Editing North Frisian Islands

{{Short description|Islands in Germany}}
{{Infobox islands
| name               = North Frisian Islands
| image_name         = 
| location           = [[North Sea]]
| total_islands    = 13
| major_islands    = [[Sylt]], [[Föhr]], [[Amrum]], [[Pellworm]]
| country            = Germany
| country_admin_divisions_title     = [[States of Germany|State]]
| country_admin_divisions           = [[Schleswig-Holstein]]
| country_admin_divisions_title_1   = [[Districts of Germany|District]]
| country_admin_divisions_1         = [[Nordfriesland]]
| map_image        = Nordfriesisches Wattenmeer D und DK-en.png
| map_caption      = Map of the North Frisian and the Danish Wadden Sea Islands
| ethnic_groups    = [[German people|Germans]], [[Frisian people|Frisians]], [[Danish people|Danes]]
}}
The '''North Frisian Islands''' ({{langx|de|Nordfriesische Inseln}}, {{IPA|de|ˈnɔʁtˌfʁiːzɪʃə ˈɪnzl̩n|pron}}; ''[[Öömrang]]'' and ''[[Fering]]'' {{langx|frr|Nuurdfresk Eilunen}}; ''[[Söl'ring]]'' {{langx|frr|Nuurđfriisk Ailönen|link=no}}; {{langx|da|Nordfrisiske Øer}}) are the [[Frisian Islands]] off the coast of [[North Frisia]].

The term covers both the North Frisian Islands in the narrow sense (in [[Schleswig-Holstein]], [[Germany]]) and the [[Danish Wadden Sea Islands]] (in [[Denmark]]). However, [[Cultural geography|culturally]] and [[Language geography|linguistically]], the Danish islands are usually not reckoned as being part of North Frisia, since they are not inhabited by native speakers of the [[North Frisian language]]. Occasionally, the remote island of [[Heligoland]] is also included in this group for reasons of [[political geography|administrative convenience]], despite not being located in the [[Wadden Sea]], since the island is home to its [[Heligolandic dialect|own unique dialect of Frisian]].

== History ==
[[File:Sønderjylland i middelalderen.png|thumb|210px|left|During the [[History of Denmark#Middle Ages|Nordic Middle Ages]], the [[Duchy of Schleswig|mainland part of Schleswig]] was divided into three ''[[Syssel|sýslur]]'', viz. [[:da:Barvidsyssel|Barved]], [[:da:Ellumsyssel|Ellum]] and [[:da:Istedsyssel|Isted]]. The North Frisian Islands were known as ''[[Uthlande|Utlande]].]]
After the Frisian and Danish colonisation of the islands in the 8th century, the Frisian-populated [[Hundred (county subdivision)|hundreds]] (between Eiderstedt and Sylt) became the [[Uthlande]]. The [[North Frisians]] in the Uthlande were ruled directly by the Danish king and were known as ''Königsfriesen'' or "King's Frisians". Only later did the Uthlande transfer to the [[Duchy of Schleswig]], with the exception of small Danish royal enclaves. Part of [[Rømø]] was also ruled by the Schleswig duke. After the German-Danish wars, the islands from Nordstrand to Rømø became [[Prussia]]n in 1866. After the referendum in 1920, the current border between the islands of [[Sylt]] and [[Rømø]] was fixed.

A good and thorough overview of the life, work, languages, costumes and customs of the island Frisians is portrayed by the Carl Haeberlin Frisian Museum in [[Wyk auf Föhr]].

== 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.
[[File:13-09-29-nordfriesisches-wattenmeer-RalfR-05.jpg|thumb|280px|[[Sylt]]]]
[[Sylt]] ([[Söl'ring|''Söl'ring'' North Frisian]]: ''Söl' ''; {{langx|da|Sild}}) is the largest of the North Frisian Islands, consisting of about 100&nbsp;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, Germany|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''; {{langx|da|Før}}) is a relatively silent island. Its area is 82&nbsp;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&nbsp;km², but it is popular with tourists, though less crowded than Sylt. The western half of the island features a beach 12&nbsp;km in length and 1&nbsp;km in width. The villages are situated on the eastern shore, with Wittdün being the most important of them.

