Everything about West Friesland Historical Region totally explained
West Friesland (also
West Frisia;
Dutch:
West-Friesland;
West Frisian language:
West-Fryslân) is a historical region in the northern part of the
Netherlands. It was located in parts of what now is
Noord-Holland and the
Waddenzee. The region was bordered by the rivers
Vlie and
IJ. Within this historical region is the contemporary region of
West Friesland, which is a smaller area based on the
Westfriese Omringdijk, a dyke system that lay in West Friesian district (
gouw) of
Westflinge.
The area between
Vlie and
IJ consists of the present-day municipalities of
Alkmaar,
Amsterdam (Landelijk Noord),
Andijk,
Anna Paulowna,
Beemster,
Bergen,
Castricum,
Den Helder,
Drechterland,
Edam-Volendam,
Enkhuizen,
Graft-De Rijp,
Harenkarspel,
Heerhugowaard,
Heiloo,
Hoorn,
Landsmeer,
Langedijk,
Medemblik,
Niedorp,
Noorder-Koggenland,
Purmerend,
Obdam,
Oostzaan,
Opmeer,
Schagen,
Schermer,
Stede Broec,
Texel,
Uitgeest,
Vlieland,
Waterland,
Wervershoof,
Wester-Koggenland,
Wieringen,
Wieringermeer,
Wognum Wormerland,
Zaanstad,
Zeevang and
Zijpe.
The
river Vlie (or Fli), an extension of the
IJssel branch of the
Rhine, divided the northern Netherlands, which at the time was part of
(West) Frisia, into a western and eastern part. In the
11th century, after heavy rainfalls, the river flooded and inundated large parts of the land. Not long after, the
Zuider Zee bay (previously a
lake) was formed, separating West Friesland from the contemporary
Province of Friesland. In the
Middle Ages, the Westflinge area of West Friesland practically 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 Zuider Zee. Because of this, the toponym "West Friesland" was applied more to the Westflinge area than the original West Friesland.
For about 300 years, West Friesland operated as an autonomous area as the West Frisians didn't want to be subjected to authorities from
Holland.
Floris V, Count of Holland attempted to unite Holland and West Friesland during his reign, but it was his successor
John I who finally defeated the West Frisians in 1297. However, even though West Friesland formed a united
province with Holland in the
Dutch Republic, it was recognized a separate region and the
parliament of said province, commonly known as
Holland, was formally known as the
States of Holland and West Friesland, showing that West Friesland was still recognized in its own right. During the time of the
United Provinces, West Friesland had its own independent
Admiralty of the Northern Quarter and any admiral serving with that admiralty or the two other Hollandic admiralties, those of
Amsterdam and the
Maas (
Rotterdam), had the title of
Admiral of Holland and West Frisia.
The
West Frisian language and the later
creole language (also called
West Frisian) has disappeared from the region and the local
Dutch dialects (also called
West Frisian) are now slowly disappearing. Although these dialects are subdialects of
Hollandic Dutch, they were strongly influenced in vocabulary and grammar by a West Frisian
substratum.
Further Information
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