Wûnseradiel is a former municipality

Municipality

A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...

 in the 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...

 (Fryslân) province of the northern Netherlands

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...

, at the eastern end of the Afsluitdijk

Afsluitdijk

The Afsluitdijk is a major causeway in the Netherlands, constructed between 1927 and 1933 and running from Den Oever on Wieringen in North Holland province, to the village of Zurich in Friesland province, over a length of and a width of 90 m, at an initial height of 7.25 m above sea-level.It is...

. The official (legal) name of the municipality is in the West Frisian language

West Frisian language

West Frisian is a language spoken mostly in the province of Friesland in the north of the Netherlands. West Frisian is the name by which this language is usually known outside the Netherlands, to distinguish it from the closely related Frisian languages of Saterland Frisian and North Frisian,...

, though it is known as Wonseradeel in Dutch. In 2011 it was merged together with the municipalities of Bolsward

Bolsward

Bolsward is a city in Súdwest Fryslân in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands. Bolsward is just short of a population of 10,000.- History :The town is founded on three artificial dwelling hills, of which the first was built some time before Christ....

, Nijefurd

Nijefurd

Nijefurd is a former municipality in the northern Netherlands, in the province of Friesland.It was formed in 1984 from the old municipalities of Hindeloopen, Stavoren, and Workum, and part of Hemelumer Oldeferd....

, Sneek

Sneek

Sneek is a city southwest of Leeuwarden and seat of the former municipality of Sneek in the province of Friesland . As for 2011 it is part of the municipality Súdwest Fryslân...

 and Wymbritseradiel

Wymbritseradiel

Wymbritseradiel is a former municipality in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands. Its official name was in West Frisian, but the municipality was also known by its Dutch name Wymbritseradeel...

 forming the new municipality Súdwest-Fryslân.

As can be seen below, Makkum is one of the towns of the municipality. It is famous because of its faience

Faience

Faience or faïence is the conventional name in English for fine tin-glazed pottery on a delicate pale buff earthenware body, originally associated with Faenza in northern Italy. The invention of a white pottery glaze suitable for painted decoration, by the addition of an oxide of tin to the slip...

.
On April 30, 2008, Beatrix, the Queen of the Netherlands, visited Makkum, a.o. to celebrate that the local Queen's Organisation ("Koninginnevereniging") exists more than a hundred years. It needed only three Queens in that time: Wilhelmina, Juliana and now Beatrix. See: Website of the local Queen's Organisation

Towns and villages

Allingawier

Allingawier

Allingawier is a small village in the Dutch province of Friesland. It is located in the municipality Wûnseradiel, about 7 km southwest of the city of Bolsward....

, Arum

Arum, Friesland

Arum is a small village in the Dutch province of Friesland. It is located in the municipality Wûnseradiel, about 5 km southeast of the city of Harlingen.The village itself has about 850 inhabitants...

, Burgwerd

Burgwerd

Burgwerd is a small village in Wûnseradiel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 344 citizens . It is located near the Boalserter Trekfeart- History :...

, Cornwerd

Cornwerd

Cornwerd is a small village in Wûnseradiel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 100 citizens . Cornwerd is the location of the most westerly windmill in Friesland, De Cornwerdermolen....

, Dedgum

Dedgum

Dedgum is a small village in Wûnseradiel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 90 citizens ....

, Exmorra

Exmorra

Exmorra is a small village in Wûnseradiel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 450 citizens .Every year there is a village festival, and there are several neighborhood assosiations. Exmorra has a months leaf for the residents of Exmorra and Allingawier.Exmorra has together...

, Ferwoude

Ferwoude

Ferwoude is a small village in Wûnseradiel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 233 citizens ....

, Gaast

Gaast

Gaast is a small village in Wûnseradiel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 214 citizens ....

, Hartwerd

Hartwerd

Hartwerd is a small village in Wûnseradiel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 150 citizens . A restored windmill. De Oegekloostermolen, stands near the village....

, Hichtum

Hichtum

Hichtum is a small village in Wûnseradiel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 70 citizens ....

, Hieslum

Hieslum

Hieslum is a small village in Wûnseradiel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 70 citizens ....

, Idsegahuizum

Idsegahuizum

Idsegahuizum is a small village in Wûnseradiel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 120 citizens ....

, Kimswerd, Kornwerderzand

Kornwerderzand

Kornwerderzand is a settlement on the Afsluitdijk, a major dam in the Netherlands that links Frisia with North Holland. Kornwerderzand is located approximately 4 kilometers from the coast of Frisia, on a former artificial island which was created during the construction of the dam. The settlement...

, Lollum

Lollum

Lollum is a village in Wûnseradiel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 400 citizens . A restored windmill, Meerswal stands in the village....

