]] described three peoples living in Great Britain: Angles, Frisians and Britons,<ref>{{cite book
|author=Procopius
|title=The Wars
|year=1914
|url=https://archive.org/details/b24750281_0002
}} 8.20.11-46</ref> and the Danish author of ''[[Knútsdrápa]]'' celebrating the 11th-century [[Canute the Great]] used "Frisians" as a synonym of "English".{{efn|{{cite book|location=Cambridge|publisher=Cambridge University Press|editor-last=Ashdown|editor-first=Margaret|title=English and Norse documents : relating to the reign of Ethelred the Unready|year=1930|oclc=458533078|page=138|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5yA9AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA138}} Noted by Homans.<ref name="Homans1957" />{{rp|page=189}}}} The historian and sociologist George Homans has made a case for Frisian cultural domination in [[East Anglia]] since the 5th century, pointing to distinct land-holdings arrangements in [[carucate]]s (these forming [[vill]]s assembled in [[Court leet|leet]]s), [[partible inheritance]] patterns of common lands held in by kin, resistance to [[manorialism]] and other social institutions.<ref name="Homans1957">{{cite journal|publisher=Wiley|journal=The Economic History Review|issn=0013-0117|series=New series|volume=10|issue=2|year=1957|last=Homans|first=George C.|author-link=George C. Homans|title=The Frisians in East Anglia|pages=189–206|doi=10.2307/2590857 |jstor=2590857}}</ref> Some East Anglian sources called the mainland inhabitants [[Varni tribe|Warnii]], rather than Frisians.

During the 7th and 8th centuries, [[Franks|Frankish]] chronologies mention the northern [[Low Countries]] as the kingdom of the Frisians. According to Medieval legends, this kingdom comprised the coastal {{lang|gmw|seelande}} provinces of the [[Netherlands]], from the Scheldt River to the Weser River and further East. Archaeological research does not confirm this idea, as the petty kingdoms appear to have been rather small and short-lived.

The earliest Frisian records name four social classes, the {{lang|gmw|[[etheling]]s}} ({{lang|la|[[Nobility|nobiles]]}} in Latin documents) and {{lang|gmw|frilings}}, who together made up the "Free Frisians" who might bring suit at court, and the ''laten'' or ''liten'' with the [[slave]]s, who were absorbed into the ''laten'' during the [[Early Middle Ages]], as slavery was not so much formally abolished, as evaporated.{{efn|Homans describes Frisian social institutions, based on the summary by {{cite book|location=Breslau|publisher=Marcus|series=Untersuchungen zur deutschen Staats- und Rechtsgeschichte|volume=144|last=Siebs|first=Benno E.|title=Grundlagen und Aufbau der altfriesischen Verfassung|language=de|year=1933|oclc=604057407}} Siebs' synthesis was extrapolated from survivals detected in later medieval documents.<ref name="Homans1957" />}} The ''laten'' were tenants of lands they did not own and might be tied to it in the manner of [[serf]]s, but in later times might buy their freedom.<ref name="Homans1957" />{{rp|page=202}}

The basic land-holding unit for assessment of taxes and military contributions was – according to Homans – the ''ploegg'' (cf. "plow") or ''teen'' (cf. [[tithing]], cf. "[[Hundred (country subdivision)|hundred]]"), which, however, also passed under other local names. The ''teen'' was pledged to supply ten men for the ''heer'', or army. ''Ploegg'' or ''teen'' formed a unit of which the members were collectively responsible for the performance of any of the men. The ''ploegg'' or East Frisian ''rott'' was a compact holding that originated with a single lineage or kinship, whose men in early times went to war under their chief, and devolved in medieval times into a union of neighbors rather than kith and kin. Several, often three, ''ploeggs'' were grouped into a ''burar'', whose members controlled and adjudicated the uses of pasturage (but not tillage) which the ''ploeggs'' held in common, and came to be in charge of roads, ditches and dikes. Twelve ''ploeggs'' made up a "long" hundred,{{efn|This is part of the evidence for a [[Duodecimal|duodenary system]], counting by multiples of twelve.<ref name="Homans1957" /> {{rp|at=204 and ''passim''}}}} responsible for supplying a hundred armed men, four of which made a ''go'' (cf. ''[[Gau (country subdivision)|Gau]]''). Homans' ideas, which were largely based on studies now considered to be outdated, have not been followed up by Continental scholars.

