connected by deep tidal creeks. Föhr, like its neighbour islands, is a popular tourist resort. From the ferry terminal a sandy beach of about 15 km length extends all along Föhr's southern shore and halfway up the western coast. North and northwest of Föhr the Reserved Area I of the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park is located. Föhr's population counts 8,592 (as of 1 December 2010). The only town on the island is Wyk on its south-eastern coast which is a popular seaside resort. In addition there are sixteen small villages on Föhr which are distributed among eleven municipalities. They adhere to the Amt Föhr-Amrum: Alkersum (Fering: Aalkersem) Borgsum (Borigsem) Dunsum (Dunsem), comprising Lesser and Greater Dunsum Midlum (Madlem) Nordseebad Nieblum (Njiblem) with its neighbourhood Goting (Guating) Oevenum (Ööwnem) Oldsum (Olersem) with the districts of Toftum (Taftem) and Klintum (Klantem) Süderende (Söleraanj) Nordseebad Utersum (Ödersem) with the hamlet of Hedehusum (Hedehüsem) Witsum (Wiisem) Wrixum (Wraksem) A local peculiarity is that almost all place names end with the suffix -um, which means "home". Climate Föhr features a moderate oceanic climate. The beneficial effects of the local climate and seawater on certain medical conditions inspired the physician Carl Haeberlin (1870–1954) from Wyk to develop treatments for climatotherapy and thalassotherapy at the beginning of the 20th century. He became the pioneer of these disciplines in Germany. History The higher geestland cores of the North Frisian islands, scattered between ample marshlands, attracted settlers when the sea level rose at the end of the Neolithic. Gravesites and several minor artifacts found on Föhr bear witness to this. When the Frisians colonised the area of modern Nordfriesland during the 7th century, their first settlements were erected on Föhr, according to archaeological findings. The formerly sparsely inhabited island witnessed a steep rise of population. A rather large amount of jewellery originating from Scandinavia that was found in graves of the time points out a vivid connection to northern Europe. From the age of the Vikings, several ring walls, the Lembecksburg among them, are preserved. The Danish Census Book of King Valdemar II of Denmark tells of two Harden on Föhr, which were territorial subdivisions of the time. The Westerharde Föhr was at times the refuge of a pirate serving the Danish. In 1368 the Westerharde, which also included Amrum, was transferred to the Counts of Holstein under the supervision of the knight Klaus Lembeck, bailiff of Ribe.