, Longerhouw

Longerhouw

Longerhouw is a small village in Wûnseradiel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 60 citizens ....

, Makkum

Makkum

Makkum is a village in Wûnseradiel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 3500 citizens .The dutch queen Beatrix came to visit Makkum in 2008 at Queensday....

, Parrega

Parrega

Parrega in the municipality of Súdwest-Fryslân in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 500 citizens . The village is split up by a canal, and the only bridge in the centre connects the two parts with each other....

, Piaam

Piaam

Piaam is a small village in the municipality of Wûnseradiel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 50 citizens ....

, Pingjum

Pingjum

Pingjum is a village in the municipality of Wûnseradiel in Friesland, in the northern Netherlands and has around the 670 citizens...

, Schettens

Schettens

Schettens is a small village in Wûnseradiel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 210 citizens . There is a school named C.B.S. De Trijetine....

, Schraard

Schraard

Schraard is a small village in Wûnseradiel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 180 citizens ....

, Tjerkwerd

Tjerkwerd

Tjerkwerd is a small village in Wûnseradiel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 457 citizens ....

, Witmarsum

Witmarsum (Friesland)

Witmarsum is a small village in Wûnseradiel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 1804 citizens .It is the birthplace of the Anabaptist leader Menno Simons ....

, Wons

Wons

Wons is a small village in Wûnseradiel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 300 citizens ....

, Zurich

Zurich (Friesland)

Zurich is a small village in Wûnseradiel in the province Friesland of the Netherlands and has around 192 citizens .thumb|left|Map of Zurich...

.

Hamlets

Arkum

Arkum

Arkum at is a part of Silifke district which itself is a part of Mersin Province, Turkey. It is in the alluvial plain at the east of Göksu River. In the vicinity of Arkum , the Mediterranean Sea coast runs from north to south and is about from Arkum, so the town may be considered as a coastal...

, Atzeburen, Baarderburen, Baburen, Breezanddijk

Breezanddijk

Breezanddijk is a small community that lies near the midpoint of the Afsluitdijk in the Netherlands. There are about 40-50 buildings, most of which are bunkhouses that were built for the workers employed during the construction of the Afsluitdijk....

, De Blokken, Dijksterburen, Doniaburen, Eemswoude, Engwier, Exmorrazijl, Gooium, Grauwe Kat, Harkezijl, Hayum, Hemert, Idserdaburen, It Fliet, Jonkershuizen, Jousterp, Kampen, Kooihuizen, Koudehuizum, Rijtseterp, Scharneburen, Strand, Vierhuizen, Wonneburen

Famous inhabitants

• Pier Gerlofs Donia
  Pier Gerlofs Donia
  Pier Gerlofs Donia was a Frisian warrior, pirate, and rebel. He is best known by his West Frisian nickname "Grutte Pier" , or by the Dutch translations "Grote Pier" and "Lange Pier", or, in Latin, "Pierius Magnus", which referred to his legendary size and strength. His life is mostly shrouded in...
  
  , better known as 'Grutte Pier', was an infamous freedom fighter from Kimswerd born sometime near the year 1480, who led a guerrilla war
  Guerrilla warfare
  Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
  
   against the occupying forces after his village was plundered in 1515. He led the Frisian rebel army, the Arumer Zwarte Hoop
  Arumer Zwarte Hoop
  The Arumer Zwarte Hoop was an army of peasant rebels in Friesland fighting the Dutch authorities from 1515 to 1523....
  
   from 1515 until 1519.
• Wijard Jelckama was a Frisian military commander and freedom fighter. He co-founded the Arumer Zwarte Hoop and led it from 1519 until his death by decapitation in 1523.
• Menno Simons
  Menno Simons
  Menno Simons was an Anabaptist religious leader from the Friesland region of the Low Countries. Simons was a contemporary of the Protestant Reformers and his followers became known as Mennonites...
  
   was born in Witmarsum in 1492 or 1496. He was a leader of the Dutch Anabaptists or Mennonites.
• B.D. Dykstra
  B.D. Dykstra
  Broer Doekeles Dykstra was a Dutch American pastor, educator, and poet who wrote several books, served as editor of the Volkskrant Dutch-language newspaper, and was a visible member of the Reformed Church in America...
  
   was born in Pingjum in 1872. He emigrated to Iowa
  Iowa
  Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
  
   and became a leader in the Reformed Church in America
  Reformed Church in America
  The Reformed Church in America is a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States. It has about 170,000 members, with the total declining in recent decades. From its beginning in 1628 until 1819, it was the North American branch of the Dutch Reformed Church. In 1819, it...
  
  .