Frankfort

Frankfort, the capital of Kentucky, on the Kentucky River, 29 miles NW. of Lexington by rail. It contains a state-house built of Kentucky marble, the state library, penitentiary, distilleries, flour-mills, and a cotton-factory. Pop. 9892.

Frankfort-on-the-Oder

Frankfort-on-the-Oder, a town of Prussia, 51 miles ESE. of Berlin, is a handsome, well-built town, with three suburbs, one of which lies on the right bank of the Oder, and is connected with the remainder of the town by a wooden bridge. The university, founded in 1506, was in 1811 incorporated with that of Breslau. The manufactures embrace machines, hardware, organs, chemicals, stoneware, sugar, tobacco, spirits, leather, paper, etc. Pop. (1875) 47,176; (1900) 61,852. A flourishing member of the Hanseatic League in the 14th and 15th centuries, Frankfort since then has been several times besieged. At Kunersdorf, 4 1/2 miles E., on August 12, 1759, Frederick the Great suffered a great defeat from the Russo-Austrian forces.

Franklin

Franklin, capital of Venango county, Pennsylvania, on the Alleghany River, 123 miles by rail (65 direct) N. of Pittsburgh, with machine-shops, flour-mills, and oil-refineries. Its chief trade is in petroleum, obtained in the vicinity. Pop. 7221.

Franzensbad

Franzensbad, or Franzensbrunn, a watering-place on the north-west frontier of Bohemia, 3 miles NW. of Eger by rail. There are a number of mineral springs. Pop. 2308, increased by 7000 visitors during the season.

Franz-Josef Land

Franz-Josef Land, an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, north of Nova Zembla, between 80° and 83° N. lat. It consists of two large masses of land, Wilczek Land to the east, and Zichy Land to the west, separated by Austria Sound and its north-east arm, Rawlinson Sound. Between these sounds lies Rudolf Land, whilst to the north of this again comes Petermann Land, and to the north-west King Oscar Land. The southern shores are deeply indented with fjords ; and the whole archipelago, which rises into isolated flat-topped or dome-shaped mountains of basalt, 5000 feet high, is sheeted with ice. Owing to the open water round its shores in summer, and the comparative abundance of its animal life - bears, walruses, foxes, and numerous birds occurring - Franz-Josef Land is regarded as a favourable base whence to reach the North Pole. It was discovered and partly explored by Payer and Weyprecht in 1873-74; and its southern shores were explored by Leigh Smith in 1880-82.

Frascati

Frasca'ti, a town of Italy, with many splendid villas, 15 miles SB. of Rome by rail, stands on the slope of the Alban Hills, not far from the site of ancient Tusculum. Cardinal York was bishop of Frascati, and his brother, Charles Edward, died here in 1788. Pop. 7134.

Fraser or Great Sandy Island lies off the east coast of Queensland, in Australia.

Fraserburgh

Fraserburgh, a fishing-town of Aberdeenshire, 47 miles N. of Aberdeen by a branch line (1865). It stands on a bay, 2 1/2 miles wide, immediately south of Kinnaird Head, on which are the Frasers' old castle, a lighthouse now, and the mysterious 'Wine Tower,' with a cave below. It was founded as Faithlie in 1569 by Alexander Fraser of Philorth, Lord Saltoun's ancestor, and in 1601 was erected into the free port of Fraserburgh. There are a handsome town-house (1855), a restored market-cross, a public hall, etc. ; but hardly a trace remains of an abortive university (1592). The harbour has been much extended since 1855, and the rapid growth of the place is due to the development of the herring-fishery. Pop. (1861) 3472 ; (1901) 9105.