North Frisia or Northern Friesland is the northernmost portion of Frisia, located primarily in Germany between the rivers Eider and Wiedau/Vidå. It includes a number of islands, e.g., Sylt, Föhr, Amrum, Nordstrand, and Heligoland.[1]
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The Frisians immigrated into North Frisia from the South in two waves. During the 8th century A.D. the mostly settled on the islands Heligoland, Sylt, Föhr, Amrum and presumably also in parts of the Eiderstedt peninsula. The coastal marshlands of the mainland were settled in a second wave and after a series of storm surges the Frisians also used to settle on the higher inland geest. The Frisian Uthlande region used to have its own jurisdiction, the so-called Siebenhardenbeliebung (the compact of the seven hundreds).[1] North Frisia as a region was first recorded in 1424.[2]
Until 1864, North Frisia was a part of the Danish Duchy of Schleswig (South Jutland). It is now part of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein with all of North Frisia except for Heligoland contained within the district of Nordfriesland. The district extends beyond the traditional area of North Frisia to the south and east.
In addition to standard German, North Frisia has speakers of Low German, the various dialects of the North Frisian language, and Danish, including South Jutlandic. Today some 10,000 people still speak a dialect of North Frisian.[3]
North Frisia is called Nordfriesland in German and Noordfreesland in Low German. In the various North Frisian dialects, it is called Nordfraschlönj in Mooring, Noordfreeskluin in Wiedingharde Frisian, Nuurdfriislön’ in Söl'ring, Nuurdfresklun or Nuardfresklun in Fering, and Nöördfreesklöön in Halligen Frisian. The region is called Nordfrisland in Danish.