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Saaremaa is the largest island in
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 ...
, 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 is
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 ...
, which in January 2018 had 13,276 inhabitants. The whole island had a recorded population in January 2020 of 31,435.


Etymology

In old Scandinavian sources, Saaremaa is called ''Eysysla'' and in the Icelandic Sagas ''Eysýsla'' ( Old Norse: ), meaning "the district (land) of island". The island is called ''Saaremaa'' in
Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also

...
, and in Finnish ''Saarenmaa''—literally "isle land" or "island land",Toomse, Liine. "10 Estonian Islands You Should Visit." http://www.traveller.ee/blog/tallinn/10-estonian-islands-you-should-visit. Retrieved 8 March 2016. i.e. the same as the Scandinavian name for the island. The old Scandinavian name is also the origin of the island's name in
Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...
''Øsel'',
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
and
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
''Ösel'', Gutnish ''Oysl'', and in Latin, ''Osilia''. In Latvian, the island is called ''Sāmsala'', which possibly means "the island of
Saami The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI, pronounced "Sammy") is an association of American manufacturers of firearms, ammunition, and components. SAAMI is an accredited standards developer that publishes several Americ ...
". Saaremaa may have been the historic Ultima Thule.


History

According to
archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
finds, the territory of Saaremaa has been inhabited from at least
5000 BCE The 5th millennium BC spanned the years 5000 BC to 4001 BC (c. 7 ka to c. 6 ka). It is impossible to precisely date events that happened around the time of this millennium and all dates mentioned here are estimates mostly based on geological an ...
. Nordic Iron Age
ship burials A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep Sea lane, waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally dist ...
, dated to AD 700–750, have been found in
Sõrve Peninsula Sõrve is a village in Harku Parish, Harju County in northern Estonia. (retrieved 27 July 2021) It has a population of 197 (as of 1 June 2010). Sõrve was first mentioned in 1241 as ''Serueueræ'' village in the Danish Census Book The Danish ...
. Sagas talk about numerous skirmishes between islanders and Vikings. Saaremaa was and the home of notorious pirates, sometimes called the Eastern Vikings. The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia describes a fleet of sixteen ships and five hundred Osilians ravaging the area that is now
southern Sweden South Sweden ( sv, Sydsverige) is a National Area ( sv, Riksområde) of Sweden. The National Areas are a part of the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) of Sweden. Geography South Sweden is situated in the southern part of its ...
, then belonging to Denmark. Probably around 1000,
Gunnar Hámundarson Gunnar Hámundarson () was a 10th-century Icelandic chieftain. He lived in Hlíðarendi in Fljótshlíð and is probably better known as Gunnar of Hlíðarendi ( non, Gunnarr á Hlíðarenda). He features prominently in the first half of Njá ...
from Iceland took part in a Viking raid at Eysýsla (Saaremaa). There he obtained his famous
atgeir An atgeir, sometimes called a "mail-piercer" or "hewing-spear", was a type of polearm in use in Viking Age Scandinavia and Norse colonies in the British Isles and Iceland. The word is related to the old norse ''geirr'', meaning spear. It is usua ...
, by taking it from a man named Hallgrímur. Njáls saga tells the following: The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia describes a fleet of sixteen ships and five hundred pirates from Saaremaa ravaging the area that is now southern
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, then belonging to Denmark. The XIVth book of Gesta Danorum, Saxo Grammaticus describes a subsequent battle on Öland in 1170 in which the Danish king Valdemar I mobilized his entire fleet to curb the incursions of pirates from "
Couronia Courland (; lv, Kurzeme; liv, Kurāmō; German and Scandinavian languages: ''Kurland''; la, Curonia/; russian: Курляндия; Estonian: ''Kuramaa''; lt, Kuršas; pl, Kurlandia) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands in western Latvia. ...
" (Courland) and Saaremaa. Perhaps the most renowned raid by the inhabitants of Saaremaa occurred in 1187, with the attack on the Swedish town of Sigtuna (other candidates as raiders are Karelians and Curonians). Among the casualties of this raid was the Swedish archbishop Johannes. Archaeological excavations have not verified the traditions of destruction of the town. Normal life in Sigtuna continued until town started to slowly lose its importance during 13th century due to navigability problems caused by post-glacial rebound.Enn Tarvel (2007)