[[Pellworm]] ([[North Frisian language|North Frisian]] ''Polweerm''; [[Mooring (North Frisian dialect)|''Mooring'' North Frisian]]: ''Pälweerm''; {{langx|da|Pelvorm}}) 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&nbsp;km², Pellworm 37&nbsp;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]].

West off the Halligen, three drying [[sand bank|sandbank]]s form the so-called [[North Frisian Barrier Island]]s: [[Japsand]], [[Norderoogsand]] and [[Süderoogsand]].

==See also==
{{Wikivoyage}}
*[[Frisia]]
*[[German Bight]]
*[[List of islands of Denmark]]
*[[List of islands of Germany]]

==References==
* {{cite book|first=Klaus |last=Wernicke |first2=Guntram |last2=Riecken |title=Nordfriesische Inseln und Halligen |trans-title=North Frisian Islands and Halligen |language=German |location= Neumünster |publisher=Karl Wachholtz Verlag |year=1992|ISBN =3-529-05505-0}}
* {{cite book|first=Gerhard |last=Eckert |title=Nordfriesische Inseln und Küstenbadeorte |trans-title=North Frisian Islands and Coastal Resorts |language=German |location= Frankfurt am Main |publisher= Umschau Verlag |year=1974 | ISBN=3-524-00299-4 }}
* {{cite book|first=Albert |last=am Zehnhoff |title=Sylt, Amrum, Föhr, Helgoland, Pellworm, Nordstrand und Halligen. Natur und Kultur auf Helgoland und den Nordfriesischen Inseln. Entdeckungsreisen durch eine Landschaft zwischen Meer und Festlandküste  |trans-title=Sylt, Amrum, Föhr, Helgoland, Pellworm, Nordstrand and the Halligen. Nature and Culture on Heligoland and the North Frisian Islands. A Discovery Voyage through a Landscape between Sea and Shore. |language=German |location=Cologne |publisher=[[M. DuMont Schauberg|DuMont]] |year=1979 | ISBN=3-7701-1093-5 }}
* {{cite book|first=Henry |last=Koehn |first2=Carl |last2=Häberlin |first3= Julius |last3=Tedsen |first4=Georg |last4=Warnecke |title=Die Nordfriesischen Inseln |trans-title=The North Frisian Islands |language=German |publisher=[[Walter de Gruyter]]  |location=Berlin |year= 1961 |ISBN = 3-11-000564-6}}
* {{cite book|first=Henry |last=Koehn |title=Die Nordfriesischen Inseln. Die Entwicklung ihrer Landschaft und die Geschichte ihres Volkstums |trans-title=The North Frisian Islands. Development of their Landscape and History of their Popular Culture |language=German |publisher=[[Walter de Gruyter]]|location= Hamburg |year= 1954}}
* {{cite book|first=O. |last=Zeisse |title=Beiträge zur Geologie der Nordfriesischen Inseln |trans-title=Contributions to the Geology of the North Frisian Islands |language=German |edition=Reprint of the 1888 original |year= 1990 | ISBN= 3-86031-121-2}}
* {{cite book|first=G. |last=Weigelt |title=Die nordfriesischen Inseln vormals und jetzt. Eine Skizze des Landes und seiner Bewohner |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_hRNFAAAAYAAJ |trans-title=The North Frisian Islands Once and Today. A Sketch of the Land and its Inhabitants |language=German |publisher=Meissner |location= Hamburg |year= 1873}}
* {{cite book|first=Harry |last=Kunz |first2=Albert |last2=Panten |title=Die Köge Nordfrieslands |trans-title=The Polders of North Frisia |language=German |publisher=Nordfriisk Instituut |location=Bredstedt |year=1997 |ISBN=3-88007-251-5}}
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{{Frisian Islands}}
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[[Category:North Frisian Islands| ]]
[[Category:Frisian Islands]]
[[Category:North Frisia]]
[[Category:Nordfriesland]]
[[Category:Archipelagoes of Germany]]
[[Category:Landforms of Schleswig-Holstein]]