The West Frisian Islands are a chain of island

Island

An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...

s in the North Sea

North Sea

In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...

 off the Dutch

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 coast, along the edge of the Wadden Sea

Wadden Sea

The Wadden Sea is an intertidal zone in the southeastern part of the North Sea. It lies between the coast of northwestern continental Europe and the range of Frisian Islands, forming a shallow body of water with tidal flats and wetlands. It is rich in biological diversity...

. They continue further east as the German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 East Frisian Islands

East Frisian Islands

The East Frisian Islands are a chain of islands in the North Sea, off the coast of East Frisia in Lower Saxony, Germany. The islands extend for some from west to east between the mouths of the Ems and Jade / Weser rivers and lie about 3.5 to 10 km offshore...

 and are part of the Frisian Islands

Frisian Islands

The Frisian Islands, also known as the Wadden Islands or Wadden Sea Islands, form an archipelago at the eastern edge of the North Sea in northwestern Europe, stretching from the north-west of the Netherlands through Germany to the west of Denmark...

.

From west to east the islands are: Noorderhaaks

Noorderhaaks

Noorderhaaks, also called Razende bol , is a Dutch sandbar in the North Sea, a few kilometres west of the Marsdiep which separates the island Texel from mainland North Holland...

, Texel

Texel

Texel is a municipality and an island in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the biggest and most populated of the Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea, and also the westernmost of this archipelago, which extends to Denmark...

, Vlieland

Vlieland

Vlieland is a municipality in the northern Netherlands. The municipality of Vlieland has only one major town: Oost-Vlieland . It is the second-least densely populated municipality in the Netherlands ....

, Richel

Richel

For the boxer, see Richel HersisiaRichel, or rather De Richel , is a permanently dry sandbank in the Wadden Sea, in the gap between the Dutch islands of Vlieland and Terschelling. It is located about 1 kilometer east of the northernmost point of Vlieland and is administered by the municipality of...

, Griend

Griend

Griend is a small uninhabited Dutch island in the Wadden Sea, lying around 12 kilometres south of Terschelling. It is one of the West Frisian Islands, and belongs to the municipality of Terschelling...

, Terschelling

Terschelling

Terschelling is a municipality and an island in the northern Netherlands, one of the West Frisian Islands.Waddenislanders are known for their resourcefulness in using anything and everything that washes ashore. With few trees to use for timber, most of the farms and barns are built with masts...

, Ameland

Ameland

Ameland is a municipality and one of the West Frisian Islands off the north coast of the Netherlands. It consists mostly of sand dunes. It is the third major island of the West Frisians. It neighbours islands Terschelling to the West and Schiermonnikoog to the East...

, Rif

Rif (island)

Rif is a small, uninhabited, Dutch island in the Wadden Sea, lying between Ameland and Schiermonnikoog, north of Engelsmanplaat. It is one of the West Frisian Islands. The island currently has an area of less than 0.1 km². There are no breeding birds to be found, but it is popular as a high tide...

, Engelsmanplaat

Engelsmanplaat

Engelsmanplaat, or the Kalkman which is its local name, is a small sandbank between the Dutch islands Ameland and Schiermonnikoog.-References:...

, Schiermonnikoog

Schiermonnikoog

Schiermonnikoog is an island, a municipality, and a national park in the northern Netherlands. Schiermonnikoog is one of the West Frisian Islands, and is part of the province of Friesland....

, Simonszand

Simonszand

Simonszand is a small sandbank between the Dutch islands of Schiermonnikoog and Rottumerplaat....

, Rottumerplaat

Rottumerplaat

Rottumerplaat is one of the three islands that make up Rottum in the West Frisian Islands. The island is located in the North Sea off the Dutch coast. Access to the island is prohibited since Rottemerplaat is a resting and forage area for numerous bird species...

, Rottumeroog

Rottumeroog

Rottumeroog is one of the three islands that make up Rottum, a group of islands that are part of the West Frisian Islands archipelago. The island is situated off the Dutch coast in the North Sea. The island is named after the village Rottum in Groningen: the Benedictine "St...

, and Zuiderduintjes

Zuiderduintjes

Zuiderduintjes is a very small island to the south of Rottumeroog, West Frisian Islands, Netherlands. It is part of Rottum and access to the island is prohibited since it's a rest and forage area for birds and seals....

.

The islands Noorderhaaks

Noorderhaaks

Noorderhaaks, also called Razende bol , is a Dutch sandbar in the North Sea, a few kilometres west of the Marsdiep which separates the island Texel from mainland North Holland...

 and Texel

Texel

Texel is a municipality and an island in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the biggest and most populated of the Frisian Islands in the Wadden Sea, and also the westernmost of this archipelago, which extends to Denmark...

 are part of the province

Province

A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...

 of North Holland

North Holland

North Holland |West Frisian]]: Noard-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the northwest part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam.-Geography:...