''Sigtuna hukkumine''. Haridus, 2007 (7-8), p 38–41
In 1227, Saaremaa was conquered by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword during the Livonian Crusade but the resistance of the local inhabitants remained strong. The crusaders founded the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek there. When the Order was defeated by the
Lithuanian Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...
army in the
Battle of Saule The Battle of Saule ( lt, Saulės mūšis / Šiaulių mūšis; german: Schlacht von Schaulen; lv, Saules kauja) was fought on 22 September 1236, between the Livonian Brothers of the Sword and pagan troops of Samogitians and Semigallians. Betwe ...
in 1236, the Saaremaa islanders rebelled. The conflict was ended by a treaty that was signed by the Osilians and the Master of the Order. In the following year, the Sword-Brothers were absorbed into the Teutonic Order. As the crusaders' hold on Saaremaa got stronger, Christianity also became more established on the island, and to this day Saaremaa has a unique set of medieval churches in
Kaarma Kaarma (german: Karmel) is a village in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County, on the island of Saaremaa, Estonia. (retrieved 28 July 2021) The Estonian communist politician Viktor Kingissepp was born here in 1888. Before the administrative reform in 20 ...
,
Karja Karja is a village in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County in western Estonia. Before the administrative reform in 2017, the village was in Leisi Parish. German philologist Kurt Treu Kurt Treu (15 September 1928 in Karja, Saare County, Estonia – 6 J ...
, Kihelkonna, Muhu,
Pöide Pöide (german: Peude) is a village in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County, on the eastern part of Saaremaa Island, Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the n ...
, Püha and Valjala churches. The crusader's fortress
Kuressaare Castle Kuressaare Castle ( et, Kuressaare linnus; german: Schloss Arensburg), also Kuressaare Episcopal Castle, ( et, Kuressaare piiskopilinnus), is a castle in Kuressaare on Saaremaa island, in western Estonia. History The earliest written record men ...
, known in German as Schloss Arensburg, was built by the Teutonic Order for the bishops of Ösel-Wiek (Estonian: Saare-Lääne). Construction began in 1380 and it is one of the most well-preserved medieval castles in Estonia and bears testimony to the late Medieval Age. During the 14th–16th centuries, and possibly earlier, local inhabitants started to expand across the Baltic Sea into surrounding areas thus establishing villages at Livonian coast. Most of Saaremaa was ruled directly by the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek, while some parts were enfeoffed to the Livonian Order. In 1559, the bishopric and Saaremaa were sold to Denmark, becoming part of Danish Estonia. From 1570 until 1645 the entire island was under Danish possession. In 1645, Saaremaa was ceded from Denmark to
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
by the Treaty of Brömsebro. In 1721, along with the rest of Livonia, Saaremaa (then known by its Swedish name of Ösel) was ceded to the Russian Empire by the Treaty of Nystad, becoming a part of the Governorate of Livonia. In 1840 the first spa opened in Kuressaare (then known as Arensburg), and the town experienced renaissance and became a resort for Russians and Baltic Germans. In World War I, the Estonian islands were conquered by
Imperial German Army The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (german: Deutsches Heer), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the l ...
in October 1917 (
Operation Albion Operation Albion was a World War I German air, land and naval operation against the Russian forces in October 1917 to occupy the West Estonian Archipelago. The land campaign opened with German landings at the Tagalaht bay on the island of S ...
) and remained occupied by Germans until the end of hostilities in November 1918. Thereafter Saaremaa became part of the newly independent
Republic of Estonia A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
. Most of the local Baltic German population of the island was resettled to Germany following the August 1939 Nazi-Soviet Pact. During World War II, the island was first occupied by the Soviet Red Army in June 1940 and, along with the rest of Estonian territory, formally annexed into the Stalinist USSR in August 1940. The island was then invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany in 1941 (
Operation Beowulf Operation Beowulf refers to two German plans to occupy the islands of Saaremaa, Hiiumaa and Muhu, off the Estonian west coast. Both plans had the same objectives but assumed differing start points. The attack, using ''Beowulf II'', started on ...
). German troops were expelled and the island was reoccupied by the Soviet Red Army in the
Moonzund Landing Operation The Moonsund landing operation (russian: Моонзундская десантная операция; et, Lääne-Eesti saarte kaitsmine), also known as the Moonzund landing operation, was an amphibious operation and offensive by the Red Ar ...
in October and November 1944. In 1946, the Soviet military authorities declared Saaremaa a restricted zone closed to all non-local civilians, i.e., mainland Estonians and foreigners. It remained a restricted area until 1989. Estonia regained independence in August 1991.


