View source for Texel

{{about|the Dutch island|other uses|}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
<!-- Name and transliteration -->
| name                    = Texel
| settlement_type         = [[List of municipalities of the Netherlands|Municipality]] and [[island]]
<!-- Images, nickname, motto -->
| image_skyline           = Texel island.jpg
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = North end of the island with the [[Eierland Lighthouse]] in 2015
| image_flag              = Texel flag.svg
| flag_size               = 100x80px
| flag_alt                = 
| image_shield            = Texel wapen.svg
| shield_size             = 100x80px
| shield_alt              = 
<!-- Maps, coordinates -->
| image_map               = Map - NL - Municipality code 0448 (2009).svg
| map_alt                 = Highlighted position of Texel in a municipal map of North Holland
| map_caption             = Location in North Holland
| coordinates             = {{coord|53|3|N|4|48|E|region:NL-NH|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes   = 
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = [[Netherlands]]
| subdivision_type1       = Province
| subdivision_name1       = [[North Holland]]
| government_footnotes    = <ref name="mayor_now">{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.texel.nl/de-gemeente/bw-samenstelling-en-portefeuilles_42167/
 |title       = B&W samenstelling en portefeuilles
 |trans-title = Mayor and aldermen members and tasks
 |language    = nl
 |publisher   = Gemeente Texel
 |access-date  = 22 March 2014
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20140727100539/http://www.texel.nl/de-gemeente/bw-samenstelling-en-portefeuilles_42167/
 |archive-date = 27 July 2014
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref>
| governing_body          = [[Municipal council (Netherlands)|Municipal council]]
| leader_party            = [[VVD]]
| leader_title            = [[Burgemeester|Mayor]]
| leader_name             = Mark Pol
<!-- Geographic information -->
| unit_pref               = Metric
<!-- ALL fields with measurements have automatic unit conversion -->
<!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| area_footnotes          = <ref>{{Dutch municipality total area|dataref}}</ref>
<!-- square kilometers -->
| area_total_km2          = {{Dutch municipality total area|Texel}}
| area_land_km2           = {{Dutch municipality land area|Texel}}
| area_water_km2          = {{Dutch municipality water area|Texel}}
| elevation_footnotes     = <ref name="AHN">{{cite web
 |url = http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool
 |title = Postcodetool for 1791AT
 |language = nl
 |author = <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->
 |work = Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland
 |publisher = Het Waterschapshuis
 |access-date = 22 March 2014
 |archive-date = 26 December 2018
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181226043925/http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool%0A
 |url-status = dead
 }}</ref>
| elevation_m             = 2
| elevation_max_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| elevation_max_m         =
| elevation_min_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| elevation_min_m         =
<!-- Population, demographics -->
| population_footnotes    = <ref>{{Dutch municipality population|dataref}}</ref>
| population_total        = {{Dutch municipality population|Texel}}
| population_as_of        = {{MONTHNAME|{{Dutch municipality population|popbasemonth}}}} {{Dutch municipality population|popbaseyear}}
| population_density_km2  = {{Dutch municipality population density|Texel}} <!-- For automatic calculation: auto-->
| population_demonym      = Tesselaar, Texelaar
<!-- Other information -->
| timezone                = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset              = +1
| timezone_DST            = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST          = +2
| postal_code_type        = [[Postal codes in the Netherlands|Postcode]]
| postal_code             = 1790–1797
| area_code_type          = [[Telephone numbers in the Netherlands|Area code]]
| area_code               = 0222
| website                 = {{URL|1=http://www.texel.nl}}
| footnotes               =
}}

'''Texel''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈtɛsəl|-|422 Texel.ogg}}; Texels dialect: {{lang|nl|Tessel}}) is a [[Municipalities of the Netherlands|municipality]] and an island with a population of 13,846 in [[North Holland]], Netherlands. It is the largest and most populated island of the [[West Frisian Islands]] in the [[Wadden Sea]]. The island is situated north of [[Den Helder]], northeast of [[Noorderhaaks]], and southwest of [[Vlieland]].

