The Väinameri ( Estonian for ''Strait Sea'' or ''Sea of Straits'') or Väinameri Sea is a

strait A strait is an oceanic landform connecting two seas or two other large areas of water. The surface water generally flows at the same elevation on both sides and through the strait in either direction. Most commonly, it is a narrow ocean channe ...

and sub- bay of the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from ...

, located between the

West Estonian Archipelago West Estonian archipelago ( et, Lääne-Eesti saarestik, also Moonsund archipelago) is a group of Estonian islands located in the Baltic Sea around Väinameri. The total area is about . The archipelago is composed of the islands Saaremaa, Hiium ...

and the Estonian mainland, within western

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 ...

. It is the northern section of 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 ...

, extending north to the eastern Baltic Sea. The area of the Väinameri Sea is about . The Väinameri Sea is home to the

Väinameri Conservation area The Väinameri Conservation Area (Estonian: ''Väinamere hoiuala'') is a protected area in Estonia. The Väinameri Conservation Area was established in 2007 to protect the ''Väinameri Conservation Area'' and the surrounding coastal area. The ...

Auklaid, Öakse laid, Saarnaki laid, Hanikatsi laid

References

Gulf of Riga Straits of the Baltic Sea Straits of Estonia Saaremaa {{Latvia-geo-stub