Friesland, Or Vriesland (Anc. Frisia). I. A N. province of Holland, sometimes called West Friesland to distinguish it from East Friesland in Hanover, bounded N., W., and S. W. by the North sea and Zuyder Zee, E. by the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe, and S. by Drenthe and Overyssel; area, 1,264 sq. m.; pop. in 1871, 296,931, of whom about 268,000 were Protestants and 24,000 Catholics. The surface is mostly flat, many parts of it being lower than the level of the sea, from the encroachments of which it is protected by dikes. It is intersected by numerous draining canals, the principal of which is the Great canal, extending from Harlingen on the W. coast, through Franeker, Leeuwarden, and Dokkum, to Groningen. The whole management of the canals, dikes, etc, is vested in a board, and the expense of keeping them in repair is met by a tax levied on the land owners. The only river worth mentioning is the Lauwers. There are many small lakes. Dairy farming is very extensively carried on. The chief manufactures are woollen stuffs, linen, sail cloth, salt, paper, starch, spirits, hardware, and tiles. A considerable portion of the people are employed in digging turf for fuel, and fishing.

Capital, Leeuwarden.

II. East, an old principality, now mainly comprised in the district of Aurich in the Prussian province of Hanover; pop. in 1871, 25,894. It was part of the territory of the ancient Frisians, and in the 18th century passed to Prussia. Napoleon I. took it from the latter in 1806, but it was restored after the peace of 1814, and a little later was ceded by Prussia to Hanover. In 1866 it was with the remainder of Hanover absorbed by Prussia. (See Frisians.)