== Name ==
The name ''Texel'' is [[Frisian languages|Frisian]], but because of [[Dutch language#Classification|historical sound-changes in Dutch]], where all -x- sounds have been replaced with -s- sounds (compare for instance English ''fox'', Frisian ''fokse'', German ''Fuchs'' with Dutch ''vos''), the name is typically pronounced ''Tessel'' in Dutch.<ref>{{cite book|last=Donaldson|first=Bruce C.|year=1983|title=Dutch: A Linguistic History of Holland and Belgium|publisher=Martinus Nijhoff|place=Leiden|isbn=9789024791668|page=151}}</ref>

==History==
The [[All Saints' Flood (1170)|All Saints' Flood]] of 1170 created the islands of Texel and [[Wieringen]] from [[North Holland]].<ref name="ley196110">{{Cite magazine
 |last=Ley
 |first=Willy
 |date=October 1961
 |title=The Home-Made Land
 |department=For Your Information
 |url=https://archive.org/stream/Galaxy_v19n06_1961-08#page/n65/mode/1up
 |magazine=Galaxy Science Fiction
 |pages=92–106
}}</ref> In the 13th century [[Ada, Countess of Holland]] was held prisoner on Texel by her uncle, [[William I, Count of Holland]].{{cn|date=May 2023}}

Texel received [[City rights in the Netherlands|city rights]] in 1415.

The first Dutch expedition to the Northwest Passage departed from the island on 5 June 1594. 

Texel was involved in the [[Battle of Scheveningen]] (1653) during the [[First Anglo-Dutch War]] and the [[Battle of Texel]] (1673) during the [[Third Anglo-Dutch War]].

The shallow waters around Texel have been responsible for many [[shipwreck]]s, including in February 1643, the loss of a ship (the 'Palmwood Wreck') containing the household of Queen [[Henrietta Maria of France]].<ref name="u134">{{cite journal | last=Westera | first=Lambert D. | title=The Silk Dress and the Shipwreck: A seventeenth-century wreck near Texel | journal=[[The Mariner's Mirror]] | volume=111 | issue=1 | date=2025-01-02 | issn=0025-3359 | doi=10.1080/00253359.2025.2445922 | pages=22–40 | url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00253359.2025.2445922 | access-date=2025-04-10| url-access=subscription }}</ref> Later wrecks included the British ship [[HMS Hero (1803)|HMS Hero]], sunk on the sands off Texel in 1811.<ref name="l640">{{cite book | last=Tracy | first=Nicholas | title=Britannia’s Palette | publisher=McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP | publication-place=Montreal | date=2007 | isbn=978-0-7735-3113-0 | page=405}}</ref>
 
[[File:Dutch ships in the roadstead of Texel (the 'Gouden Leeuw' of Cornelis Tromp in the center)(Ludolf Backhuysen, 1671).jpg|thumb|left|Dutch ships in the [[roadstead]] of Texel, 1671]]
[[File:The wreck of HMS Hero in the Texel, 25 December 1811.jpg|thumb|left|HMS ''Hero'' wrecked at Haak Sands near Texel December 25, 1811]]
[[File:DeHors-Texel-SjoerdMartens.jpg|thumb|right|De Hors at [[Dunes of Texel National Park]]]]

During the [[American Revolutionary War]], Texel was used as a port by [[Continental Navy]] officer [[John Paul Jones]] after the [[battle of Flamborough Head]] off the [[Yorkshire]] coast in September 1779. In the battle, Jones captured the [[Royal Navy]] frigate {{HMS|Serapis|1779|2}}, which he sailed to Texel for desperately needed repairs. This event further complicated Anglo-Dutch relations.

In 1797, Texel was involved in the [[Battle of Camperdown]] during the [[French Revolutionary Wars]].

During the [[First World War]] in 1914, the [[Battle off Texel]] took place off the coast of Texel.

On the night of 31 August 1940, the sea to the northwest of Texel was the scene of the sinking of two Royal Navy destroyers and the severe damage of a third by German mines in what is known as the [[Texel Disaster]].

At the end of the [[Second World War]] in 1945, the [[Georgian uprising on Texel]] took place on the island.  Following a German decision to redeploy Georgian soldiers to the mainland, they revolted and killed hundreds of their German comrades while they slept.  The uprising lasted from 5 April 1945 until 20 May 1945, two weeks after [[V-E Day]]. At that point, Canadian troops arrived and arranged for the two sides to separately leave the island. For that reason, the uprising is often referred to as the final battle of the Second World War in Europe.  Hundreds of Georgians who died fighting against the Germans are buried in a special cemetery on Texel commonly known as the "Russian cemetery".<ref>{{cite book|last=Lee|first=Eric|year=2020|title=Night of the Bayonets: The Texel Uprising and Hitler's Revenge, April–May 1945|publisher=Greenhill Books|place=London|isbn=9781784384685}}</ref>

== Geography ==
[[File:Texel-natuur-OpenTopo.jpg|thumb|upright|''2014 map of Texel'']]

The municipality lies north of the mainland of the province of [[North Holland]] and west of the mainland of the province of [[Friesland]]. The island of Texel is situated north of the city of [[Den Helder]], northeast of the uninhabited island of [[Noorderhaaks]], which is part of the municipality, and southwest of the island of [[Vlieland]].

