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Friese

Friese is the German term for a member of the Frisian people, an ethnic group native to the North Sea coast of Europe. Frisia spans parts of the Netherlands and Germany, traditionally divided into West Frisia in the Netherlands and East Frisia and Saterland in Germany. The term is commonly used in German-language sources to refer to Frisian individuals and, occasionally, to Frisian languages as a group.

Language is a defining feature of Frisian identity. Frisian languages form a branch of the West Germanic

Historically, Frisians developed a distinct maritime culture and a legal tradition known as Frisian freedom, which

Notes: The term Friese is mainly used in German-language contexts; in Dutch and English, the people are

language
family.
West
Frisian
(Frysk)
is
spoken
in
the
Dutch
province
of
Friesland
and
is
recognized
as
a
regional
language
with
official
status
in
certain
contexts.
In
Germany,
North
Frisian
(Nordfriesisch)
is
spoken
in
parts
of
Schleswig-Holstein,
and
Saterland
Frisian
(Saterfriesisch)
is
spoken
in
the
Saterland
of
Lower
Saxony.
Collectively,
Frisian
languages
are
among
the
closest
living
languages
to
English.
granted
limited
autonomy
to
coastal
communities
during
the
Middle
Ages.
Over
time,
Frisian
lands
were
incorporated
into
larger
political
entities,
including
the
Dutch
state
and
various
German
territories.
In
the
present
day,
Frisian
identity
persists
through
language,
toponyms,
folklore,
and
regional
media,
with
active
cultural
organizations
and
regional
festivals
in
both
the
Netherlands
and
Germany.
usually
referred
to
as
Frisian.
The
term
also
appears
in
discussions
of
Frisia
as
a
historical
region
and
of
the
Frisian
language
group.