Frisian Islands

The Frisian Islands, also known as the Wadden Islands or the Wadden Sea Islands, form an <a href="/facts/Archipelago/50BeC9tl">archipelago</a> at the eastern edge of the <a href="/facts/North_Sea/htGJNmsb">North Sea</a> in northwestern <a href="/facts/Europe/DTAtrKfh">Europe</a>, stretching from the northwest of the <a href="/facts/Netherlands/y8xn5stT">Netherlands</a> through <a href="/facts/Germany/paluuWBX">Germany</a> to the west of <a href="/facts/Denmark/KVtykzsw">Denmark</a>. The islands shield the <a href="/facts/Mudflat/ooJkAwGf">mudflat</a> region of the <a href="/facts/Wadden_Sea/kpa3sFqd">Wadden Sea</a> (large parts of which fall dry during low tide) from the <a href="/facts/North_Sea/htGJNmsb">North Sea</a>.
The Frisian Islands, along with the mainland coast in the <a href="/facts/German_Bight/kqjX0ng5">German Bight</a>, form the region of <a href="/facts/Frisia/0CTIG8Qr">Frisia</a> (German and Dutch: Friesland), <a href="/facts/Homeland/gCHA0YV9">homeland</a> of the <a href="/facts/Frisian_people/2AsGhHuX">Frisian people</a>. Generally, the term Frisian Islands is used for the islands where <a href="/facts/Frisian_languages/vEAn7PrD">Frisian</a> is spoken and the population is ethnically Frisian. In contrast, the term <a href="/facts/Wadden_Islands/19ggqTyy">Wadden Islands</a> applies to the entire archipelago, including the <a href="/facts/Dutch_language/yIB5lbsx">Dutch</a>-speaking westernmost islands of <a href="/facts/Texel/s6lqNH1B">Texel</a> and <a href="/facts/Vlieland/ISVJgad6">Vlieland</a>, <a href="/facts/Danish_language/sTcGXTMJ">Danish</a>-speaking <a href="/facts/Danish_Wadden_Sea_Islands/LPxJsIcD">Danish Wadden Sea Islands</a> further north off the west coast of <a href="/facts/Jutland/4w9mDtLH">Jutland</a> and the Islands of <a href="/facts/Trischen/HXgbghcj">Trischen</a> and <a href="/facts/Neuwerk/08QHKedQ">Neuwerk</a>.
Most of the Wadden Sea Islands are environmentally protected areas, and an international <a href="/facts/Wildlife/Byh8cAyK">wildlife</a> <a href="/facts/Nature_reserve/hUsA3dQ5">nature reserve</a> is being coordinated between the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. <a href="/facts/Natural_gas/9MYQ7NAP">Natural gas</a> and <a href="/facts/Crude_oil/IQV0bHVd">oil</a> drilling continue, however, and in the vicinity of the <a href="/facts/Ems_(river)/acUL228K">Ems</a>, <a href="/facts/Weser/lW5rlSo9">Weser</a> and <a href="/facts/Elbe/nCfafNDq">Elbe</a> <a href="/facts/Estuary/WmkSInmK">estuaries</a>, <a href="/facts/Ship/418ptx1L">ship</a> <a href="/facts/Traffic/cHx4tMo1">traffic</a> causes tension between wildlife protection and economic values.

Frisian Islands open-in-new

Frisian Islands