The island of Texel was originally made up of two islands, Texel proper to the south and [[Eierland]] to the northeast, which were connected by [[shoal]]s. In the early seventeenth century, the islands were connected by a [[Levee|dyke]] to keep the [[North Sea]] from ravaging the coastal areas of Texel proper. In the mid-nineteenth century a [[polder]] completed the northern half of the island. Today, Texel forms the largest natural barrier between the North Sea and the [[Wadden Sea]].

The dune landscape along the western coast of the island is protected as [[Dunes of Texel National Park]].

=== Landscape ===
The island is 23.7&nbsp;km long and 9.6&nbsp;km wide, its surface is 162.00 square kilometres.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://opendata.cbs.nl/statline/#/CBS/nl/dataset/70072ned/table?dl=3B993
|title=Statistic data per municipality
|publisher=CBS
|language=nl
}}</ref> The highest point of the island is the dune "Bertusnol" (also "Nol van Bertus"), which is situated in the [[Dunes of Texel National Park]], at 19.6 m.

The dune landscape on Texel is an important habitat for wildlife. Notable areas include [[Dunes of Texel National Park#De Slufter|De Slufter]], where the tide comes in and meets the dunes, forming a marshy environment rich in both fauna and flora. In winter, [[bird of prey|birds of prey]] and [[goose|geese]] take up residence. About a third of Texel is a protected nature reserve. A wetland called Utopia has been designed for birds to nest in.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.natuurmonumenten.nl/nieuws/utopia-voor-vogels |title=Utopia voor vogels |access-date=1 March 2017 |archive-date=5 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180205130138/https://www.natuurmonumenten.nl/nieuws/utopia-voor-vogels |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Climate===
Texel has an [[oceanic climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] '''Cfb''') that is heavily influenced by its offshore position. The annual average high oscillation is between {{convert|5|C|F}} and {{convert|21|C|F}}. While winters are similar to mainland areas, summers remain cooler. The relative proximity to the mainland still renders heat bursts to reach Texel with five months having recorded temperatures above {{convert|30|C|F}}. While the island is relatively rainy, the precipitation is generally quite even and moderate throughout most of the year although there is a dry peak in late spring and a rain peak in autumn.
{{Weather box
|location = Texel
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
| Jan record high C = 13.7
| Feb record high C = 14.9
| Mar record high C = 20.5
| Apr record high C = 27.9
| May record high C = 31.0
| Jun record high C = 31.7
| Jul record high C = 34.6
| Aug record high C = 33.8
| Sep record high C = 32.6
| Oct record high C = 24.8
| Nov record high C = 17.7
| Dec record high C = 15.3
|year record high C = 
|Jan high C = 5.5
|Feb high C = 5.5
|Mar high C = 8.3
|Apr high C = 11.7
|May high C = 15.4
|Jun high C = 18
|Jul high C = 20.3
|Aug high C = 20.6
|Sep high C = 17.9
|Oct high C = 14
|Nov high C = 9.7
|Dec high C = 6.4
|Jan low C = 1.2
|Feb low C = 0.8
|Mar low C = 2.8
|Apr low C = 5
|May low C = 8.6
|Jun low C = 11.3
|Jul low C = 13.8
|Aug low C = 14
|Sep low C = 11.7
|Oct low C = 8.5
|Nov low C = 4.9
|Dec low C = 2
| Jan record low C = -18.8
| Feb record low C = -18.5
| Mar record low C = -14.5
| Apr record low C = -4.8
| May record low C = -2.1
| Jun record low C = 1.5
| Jul record low C = 5.2
| Aug record low C = 5.6
| Sep record low C = 3.0
| Oct record low C = -4.6
| Nov record low C = -10.8
| Dec record low C = -12.3
|year record low C = 
|Jan precipitation mm = 66.2
|Feb precipitation mm = 44.4
|Mar precipitation mm = 52.4
|Apr precipitation mm = 33.7
|May precipitation mm = 45
|Jun precipitation mm = 54.1
|Jul precipitation mm = 59.8
|Aug precipitation mm = 76.8
|Sep precipitation mm = 83.7
|Oct precipitation mm = 95.9
|Nov precipitation mm = 83.5
|Dec precipitation mm = 69.8
|year precipitation mm = 
|Jan sun = 64.1
|Feb sun = 91.1
|Mar sun = 134.8
|Apr sun = 194.2
|May sun = 235.2
|Jun sun = 219
|Jul sun = 228.2
|Aug sun = 208.2
|Sep sun = 148
|Oct sun = 114.2
|Nov sun = 63.1
|Dec sun = 51
|year sun = |source 1 = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.klimaatatlas.nl |title=Klimaatatlas&#124; KNMI |publisher=knmi.nl |access-date=8 March 2015}}</ref>
|source 2 = <ref>{{cite web|url=http://weergegevens.nl/extremes_mon.aspx?station=235&extreem=X_TX&order=1&maand=1&country=3 |title=www.weergegevens.nl|access-date=9 March 2015}}</ref>
|date=March 2015
}}