. The islands Vlieland

Vlieland

Vlieland is a municipality in the northern Netherlands. The municipality of Vlieland has only one major town: Oost-Vlieland . It is the second-least densely populated municipality in the Netherlands ....

, Richel

Richel

For the boxer, see Richel HersisiaRichel, or rather De Richel , is a permanently dry sandbank in the Wadden Sea, in the gap between the Dutch islands of Vlieland and Terschelling. It is located about 1 kilometer east of the northernmost point of Vlieland and is administered by the municipality of...

, Griend

Griend

Griend is a small uninhabited Dutch island in the Wadden Sea, lying around 12 kilometres south of Terschelling. It is one of the West Frisian Islands, and belongs to the municipality of Terschelling...

, Terschelling

Terschelling

Terschelling is a municipality and an island in the northern Netherlands, one of the West Frisian Islands.Waddenislanders are known for their resourcefulness in using anything and everything that washes ashore. With few trees to use for timber, most of the farms and barns are built with masts...

, Ameland

Ameland

Ameland is a municipality and one of the West Frisian Islands off the north coast of the Netherlands. It consists mostly of sand dunes. It is the third major island of the West Frisians. It neighbours islands Terschelling to the West and Schiermonnikoog to the East...

, Rif

Rif (island)

Rif is a small, uninhabited, Dutch island in the Wadden Sea, lying between Ameland and Schiermonnikoog, north of Engelsmanplaat. It is one of the West Frisian Islands. The island currently has an area of less than 0.1 km². There are no breeding birds to be found, but it is popular as a high tide...

, Engelsmanplaat

Engelsmanplaat

Engelsmanplaat, or the Kalkman which is its local name, is a small sandbank between the Dutch islands Ameland and Schiermonnikoog.-References:...

, and Schiermonnikoog

Schiermonnikoog

Schiermonnikoog is an island, a municipality, and a national park in the northern Netherlands. Schiermonnikoog is one of the West Frisian Islands, and is part of the province of Friesland....

 are part of the province

Province

A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...

 of Friesland

Friesland

Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...

. The small islands Simonszand

Simonszand

Simonszand is a small sandbank between the Dutch islands of Schiermonnikoog and Rottumerplaat....

, Rottumerplaat

Rottumerplaat

Rottumerplaat is one of the three islands that make up Rottum in the West Frisian Islands. The island is located in the North Sea off the Dutch coast. Access to the island is prohibited since Rottemerplaat is a resting and forage area for numerous bird species...

, Rottumeroog

Rottumeroog

Rottumeroog is one of the three islands that make up Rottum, a group of islands that are part of the West Frisian Islands archipelago. The island is situated off the Dutch coast in the North Sea. The island is named after the village Rottum in Groningen: the Benedictine "St...

, and Zuiderduintjes

Zuiderduintjes

Zuiderduintjes is a very small island to the south of Rottumeroog, West Frisian Islands, Netherlands. It is part of Rottum and access to the island is prohibited since it's a rest and forage area for birds and seals....

 belong to the province

Province

A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...

 of Groningen

Groningen (province)

Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...

.

The Frisian Islands are nowadays mostly famous as a holiday destination. Island hopping is possible by regular ferries from the mainland and by specialised tour operators. Cycling is the most favourable means of transport on most of the islands. On Vlieland and Schiermonnikoog cars are only allowed for regular inhabitants.

See also

• Frisia
  Frisia
  Frisia is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea, i.e. the German Bight. Frisia is the traditional homeland of the Frisians, a Germanic people who speak Frisian, a language group closely related to the English language...
  
  
• Frisian languages
• Frisian Islands
  Frisian Islands
  The Frisian Islands, also known as the Wadden Islands or Wadden Sea Islands, form an archipelago at the eastern edge of the North Sea in northwestern Europe, stretching from the north-west of the Netherlands through Germany to the west of Denmark...
  
  
• East Frisian Islands
  East Frisian Islands
  The East Frisian Islands are a chain of islands in the North Sea, off the coast of East Frisia in Lower Saxony, Germany. The islands extend for some from west to east between the mouths of the Ems and Jade / Weser rivers and lie about 3.5 to 10 km offshore...
  
  
• Frisians
  Frisians
  The Frisians are a Germanic ethnic group native to the coastal parts of the Netherlands and Germany. They are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany, East Frisia and North Frisia, that was a part of Denmark until 1864. They inhabit an area known as Frisia...