The 7th-century '''Frisian Realm''' (650–734) under the kings [[Aldegisel]] and [[Redbad, King of the Frisians|Redbad]], had its centre of power in the city of [[Utrecht (city)|Utrecht]]. Its ancient customary law was drawn up as the ''[[Lex Frisionum]]'' in the late eighth century. Its end came in 734 at the [[Battle of the Boarn]], when the Frisians were defeated by the [[Franks]], who then conquered the western part up to the [[Lauwers]]. Frankish troops conquered the area east of the Lauwers in 785, after [[Charlemagne]] defeated the Saxon leader [[Widukind]]. The Carolingians laid Frisia under the rule of ''grewan'', a title that has been loosely related to [[count]] in its early sense of "governor" rather than "[[Feudalism|feudal overlord]]".<ref name="Homans1957" />{{rp|page=205}}

During the 7th to 10th centuries, Frisian merchants and skippers played an important part in the international luxury trade, establishing commercial districts in distant cities as Sigtuna, Hedeby, Ribe, York, London, Duisburg, Cologne, Mainz, and Worms.

The establishment of the Frisian trade network played a significant role in maintaining regional peace during the [[late Middle Ages]]. While interpersonal [[violence]] was on the rise almost everywhere else in Europe, [[Northern Europe]] and especially Frisia managed to maintain low levels of violence due in part to its well-developed society and established [[rule of law]], which were results of extensive trade.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Baten |first1=Joerg |last2=Steckel |first2=Richard H. |date=2019 |title=The History of Violence in Europe: Evidence from Cranial and Postcranial Bone Traumata |journal=The Backbone of Europe: Health, Diet, Work and Violence over Two Millennia |pages=300–324}}</ref>

The Frisian coastal areas were partly occupied by [[Danes (Germanic tribe)|Danish Vikings]] in the 840s, until these were expelled between 885 and 920. Recently, it has been suggested that the [[Vikings]] did not conquer Frisia, but settled peacefully in certain districts (such as the islands of [[Walcheren]] and [[Wieringen]]), where they built simple forts and cooperated and traded with the native Frisians. One of their leaders was [[Rorik of Dorestad]].

=== Upstalsboom League ===
{{main article|Upstalsboom}}
During the 12th century Frisian noblemen and the city of [[Groningen (city)|Groningen]] founded the Upstalsboom League under the slogan of "[[Frisian freedom]]" to counter [[feudalism|feudalizing tendencies]]. The league consisted of modern [[Friesland]], [[Groningen (province)|Groningen]], [[East Frisia]], [[Harlingerland]], [[Jever]] and [[Rüstringen]]. The Frisian districts in [[West Friesland (historical region)|West Friesland]] West of the [[Zuiderzee]] did not participate, neither did the districts North of the [[Eider River]] along the [[Denmark|Danish]] [[North Sea]] coast ([[Schleswig-Holstein]]). The former were occupied by the count of [[Holland]] in 1289, and the latter were governed by the Duke of [[Schleswig]] and the king of [[Denmark]]. The same holds true for the district of [[Land Wursten]] East of the [[Weser River]]. The Upstalsboom League was revived in the early 14th century, but it collapsed after 1337. By then, the non-Frisian city of Groningen took the lead of the independent coastal districts.

=== 15th century ===
[[File:Grotepier TN.JPG|thumb|200px|Statue of [[Pier Gerlofs Donia]], known for his legendary strength and size]]

The 15th century saw the demise of Frisian republicanism. In [[East Frisia]], a leading nobleman from the Cirksena-family managed to defeat his competitors with the help of the Hanseatic League. In 1464 he acquired the title of count of East Frisia. The [[king of Denmark]] was successful in subduing the coastal districts North of the Eider River. The Dutch provinces of [[Friesland]] and [[Groningen (province)|Groningen]] remained independent until 1498. By then Friesland was conquered by Duke [[Albert III, Duke of Saxony|Albert of Saxony-Meissen]]. The city of [[Groningen (city)|Groningen]], which had started to dominate the surrounding rural districts, surrendered to count Edzard of East Frisia in 1506. The city conveyed its remaining privileges to the Habsburg Empire in 1536. The district of Butjadingen (formerly Rüstringen) was occupied by the Count of Oldenburg in 1514, the Land Wursten by the Prince-bishop of Bremen in 1525.

