Number of inhabitants (1 Jan 2003): 10.545; area: 116,48 km². Settlements:
Sint
Annaparochie (seat), Minnertsga, Oude Bildtzijl,
Sint Jacobiparochie, Vrouwenparochie,
Westhoek.
Minnertsga (Minnertsgea) was added in 1984, after the former municipality
of Barradeel was dissolved.
This municipality is a 'polder' in the old Middelzee, which in olden
days nearly split the present province of Friesland in half. Starting 1505
the sea made place for land. Building the dikes was mostly done by people
from South Holland, most of whom stayed there and until now they have retained
their own dialect ('Bilkerts').
Sierksma in 'Nederlands Vlaggenboek', 1962 [sie62]
writes:
This flag was adopted on 29 June 1955 by municipal decree. The tripartition
points at the three original parishies in this area; the triangle at the
geographical form of this polder which was dyked by Hollanders (from which
the colors of Zuidholland). The colors have been
derived too from the municipal COA: bottom white and blue reminds of the
COA of Westergo. The image of the flag
shows the geographical situation: the triangular polder in the mouth of
the old Middelzee (white), between the so-called Oudland (blue) and the
'Nijlân' (new land - green). Moreover one encounters in this flag
the colors of Oude Leije (RYB) and
Oude
Bildtzijl (VWR), whose flags are on Hesman's manuscript of 1708.
Jarig Bakker, 21 May 1999
There is a new municipality in the Province of Friesland - Waadhoeke,
proclaimed on 01.01.2018. It consists of the former municipalities of
Franekeradeel, het Bildt, Menameradiel and parts of Littenseradiel, which all
were dissolved on the same date. Vanja Poposki, 8 October 2019