This article is about the province Friesland in the Netherlands. For information on the region extending from the Netherlands to Denmark, see Frisia. For the district of Friesland in the German state of Lower Saxony, see Friesland (district). Westfriesland is part of North Holland and not of the province of Friesland. The island of Vlieland is also part of the province of Friesland.

Fryslân province

Frisian cattle

The Frisian flag
(water lily leaves on water)

Friesland (or Fryslân in the Frisian language, is the official name which is also used in official Dutch language publications) is a province in the north of the Netherlands; its capital city is Leeuwarden (Ljouwert). The Frisian language is also spoken in a small part of Groningen, in the Saterland and in North Friesland .

Friesland is mainly an agrarian province, the famous Friesian cattle was originally bred here. Tourism, mainly on the lakes and the islands in the Wadden Sea, is an important source of income.

The province is also famous for its speed skaters, and also for the Elfstedentocht (Eleven cities tour), a 200 kilometres ice skating tour.

Frisians (or Frieslanders) are also famed for being tall of stature. Dante Alighieri refers to Frieslanders in The Inferno (Canto XXXI of The Divine Comedy) in describing the massive size of the giant Nimrod;

"quite in vain three Frieslanders might boast of having reached his hair".

Also, in response to the preceding quote, Robert Hollander noted in the commentary section that;

"Frieslanders [are] reputed to be among the tallest of men."

ref:
- Alighieri, Dante, The Inferno. Translated by Robert & Jean Hollander, 2000. ISBN 0-385-49697-4
- Hollander, Robert, notes to The Inferno, 2000. ISBN 0-385-49697-4

Cities

• Leeuwarden (Ljouwert)
• Sneek (Snits)
• IJlst (Drylts)
• Sloten (Sleat)
• Stavoren (Starum)
• Hindeloopen (Hylpen)
• Workum (Warkum)
• Bolsward (Boalsert)
• Harlingen (Harns)
• Franeker (Frentsjer)
• Dokkum (Dokkum)

Major towns

• Heerenveen (It Hearrenfean)
• Drachten (mun. Smallingerland)

Municipalities

• Achtkarspelen
• Ameland
• Boarnsterhim
• Bolsward
• Dantumadeel
• Dongeradeel
• Ferwerderadiel
• Franekeradeel
• Gaasterlân-Sleat
• Harlingen
• Heerenveen
• Het Bildt
• Kollumerland en Nieuwkruisland
• Leeuwarden
• Leeuwarderadeel
• Lemsterland
• Littenseradiel
• Menaldumadeel
• Nijefurd
• Ooststellingwerf
• Opsterland
• Schiermonnikoog
• Skarsterlân
• Smallingerland
• Sneek
• Terschelling
• Tytsjerksteradiel
• Vlieland
• Weststellingwerf
• Wûnseradiel
• Wymbritseradiel

External links

• Website of the province
• Ancient History of Friesland
• province map showing subdivision in municipalities, link for each municipality to basic data page
• Bus maps:
  • Map (pdf)
  • Friesland
  • northeast of the Netherlands