=== Modern age ===
In the early 16th century, the pirate and freedom fighter [[Pier Gerlofs Donia]] (Grutte Pier) challenged Saxon authority in Friesland during a prolonged guerrilla war, backed by the Duke of Guelders. He had several successes and was feared by Hollandic authorities, but he died as a farmer in 1520. According to the legend he was seven feet tall. A statue of Grutte Pier by {{interlanguage link|Anne Woudwijk|fy}} was erected in [[Kimswerd|Kimswert]] in 1985.

In the 1560s many Frisans joined the revolt led by William of Orange against the Habsburg monarchy. In 1577 the province of Friesland became part of the nascent [[Dutch Republic]], as its representatives signed the [[Union of Utrecht]]. The city of Groningen [[Siege of Groningen (1594)|was conquered]] by the Dutch in 1594. Since then, membership of the Dutch Republic was perceived as a guarantee for the preservation of civil liberties. Actual power, however, was usurped by the landowning gentry. Protests against aristocratic rule led to a democratic movement in the 1780s.

== Frisian territories ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2021}}
*When [[West Friesland (region)|West Friesland]] was conquered by the [[County of Holland]] in 1289, this was the end of a series of [[Friso-Hollandic Wars|wars between the county of Holland and Friesland]] that started at the end of the 11th century. The Dutch conquest occurred immediately after the disastrous [[St. Lucia's flood]] in which many Frisians in the area were killed. After the conquest the district of West Friesland, which also comprised the islands of [[Wieringen]], [[Texel]], and [[Vlieland]], had its own seats in the [[States of Holland and West Friesland|Estates of Holland and West Friesland]]. When the province of Holland was split up in the [[Constitution of the Netherlands|constitutional reform]] of 1840, West-Friesland became a part of [[North Holland]]. The name of West Friesland has also been used by an intercommunal administrative board (''samenwerkingsregio'') and a [[Water board (Netherlands)|water board]].
*[[Friesland]] became an independent member of the Dutch Republic in 1581. It is now a Dutch province, in 1996 renamed as ''Fryslân''.
*The islands of [[Terschelling]], [[Ameland]], and [[Schiermonnikoog]] were independent seignories, which were integrated into the province of Friesland during the 19th and 20th centuries.
*[[Groningen (province)|Groningen]], formerly ''Stad en Lande'' (the city of Groningen and its surroundings), became an independent member of the Dutch Republic in 1594. Now it is a Dutch province. As a rule, its inhabitants do not consider their province as a part of Frisia, though the area has many cultural ties with neighbouring East Frisia.
*[[East Frisia]] was an independent county since 1464, later a principality within the [[Holy Roman Empire]] until 1744. By then, it was annexed by the [[Kingdom of Prussia]]. After a period of Dutch and French rule, it became part of the [[Kingdom of Hanover]] in 1814, which was annexed by Prussia in 1866. Now it consists of several districts within the federal state of [[Lower Saxony]] in the [[Federal Republic of Germany]].
*[[Harlingerland]] was a seignory, inherited by the count of [[East Frisia]] in 1600.
*[[Jever]] was a seignory, annexed by the [[County of Oldenburg]] in 1573 and, after a prolonged period of Saxony-Anhalt, Russian, Dutch and French rule, reunited with Oldenburg in 1814. It is now part of the district of Friesland within the federal state of [[Lower Saxony]].
*[[Kniphausen]] was a seignory, split off from the County of Oldenburg in 1667 and reunited with its surroundings in 1854 (effectively in 1813).
*[[Saterland]] was a tiny Frisian district under the Prince-bishop of [[Münster]], in 1814 assigned to the [[Kingdom of Hannover]].
*[[Butjadingen]] was a coastal republic, a remnant of the largely submerged district of [[Rüstringen]]. It was conquered by the [[Duchy of Oldenburg|Count of Oldenburg]] in 1514. After a period of Danish rule, it became part of the [[Duchy of Oldenburg]] in 1774, which remained a more or less independent state within the German Empire until 1918. Butjadingen is now part of the district of Wesermarsch within the federal state of [[Lower Saxony]].
*[[Land Wursten]] was a coastal republic, conquered by the Prince-bishop of Bremen in 1525. It became part of the Duchy of Bremen-Verden. The latter was, after a period of [[Sweden|Swedish]] rule, integrated into the [[Kingdom of Hanover]] in 1715. It is now part of the district of [[Cuxhaven]] within the federal state of [[Lower Saxony]].
*[[North Frisia]] originally corresponded to the [[Uthlande]] in the [[Kingdom of Denmark]]. Later, North Frisia became a part of the Danish [[Duchy of Schleswig]] (or [[Southern Jutland]], ''Sønderjylland'') and of the royal enclaves (''Kongerigske enklaver'') of the [[Kingdom of Denmark]]. The duchy was conquered by [[Prussia]] in 1864. Now it forms a district within the federal state of [[Schleswig-Holstein]]. [[Helgoland]] is part of the district of Pinneberg. North Frisia was never a part of the [[Holy Roman Empire]].

