Ameland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ameland
Country	Netherlands
Province	Friesland
Area (2006)
- Municipality	268.50 km²  (103.7 sq mi)
- Land	60.02 km² (23.2 sq mi)
- Water	208.48 km² (80.5 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2007)
- Municipality	3,452
- Density	58/km² (150.2/sq mi)
	Source: CBS, Statline.
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)

Ameland (pronunciation (help·info), Frisian: It Amelân) is a municipality and one of the West Frisian Islands off the north coast of the Netherlands. It consists mostly of sand dunes. It can be reached by ferry from the Frisian village Holwerd.

[edit] Population centres

• Ballum
• Buren (Bueren)
• Hollum
• Nes

(Frisian names)

(Ameland is not itself the name of a village).

[edit] History

First mentioned as Ambla in the 8th century, it paid tribute to the county of Holland until in 1424 its lord Ritske Jelmera declared it a 'free lordship' (vrijheerschap).

Although Holland, Friesland and the Holy Roman Emperor contested this quasi-independent status, it remained a free lordship until the ruling family, Cammingha, died out in 1708. After that, the Frisian stadtholder Johan Willem Friso of Orange-Nassau became lord of Ameland and after him, his son the stadtholder of all the Netherlands William IV of Orange and his grandson William V of Orange.

Only in the constitution of 1813 was the island finally integrated into the Netherlands (into the province of Friesland). The kings and queens of the Netherlands still maintain the title Vrijheer van Ameland today.

In 1940 the German troops were ferried to the island and within hours Ameland was under the control of the German Army. Because of its limited military value the Allies never invaded Ameland. The German forces on the island did not surrender until June 2, 1945, almost a full month after the defeat of Nazi Germany.

[edit] External link

• Website of the island

• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 53.448° 5.73°
  • Mapping from Multimap or GlobalGuide or Google Maps
  • Aerial image from TerraServer
  • Satellite image from WikiMapia

Friesland (Fryslân) Province
Achtkarspelen | Ameland | Boarnsterhim | Bolsward | Dantumadeel | Dongeradeel | Ferwerderadiel | Franekeradeel | Gaasterlân-Sleat | Harlingen | Heerenveen | Het Bildt | Kollumerland c.a. | Leeuwarden | Leeuwarderadeel | Lemsterland | Littenseradiel | Menaldumadeel | Nijefurd | Ooststellingwerf | Opsterland | Schiermonnikoog | Skarsterlân | Smallingerland | Sneek | Terschelling | Tytsjerksteradiel | Vlieland | Weststellingwerf | Wûnseradiel | Wymbritseradiel
Netherlands | Provinces | Municipalities| map