Geography

The island forms the main barrier between the Gulf of Riga and the Baltic Sea. To the south of it is the main passage out of the gulf, the Irbe Strait, next to
Sõrve Peninsula Sõrve is a village in Harku Parish, Harju County in northern Estonia. (retrieved 27 July 2021) It has a population of 197 (as of 1 June 2010). Sõrve was first mentioned in 1241 as ''Serueueræ'' village in the Danish Census Book The Danish ...
, the southernmost portion of the island. In medieval times islanders crossed the strait to form fishing villages on the Livonian coast, notably Pitrags. In those days it was easier and quicker to cross the strait towards nearby Kolka, Saunags or Mazirbe, than travel by horse large distances inland. The highest point on the island is 54 m above sea level. The Kaali crater is on the island. The island has much forested terrain. One of the symbols of the island is the
juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...
.


Nature

More than 10,000 years ago the first parts of Saaremaa arose from the
Baltic Ice Lake The Baltic Ice Lake is a name given by geologists to a freshwater lake that evolved in the Baltic Sea basin as glaciers retreated from that region at the end of the last ice age. The lake existed between 12,600 and 10,300 years Before Present ...
. The uplift of the Earth's crust is continuing even today at a rate of per year. The West Estonian islands are low-lying plains resting on limestone; their average elevation is roughly above sea level. Limestone has become denuded in a great number of places, resulting in cliffs, limestone pits and quarries at
Mustjala Mustjala is a village in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County in 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 Fin ...
,
Ninase Ninase is a village in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County in western Estonia. Before the administrative reform in 2017, the village was in Mustjala Parish. The Saaremaa Harbour is located in Ninase. Ninase village is located on Ninase peninsula wh ...
, Pulli, Üügu and Kaugatuma. Because of its mild maritime climate and a variety of soils, Saaremaa has a rich flora, illustrated by the fact that 80% of the plant species found in Estonia are represented here. Altogether 1200 species of vascular plants can be found in Saaremaa. About 120 of the local plant species are rare ones that have received special protection status. The most famous endemic species is
Rhinanthus osiliensis ''Rhinanthus osiliensis'', in English known by the common name Saaremaa yellow rattle, is a flowering plant in the genus ''Rhinanthus'' in the family Orobanchaceae. It is endemic to the Estonian island Saaremaa in the Baltic Sea. Plants growing ...
, a rare little flower growing mostly in spring fens. Rare and beautiful flowers are widespread; out of the 36 species found in Estonia, 35 of them are found on Saaremaa and its adjacent islands. Over 40% of Saaremaa is covered with forests, most of which are mixed forests, but in some areas, one can find broad-leaved (deciduous) trees, which are relicts of plant communities of former milder climatic periods.
Wooded meadow Wooded meadows (also named ''wood-meadows'', ''park meadows'', etc.) are ecosystems in temperate forest regions. They are sparse natural stands with a regularly mown herbaceous layer. While frequent throughout Europe during the Medieval period an ...
s were common in Saaremaa before World War II, but many of these unique natural complexes have gradually become overgrown and thus converted into the ordinary forest. The same is true for alvars (limestone areas covered with thin soil and stunted vegetation). Once a typical and exclusive landscape element in Saaremaa alvars are now in decline. Nature conservation planning for Saaremaa now includes protection of the largest and most unusual alvar areas. Saaremaa has a wide variety of rare wildlife species, ranging from insects to seals. The smallest protected wildlife species in terms of size include the clouded apollo butterflies and
Roman snail ''Helix pomatia'', common names the Roman snail, Burgundy snail, or escargot, is a species of large, edible, air-breathing land snail, a pulmonate gastropod terrestrial mollusc in the family Helicidae.MolluscaBase eds. (2021). MolluscaBase. ...
s. The coastal areas of Saaremaa are well-known seal habitats; in fact, the indigenous gray seal can be found in three large permanent resting areas on the islets off the coast in the western and southern parts of Saaremaa. Nowadays, the local population of said seals is slightly increasing. Ringed seals can be encountered everywhere in the coastal waters of Saaremaa but, because of their timidity, it has not been possible to make an estimation of their number. The islands lie in the
East Atlantic Flyway The East Atlantic Flyway is a migration route used by about 90 million birds annually, passing from their breeding areas in the United States, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Siberia and northern Europe to wintering areas in western Europe and on to sou ...
, a migration path of waterfowl. This "bird road" connects northeastern Europe with Arctic regions. Each year hundreds of thousands of migratory birds visit Saaremaa in spring and autumn. The barnacle goose,
mute swan The mute swan (''Cygnus olor'') is a species of swan and a member of the waterfowl family Anatidae. It is native to much of Eurosiberia, and (as a rare winter visitor) the far north of Africa. It is an introduced species in North America, home ...
, whooper swan, eider, shelduck and a great many other bird species have been given protection status. But on the whole, the islands are somewhat poorer in wildlife species than the mainland. Neither mole,
mink Mink are dark-colored, semiaquatic, carnivorous mammals of the genera ''Neogale'' and '' Mustela'' and part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, otters, and ferrets. There are two extant species referred to as "mink": the A ...
, nor
otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes wea ...
can be found here, whilst the Eurasian lynx and the brown bear are infrequent guests.


