Ameland

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Municipality and island of the Netherlands

title: "Ameland" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["ameland", "municipalities-of-friesland", "islands-of-friesland", "west-frisian-islands", "ramsar-sites-in-the-netherlands"] description: "Municipality and island of the Netherlands" topic_path: "geography/netherlands" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ameland" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Municipality and island of the Netherlands ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
	name
native_name	fy
settlement_type	Municipality
	image_skyline
total_width	280
border	infobox
perrow	1/2/2
caption_align	center
image1	Ameland aerial view from the west.jpg
alt1	Aerial view Ameland (west)
caption1	Aerial view Ameland (west)
image2	Ameland Beach.jpg
alt2	Ameland Beach
caption2	Ameland Beach
image3	Museum sorgdrager -1508854191.jpg
alt3	Museum Sorgdrager
caption3	Museum Sorgdrager
image4	2012-05-05 Ameland 16.JPG
alt4	Lighthouse
caption4	Lighthouse
image5	Altes Feuer Bornrif.JPG
alt5	Maritime Museum
caption5	Maritime Museum
image_flag	Flag of Ameland.svg
flag_size	100x67px
image_shield	Coat of arms of Ameland.svg
shield_size	100x80px
shield_alt
image_map	Ameland locator map municipality NL 2018.png
map_alt	Highlighted position of Ameland in a municipal map of Friesland
map_caption	Location in Friesland
coordinates
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	Netherlands
subdivision_type1	Province
subdivision_name1	Friesland
governing_body	Municipal council
leader_party	VVD
leader_title	Mayor
leader_name
	unit_pref
	area_footnotes
	area_total_km2
area_land_km2
area_water_km2
elevation_footnotes	{{cite web
url	http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool
title	Postcodetool for 9163HD
language	nl
author
work	Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland
publisher	Het Waterschapshuis
access-date	7 September 2013
url-status	dead
archive-url	https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053543/http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool
archive-date	21 September 2013
elevation_m	4
elevation_max_footnotes	tags --
elevation_min_footnotes	tags --
elevation_min_m
population_footnotes
population_total
population_as_of
population_density_km2
population_demonym	Amelander
	timezone1
utc_offset1	+1
timezone1_DST	CEST
utc_offset1_DST	+2
postal_code_type	Postcode
postal_code	9160–9164
area_code_type	Area code
area_code	0519
website
footnotes	{{Designation list
embed	yes
designation1	Ramsar
designation1_offname	Duinen Ameland
designation1_date	29 August 2000
designation1_number	2212}}
::

| name = Ameland | native_name = fy | settlement_type = Municipality | image_skyline = {{multiple image | total_width = 280 | border = infobox | perrow = 1/2/2 | caption_align = center | image1 = Ameland aerial view from the west.jpg | alt1 = Aerial view Ameland (west) | caption1 = Aerial view Ameland (west) | image2 = Ameland Beach.jpg | alt2 = Ameland Beach | caption2 = Ameland Beach | image3 = Museum sorgdrager -1508854191.jpg | alt3 = Museum Sorgdrager | caption3 = Museum Sorgdrager | image4 = 2012-05-05 Ameland 16.JPG | alt4 = Lighthouse | caption4 = Lighthouse | image5 = Altes Feuer Bornrif.JPG | alt5 = Maritime Museum | caption5 = Maritime Museum | image_alt = | image_caption = | image_flag = Flag of Ameland.svg | flag_size = 100x67px | flag_alt = | image_shield = Coat of arms of Ameland.svg | shield_size = 100x80px | shield_alt = | image_map = Ameland locator map municipality NL 2018.png | map_alt = Highlighted position of Ameland in a municipal map of Friesland | map_caption = Location in Friesland | coordinates = | coordinates_footnotes = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Netherlands | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = Friesland | government_footnotes = | governing_body = Municipal council | leader_party = VVD | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = | unit_pref = Metric | area_total_km2 = | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | elevation_footnotes = {{cite web |url=http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool |title=Postcodetool for 9163HD |language=nl |author= |work=Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland |publisher=Het Waterschapshuis |access-date=7 September 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053543/http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool |archive-date=21 September 2013 | elevation_m = 4 | elevation_max_footnotes = tags -- | elevation_max_m = | elevation_min_footnotes = tags -- | elevation_min_m = | population_footnotes = | population_total = | population_as_of =
| population_density_km2 =
| population_demonym = Amelander | timezone1 = CET | utc_offset1 = +1 | timezone1_DST = CEST | utc_offset1_DST = +2 | postal_code_type = Postcode | postal_code = 9160–9164 | area_code_type = Area code | area_code = 0519 | website = | footnotes = {{Designation list | embed = yes | designation1 = Ramsar | designation1_offname = Duinen Ameland | designation1_date = 29 August 2000 | designation1_number = 2212}} ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/gem-Ameland-OpenTopo.jpg" caption="Topographic map of Ameland, February 2024"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Bevolking_Ameland.png" caption="Historical population 1800–2023"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/84/Ameland_luchtfoto.jpg" caption="Aerial photograph of 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 and is the third major island of the West Frisians. It neighbours islands Terschelling to the west and Schiermonnikoog to the east. This includes the small Engelsmanplaat and Rif sandbanks to the east.