== Contemporary regionalism ==
{{Main|Frisian nationalism}}
During the late 19th and early 20th century, "Frisian freedom" became the slogan of a [[regionalism (politics)|regionalist]] movement in Friesland, demanding equal rights for the Frisian language and culture within the Netherlands. The West Frisian language and its urban dialects are spoken by the majority of the inhabitants. In East Frisia, the idea of "Frisian freedom" became entangled with regional sentiments as well, though the East Frisian language had been replaced by [[Low German]] dialects as early as the 15th century. In Groningen, on the other hand, Frisian sentiments faded away at the end of the 16th century. In North Frisia, regional sentiments concentrate around the surviving North Frisian dialects, which are spoken by a sizeable minority of the population, though Lower German is far more widespread.

=== Regional political parties ===
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="3" | Political party
! Active in
! Representation
! [[European political party|European <br /> affiliation]]

|-
! style="background-color:#1F356E;" |
| style="text-align:center;" | '''FNP'''
| [[Frisian National Party]] <br /> ''Fryske Nasjonale Partij''
| {{flag|Friesland}}
| {{Bulleted list|[[Senate (Netherlands)|Senate of the Netherlands]]|[[Provincial Council of Friesland]]}}
| style="text-align:center;" | [[European Free Alliance|EFA]]
|-
! style="background-color:#FDCC00;" |
| style="text-align:center;" | '''SSW'''
| [[South Schleswig Voters' Association]] <br /> ''Söödslaswiksche Wäälerferbånd''
| {{flagicon image|Nordfriesischeflagge.svg}} [[North Frisia]]
| {{Bulleted list|[[Bundestag|Federal Parliament of Germany]]|[[Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein]]}}
| style="text-align:center;" | [[European Free Alliance|EFA]]
|}

== Languages ==
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2020}}
A half-million Frisians in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands speak [[West Frisian language|West Frisian]]. Several thousand people in Nordfriesland and Heligoland in Germany speak a collection of [[North Frisian language|North Frisian]] dialects. A small number of [[Saterland Frisian language]] speakers live in four villages in [[Lower Saxony]], in the [[Saterland]] region of [[Cloppenburg]] county, just beyond the boundaries of traditional [[East Frisia]]. Many Frisians speak [[West Low German|Low Saxon]] dialects which have a Frisian substratum known as [[Friso-Saxon]], especially in East Frisia, where the local dialects are called Oostfräisk ("East Frisian") or Oostfräisk Plat ([[East Frisian Low Saxon]]). In the provinces of Friesland and Groningen, and in North Frisia, there are also areas where Friso-Saxon dialects are predominantly spoken, such as [[Gronings]]. In [[West Frisia]], there are West Frisian-influenced dialects of Dutch such as [[West Frisian Dutch]] and [[Stadsfries]].

== Maps ==
<gallery widths="170px">
File:Europe location FRS.png|Location of Frisia (dark orange) in Europe
File:Frisians.png|Historical settlement areas of the Frisians, and areas where a Frisian language is spoken
File:Ost-Friesland.svg|The Frisian territories in Lower Saxony (East Frisia)
File:AreasSettlementSchleswig-HolsteinText.png|Frisian colonisation (yellow) of southwestern Jutland during the [[Viking Age]]
File:KreisRegionNordfriesland.png|Difference between the historical region and present-day district of Nordfriesland
</gallery>

==Flag==
[[File:Flag of Frisia.svg|thumb|180px|Interfrisian flag proposed by the [[Groep fan Auwerk]]]]
[[File:Interfrisian Flag.svg|thumb|180px|Interfrisian flag of the [[Interfrisian Council]]]]
{{Main|Flags of Frisia}}

While the subdivisions of Frisia have their own regional flags, Frisia as a whole has not historically had a flag of its own. In September 2006, a flag for a united Frisia – known as the "Interfrisian Flag" – was designed  by the [[Groep fan Auwerk]]. This [[Separatism|separatist group]] supports the unification of Frisia as an independent country. The design was inspired by the [[Nordic Cross flag]]. The four ''[[Seeblatt|pompeblêden]]'' (water lily leaves) represent the contemporary variety of the Frisian regions – North, South, West and East.<ref>{{cite web |title=Interfrisian flag |url=https://www.groepfanauwerk.com/homeIflagge.html |website=Groep fan Auwerk |language=en |date=September 2006}}</ref>

The design was not accepted by the [[Interfrisian Council]].<ref>[http://interfriesischerrat.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=1 Press release from the Interfrisian Council]</ref> Instead, the council adopted the idea of an Interfrisian flag and created a design of its own, containing elements of the flags of the council's three sections. Neither of the two flags is widely used.

