Abruka is an 8.78 km²

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

in the

Gulf of Riga The Gulf of Riga, Bay of Riga, or Gulf of Livonia ( lv, Rīgas līcis, et, Liivi laht) is a bay of the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Estonia. The island of Saaremaa (Estonia) partially separates it from the rest of the Baltic Sea. The main con ...

, 4 km south of the island of

Saaremaa Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring . The main island of Saare County, it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hiiumaa island and west of Muhu island, and belongs to the West Estonian Archipelago. The capital of the island i ...

. Together with few neighbouring smaller islands (

Vahase Vahase is a Estonian islet in the Gulf of Riga. It's located about west of the island of Abruka. Administratively Vahase belongs to the Abruka village in Lääne-Saare Parish, Saare County. Vahase arose from the sea about thousand years ago. T ...

Kasselaid Kasselaid is a uninhabited Estonian islet in the Gulf of Riga. It is located about east of the island of Abruka. Administratively Kasselaid belongs to the Abruka village in Lääne-Saare Parish, Saare County. See also * List of islands of Es ...

Linnusitamaa Linnusitamaa (also known as Linnusita saar) is a uninhabited Estonian islet in the Gulf of Riga. It's located about south of the island of Abruka. Administratively Linnusitamaa belongs to the Abruka village in Lääne-Saare Parish, Saare County ...

and

Kirjurahu This is an ''incomplete'' list of islands of Estonia. There are 2355 islands in total. Largest islands Incomplete list See also *List of islands in the Baltic Sea *List of islands Notes References {{Authority control Estonia ...

) Abruka forms the village of Abruka, which is part of

Saaremaa Parish Saaremaa Municipality, also known as Saaremaa Rural Municipality ( et, Saaremaa vald), is a municipality in Saare County in western Estonia. It is the largest municipality in Estonia by land area. The administrative centre of the municipality is i ...

Saare County Saare County ( et, Saare maakond or ''Saaremaa''; la, Oesel; german: Ösel; sv, Ösel) is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It consists of Saaremaa, the largest island of Estonia, and several smaller islands near it, most notably Muhu, Ruhnu, Abru ...

. (retrieved 28 July 2021) The village has a population of 33 (as of 1 January 2011) and an area of 10.1 km². The first records about the population on Abruka originate from the Middle Ages, when the Bishop of Ösel-Wiek founded a

horse breeding Horse breeding is reproduction in horses, and particularly the human-directed process of selective breeding of animals, particularly purebred horses of a given breed. Planned matings can be used to produce specifically desired characteristics in ...

manor () there. Permanent population developed in the 18th century. 1881–1972 an elementary school operated on Abruka. Abruka is the site of a Central European-type

broadleaf forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

, which is rare in the region. To protect this a nature reserve was created in 1937. There's a library (located in the harbour building) and a museum which is located on the side of the former manor park in the oldest building on Abruka (The Abruka House). Abruka can be reached by postboat ''Heili'' from Roomassaare harbour in

Kuressaare Kuressaare () is a town on Saaremaa island in Estonia. It is the administrative centre of Saaremaa Parish and the capital of Saare County. Kuressaare is the westernmost town in Estonia. The recorded population on 1 January 2018 was 13,276. Th ...

. The twin writers

Jüri Tuulik Jüri Tuulik (22 February 1940 Abruka island, Saare County – 3 June 2014 Kuressaare) was an Estonian writer and playwright. In 1963 he graduated from Tartu State University in Estonian philology. After graduating he worked at the newspapers ''E ...

and

Ülo Tuulik Ülo Tuulik (born 22 February 1940, in Abruka Island, Saare County) is an Estonian writer. In 1963 he graduated from Tartu State University in philology. 1964-1966 he was the chairman of Young Authors' Association in Tallinn. Since 1974 he was a ...

(born 1940) were born on Abruka.

Gallery

File:Abruka OnEarth WMS.png, Satellite image of Abruka. File:Abruka salumets.jpg, Grove forest in spring. File:Abruka salumets juunikuus.JPG, Grove forest in June. File:Abruka tulepaak ja tuletorn.jpg, Lighthouses of Abruka.

References

External links

www.abruka.eeAbruka.pri.ee
{{Authority control Estonian islands in the Baltic Villages in Saare County