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A brief discription of Fryslân
The province of Fryslân is one of twelve provinces in the Netherlands and is situated in the north of the country. Fryslân has a population of about 630.000 distributed over 417 villages, which have been grouped into 31 local authorities. The capital, Leeuwarden, has about 83.000 inhabitants. Of the 417 villages, as many as 347 have less than 1500 inhabitants, and over 200 villages have less than 500 inhabitants!
Small villages
Fryslân is not a large rural area, compared with other areas in Europe. Friesland's unique situation - a large number of small villages - can give rise to many problems. The Frisian language is used in addition to Dutch in most of this region, and Fryslân has its own distinctive culture. Traditionally, agriculture - livestock farming as well as crop farming - has been the mainstay of the Frisian economy. Frisian cattle, dairy products and potatoes have been and still are the major export products.
Agriculture
However, as in many other rural areas, agriculture has lost ground as a result of the expansion in scale and government measures. This has resulted in a gradual decline in population. This, in turn, has had a negative effect on the public facilities available, particularly in the smaller villages. The shops, the post offices and sometimes even the primary schools have had to close down and community life is under threat. It can be difficult to find alternatives to declining employment in the absence of new opportunities. Nevertheless over 200 villages with a population of less than 1500 inhabitants still have primary schools. Almost every village has its own local interest associations, composed of villagers, which takes care of the needs and interests of the village.
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 | | Aanpak Rotte Kiezen
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