 Aerial photo of Rottumeroog in 2011, withZuiderduintjes in the background | |
 Location of Rottumeroog in theWadden Sea | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 53°32′25″N6°34′55″E / 53.54028°N 6.58194°E /53.54028; 6.58194 |
| Archipelago | (West)Frisian Islands |
| Adjacent to | North Sea,Wadden Sea |
| Area | 265 ha (650 acres)[1] |
| Highest elevation | 12.0 m (39.4 ft)[1] |
| Administration | |
Netherlands | |
| Province | Groningen |
| Municipality | Het Hogeland |
| Demographics | |
| Population | Uninhabited |
Rottumeroog (Dutch pronunciation:[ˌrɔtʏmərˈoːx]ⓘ;West Frisian:Rottumereach) is anuninhabited island in theWadden Sea and is part of theNetherlands. The island is one of threeWest Frisian Islands in the province ofGroningen. It is situated between the islands ofRottumerplaat andBorkum.
The island originates from the 15th or 16th century. At first the island was used for agriculture by theSt. Juliana's Abbey fromRottum. Rottumeroog is now part of the natural reserveRottum and access to the island is prohibited, save for people with a special permit.
Rottumeroog is located at53°32′25″N6°34′55″E / 53.54028°N 6.58194°E /53.54028; 6.58194 in the municipality ofHet Hogeland in the north of the province ofGroningen in the north of theNetherlands. It is situated off the coast of Groningen's mainland and it is the easternmost island of theWest Frisian Islands in theWadden Sea, east of the island ofRottumerplaat, north of the island ofZuiderduintjes, and west of theEast Frisian island ofBorkum (Germany).
Rottumeroog does not have a solid core and slowly moves in southeastern direction as a result ofsea currents. On the north side, land is gradually washed away; on the south side, new land is forming. Rottumeroog had a surface area of 205 ha (510 acres) in 1995 and 265 ha (650 acres) in 2007.[1]
Between 1400 and 1540 CE, the island ofMonnikenlangenoog had split into the islands ofBosch and Rottumeroog. Bosch had disappeared in the 18th century, but Rottumeroog still remains today.[2]
The name Rottumeroog means literally 'Island of Rottum',[3] after the village ofRottum on the mainland of Groningen. The BenedictineSt. Juliana's Abbey in Rottum used to own two-thirds of the island and used it for their livestock. After theProtestant Reformation the island's rights transferred to the provinceGroningen before being sold to private persons in the 17th century.
Between 1706 and 1717,Donough MacCarthy, 4th Earl of Clancarty, having been banished from Ireland, owned and lived on the island.
The province bought the island back in 1738 due to back maintenance, eventually thecentral government took over. Until 1965 the island was inhabited by avogt and his family; since then the island has been uninhabited.[4]
Several buildings have been built on the island. In the 19th century the navigational beaconZeekaap Rottumeroog[5] was built. The structure is listed as anational heritage site (rijksmonument) since 1988 and was moved southwards in 1999.[4][6] Thevoogt had a house as well; this building was demolished in 1998 due to the encroaching North Sea.[1] In February 2014, the bird observation post was removed from the island.[7] Later in 2014 all remaining buildings on the islands, except for the Zeekaap Rottumeroog were removed due to the changing shape and position of the island.[4]
The future area of the island is uncertain. In 2012, the island broke into two during high tide, giving rise to the claim that the island might disappear in theEmsestuary in the near future.[8]
TheWadden Sea, in which Rottumeroog is situated, is aUNESCO World Heritage Site (natural criteria viii, ix, and x) since 2009.[9]
Together withRottumerplaat andZuiderduintjes, the island forms the natural reserveRottum. The island is generally not maintained, the shape and position are left for nature to change. The island is uninhabited and access is usually prohibited; several excursions to the islands are allowed each year under strict conditions.[1]
The island is home to birds andgrey seals.[10]
Media related toRottumeroog at Wikimedia Commons| West Frisian Islands (Netherlands) |
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| East Frisian Islands (Germany) |
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| Heligoland Bight (Germany) | |||||||
| North Frisian Islands (Germany) |
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| Danish Wadden Sea Islands (Denmark) |
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