==See also==
*[[Frisian Islands]]
*[[Frisian languages]]
*[[Frisian cuisine]]
*[[List of rulers of Frisia]]
*{{lang|frr|[[Eala Frya Fresena]]}}
*[[Stateless nation]]
*[[German Bight]]
*[[Wadden Sea]]
*[[Zuider Ee]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

;Bibliography
* Thomas Steensen: 'Die Friesen. Menschen am Meer', Wachholtz Verlag, Kiel/Hamburg 2020, ((ISBN 978-3-529-05047-3)).
* Albert Bantelmann, Rolf Kuschert, Albert Panten, Thomas Steensen: ''Geschichte Nordfrieslands''. 2., durchges. u. aktualisierte Aufl., Westholst. Verlagsanstalt Boyens, Heide in Holstein 1996 (= Nordfriisk Instituut, Nr. 136), {{ISBN|3-8042-0759-6}}.
* Thomas Steensen: ''Geschichte Nordfrieslands von 1918 bis in die Gegenwart''. Neuausg., Nordfriisk Instituut, Bräist/Bredstedt 2006 (= Geschichte Nordfrieslands, Teil 5; Nordfriisk Instituut, Nr. 190), {{ISBN|3-88007-336-8}}.
* Stefan Kröger - ''Das Ostfriesland-Lexikon. Ein unterhaltsames Nachschlagewerk'', Isensee Verlag, Oldenburg 2006
* ''Ostfriesland im Schutze des Deiches. Beiträge zur Kultur- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte des ostfriesischen Küstenlandes'', hrsg. im Auftrag der Niederemsischen Deichacht, 12 Bände, Selbstverlag, Pewsum u.&nbsp;a. 1969
* [[Onno Klopp]] -, ''Geschichte Ostfrieslands'', 3 Bde., Hannover 1854–1858
* Hajo van Lengen - ''Ostfriesland, Kultur und Landschaft'', Ruhrspiegel-Verlag, Essen 1978
* Hajo van Lengen (Hrsg.) - ''Die Friesische Freiheit des Mittelalters – Leben und Legende'', Verlag Ostfriesische Landschaft 2003, {{ISBN|3-932206-30-4}}
* [[Franz Kurowski]] - ''Das Volk am Meer – Die dramatische Geschichte der Friesen'', Türmer-Verlag 1984, {{ISBN|3-87829-082-9}}
* Karl Cramer - ''Die Geschichte Ostfrieslands. Ein Überblick'', Isensee - Oldenburg
* Hermann Homann - ''Ostfriesland – Inseln, Watt und Küstenland'', F. Coppenrath Verlag, Münster
* Manfred Scheuch - ''Historischer Atlas Deutschland'', {{ISBN|3-8289-0358-4}}
* Karl-Ernst Behre / Hajo van Lengen - ''Ostfriesland. Geschichte und Gestalt einer Kulturlandschaft'', Aurich 1995, {{ISBN|3-925365-85-0}}
* Tielke, Martin (ed.) - ''Biographisches Lexikon für Ostfriesland'', Ostfries. Landschaftliche Verlag- u. Vertriebsges. Aurich, vol. 1 {{ISBN|3-925365-75-3}} (1993), vol. 2 {{ISBN|3-932206-00-2}} (1997), vol. 3 {{ISBN|3-932206-22-3}} (2001)

== External links ==
* {{URL|https://www.eurominority.eu/index.php/en/frisia/|Profile}} at Eurominority.eu
* {{URL|http://www.interfriesischerrat.de/|Official website}} of the [[Interfrisian Council]]
* {{URL|https://www.groepfanauwerk.com/|Website}} of the [[Groep fan Auwerk]]

[[Category:Frisia| ]]
[[Category:Historical regions]]
[[Category:Historical regions in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Historical regions in Germany]]