== Notable people ==
[[File:Imme Dros.JPG|125px|thumb|Imme Dros, 2010]]
[[File:Alice Blom 1.jpg|125px|thumb|Alice Blom, 2010]]
* [[Willem Eduard Bok]] (1846 in Den Burg – 1904), a Dutch-born South African [[Boer]] politician, civil servant and statesman 
* [[Rene Daalder]] (1944–2019), a Dutch writer and director<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0196350/  IMDb Database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221116003605/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0196350/ |date=16 November 2022 }} retrieved 06 July 2019</ref>
* [[Cornelis de Jager]] (1921 in Den Burg - 2021), a Dutch astronomer who predicts [[solar variation]]
* [[Imme Dros]] (born 1936 in Oudeschild), a Dutch writer of children's literature
* [[Hans Kamp]] (born 1940 in Den Burg), a Dutch philosopher and linguist, introduced [[Discourse Representation Theory]]
* [[Willem Hendrik Keesom]] (1876 in Texel – 1956), a Dutch physicist who first froze [[liquid helium]]
* [[Sim Visser]] (1908 in Eierland – 1983), a Dutch politician
* [[Henk Zijm]] (born 1952 in Driehuizen), a Dutch mathematician from the [[University of Twente]]

=== Sport ===
* [[Denise Betsema]] (born 1993 in Oudeschild), a cyclo-cross cyclist
* [[Alice Blom]] (born 1980 in Oudeschild), a volleyball player
* [[Dorian van Rijsselberghe]] (born 1988 in Den Burg), a sailor, gold medallist at the [[2012 Summer Olympics|2012]] and [[2016 Summer Olympics]]

== Economy ==
The tourism industry forms a substantial part of the economy in Texel. Approximately 70% of activities on Texel are in some way related to tourism. Popular forms of tourism on Texel include cycling, walking, swimming and horse riding. Farming (sheep, potatoes, dairy, tulips, and grain) and fishing (primarily from [[Oudeschild]]) are traditional.

[[File:Texel Lighthouse.JPG|thumb|[[Eierland Lighthouse]] in 2013]]

== Local government ==
The municipal council of Texel consists of 15 seats, which are divided as follows (from the most recent election results in [[Dutch municipal elections, 2022|2022]]:
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
* Texels Belang, 3 seats
* [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|PvdA]], 3 seats
* [[GroenLinks]], 3 seats
* [[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy|VVD]], 2 seats
* [[Christian Democratic Appeal|CDA]], 2 seats
* [[Democrats 66|D66]], 1 seat
}}

== Transport ==
[[File:Dokter Wagemaker 3.jpg|thumb|Ferry {{Interlanguage link multi|MS Dokter Wagemaker (2)|nl|3=Dokter Wagemaker (schip, 2005)}} from Den Helder to Texel in 2005]]

Transport around the island is typically by bicycle, bus (Texelhopper) or car. The island has an extensive cycle path network. It is connected to the mainland via a ferry operated by [[Royal TESO]] from [[Den Helder]], and by air via [[Texel International Airport]]. The ferry Texelstroom uses 80% [[compressed natural gas]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.tu.no/artikler/norske-umoe-har-levert-verdens-forste-trykktanker-i-kompositt-til-skip/368147 |title=Norske Umoe har levert verdens første trykktanker i kompositt til skip|work=[[Teknisk Ukeblad]]|date=30 January 2017|access-date=31 January 2017}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Texel sheep]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Texel}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{Wikivoyage-inline|Texel}}

{{Geographic location
 | Centre    = Texel
 | Northeast = [[Vlieland]]&nbsp;([[Friesland|FR]])<br/>''Eijerlandsegat''
 | East      = ''[[Wadden Sea]]'' / [[Harlingen, Netherlands|Harlingen]]&nbsp;([[Friesland|FR]])
 | Southeast = ''[[Wadden Sea]]''<br/>[[Hollands Kroon]]
 | South     = ''[[Marsdiep]]''<br/>[[Den Helder]]
 | Southwest = [[Noorderhaaks]]
 | Northwest = ''[[North Sea]]''
}}
{{North Holland Province}}
{{Frisian Islands}}
{{Dutch municipality Texel}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Texel| ]]
[[Category:Islands of North Holland]]
[[Category:Municipalities of North Holland]]
[[Category:West Frisian Islands]]