Ameland is, counted from the west, the fourth inhabited Dutch Wadden island and belongs to the Friesland (Fryslân) province. The whole island falls under one municipality, which carries the same name. The Wadden islands form the border between the North Sea and the Wadden Sea, which lies on the south side of the island file. The municipality of Ameland had a population of in . The inhabitants are called Amelanders.

Places

The island has four villages, and one small part-village.

There were two other villages: Oerd and Sier, but these were flooded and now lie in the sea. The name of these villages live on in MS Oerd and MS Sier, which are the names of the ferries to the island. From west to east:

Hollum, the most populated village, located on the west coast, home to the island's lighthouse
Ballum, smallest village, location of the island's airfield, Ameland Airport
Nes, the second largest of the island, a vibrant tourist village with many hotels, also home to Burgemeester Waldaschool (the island's secondary school), and ferry services from Holwert on the mainland
Buren, located at the centre of the island, includes Ameland's beach

Population

The population of each village of the island :

::data[format=table]

Ballum	350
::

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): the Lordship of Ameland.

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 John William Friso, Prince of Orange, became lord of Ameland and after him, his son the stadtholder of all the Netherlands, William IV, Prince of Orange, and his grandson, William V, Prince of Orange.

Only in the constitution of 1813 was the island finally integrated into the Netherlands into the province of Friesland. The monarchy of the Netherlands still maintain the title Vrijheer van Ameland today.

In 1871–72, a dike was built between Ameland and the mainland by a society for the reclamation of Frisian land from the sea. The dike ran from Holwert to Buren and was 8.7 km long. The province and the Dutch realm each paid 200,000 guilders. In the end, it was unsuccessful; the dike did not prove to be durable and in 1882, after heavy storms in the winter, repairs and maintenance of the dam were stopped. The dike can still be partially seen at low tide. The dam at Holwert is the beginning of this dike.

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

2023 MV ''Fremantle Highway'' fire

Main article: MV Fremantle Highway#2023 fire

In July 2023, a fire on the Panamanian flagged cargo ship MV Fremantle Highway carrying over 3,700 cars off the coast of Ameland left one sailor dead and 22 others injured.

Nature

Like all West and East Frisian Islands, Ameland is a unique piece of nature. The profusion of different plants on the island is caused by the immense variety of landscapes. One of the scenic areas is the Oerd, a large complex of dunes which is still expanding by the year. Because of the differing landscapes and types of flora, over 60 different species of birds are sitting there every year. At the eastern part of the Oerd lies a beach plain called the Hon. Besides dunes and beaches, Ameland has some woods, like the Nesser bos ("Wood of Nes").

Transport

Most travelers reach the island by ferry from Holwert on the mainland of Friesland, but there is also an airport near Ballum (Ameland Airport). A bus service connects the ferries from Hollum/Ballum (route 130) and Buren/Nes (route 132). When the sea between Friesland and Ameland is at low tide, one can walk across (see mudflat hiking).

Notable people

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/DenkmalHiddeDirksKatHollum230718FotoAKaiser.jpg" caption="Statue of Hidde Dirks Kat"] ::

The following people were born on Ameland:

Ritske Jelmera (1383 in Ternaard – 1450) a Frisian chieftain who ruled the island of Ameland
, whaler
Johannes de Jong (1885 in Nes – 1955), Archbishop of Utrecht 1936/1955
Hannes de Boer (1899 in Hollum – 1982), long jumper, participated in the 1924 and 1928 Olympic Games
Sjoerd Soeters (born 1947 in Nes), postmodern architect
Pieter Mosterman (born 1967 in Nes), a research Scientist and academic in the USA
Jan Bruin (born 1969 in Hollum), retired Dutch soccer player.

Gallery

File:Hervormde Kerk in Hollum (Ameland).jpg|Hervormde Kerk in Hollum, Ameland File:Ameland - Bornrif.JPG|Bornrif lighthouse File:Swimmingpool at Ameland - panoramio.jpg|alt=Swimmingpool at Ameland|Abandoned swimmingpool at Ameland File:Ameland aerial view Hollum beach dunes.jpg|Ameland, Hollum beach dunes

References

tags -->. dataref
{{Dutch municipality population. dataref
"Duinen Ameland".
"Burgemeester Waldaschool". BWS Ameland.
Holligan, Anna. (26 July 2023). "Ameland rescue: Ship with 3,000 cars in deadly fire off Dutch coast". BBC News.
"Offenbar fast 500 E-Autos auf brennendem Frachter".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::