Kaali Meteorite

Kaali is a small group of nine unique
meteorite A meteorite is a solid piece of debris from an object, such as a comet, asteroid, or meteoroid, that originates in outer space and survives its passage through the atmosphere to reach the surface of a planet or Natural satellite, moon. When the ...
craters Crater may refer to: Landforms * Impact crater, a depression caused by two celestial bodies impacting each other, such as a meteorite hitting a planet * Explosion crater, a hole formed in the ground produced by an explosion near or below the surf ...
on Saaremaa. The largest of the craters measures in diameter and contains a small lake, known as ''Kaali järv'' ("Lake Kaali"). The meteor cluster had an impact velocity of and a mass of . At the altitude of the meteor broke into pieces. The largest fragment produced the main crater with a depth of . Eight smaller craters with diameters ranging from and depths varying from are all within of the main crater. The age estimates of the crater vary, with 4000 ± 1000 BCE being a commonly accepted estimate, though other estimates suggest the explosion was as recent as 660 ± 85 BCE. The energy of the impact—about 80 TJ (20 kilotons of TNT), comparable with the
Hiroshima bomb "Little Boy" was the type of atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 during World War II, making it the first nuclear weapon used in warfare. The bomb was dropped by the Boeing B-29 Superfortress ''Enola Gay'' p ...
)—burned forests within a radius of of the impact site. There are numerous legends related to the crater; these are summarized by
Lennart Meri Lennart Georg Meri (; 29 March 1929 – 14 March 2006) was an Estonian politician, writer, and film director. He served as the second president of Estonia from 1992 to 2001. Meri was among the leaders of the movement to restore Estonian independ ...
in his book ''Hõbevalge''.


Resources

Dolomite Dolomite may refer to: *Dolomite (mineral), a carbonate mineral *Dolomite (rock), also known as dolostone, a sedimentary carbonate rock *Dolomite, Alabama, United States, an unincorporated community *Dolomite, California, United States, an unincor ...
, limestone,
curative mud A mud bath is a bath of mud, commonly found in areas where hot spring water can combine with volcanic ash. Mud baths have a long history that dates back thousands of years. Mud baths are conceived as public bathing spaces created in open areas ...
, mineral water, ceramic clay, sand, and
gravel Gravel is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally throughout the world as a result of sedimentary and erosive geologic processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone. Gravel is classifi ...
are the major local resources. Of these local resources, dolomite is perhaps the most famous above all.


Characteristics

The majority of the island's population is
Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also

...
(97%). The two most numerous ethnic minorities, Russians and Finns, together comprise less than 3% of the inhabitants. Compared to the Republic of Estonia on the whole, the population of Saare County and particularly of
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 ...
town is younger, whereas the number of the retired people is considerably smaller. Saaremaa is located in the heart of the
Baltic region The terms Baltic Sea Region, Baltic Rim countries (or simply the Baltic Rim), and the Baltic Sea countries/states refer to slightly different combinations of countries in the general area surrounding the Baltic Sea, mainly in Northern Europe. ...
, which is one of the most rapidly growing markets in Europe, with 70 million consumers. The island's "Gates to the West" include the reconstructed Kuressaare Airport and
Roomassaare Harbour 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 operation of modern ferries between Saaremaa and the Estonian mainland, and the rapid development of the telecommunications. Saaremaa is also a significant tourist destination, revisited by 35% of foreign and 95% of domestic tourists.


Transportation

Saaremaa is reached by
TS Laevad ''TS Laevad'' ("TS Ships") is an Estonian ferry company which operates two routes between the Estonian mainland and the islands of Hiiumaa and Muhu in the Baltic Sea. (Muhu is connected by a causeway to Estonia's largest island, Saaremaa). The ...
's ferries from
Virtsu Virtsu is a small borough (') in Lääneranna Parish, Pärnu County, Estonia. It lies on the western coast of continental Estonia, and is a location of the main port for traffic to and from Saaremaa, the largest island of Estonia. The Virtsu fe ...
on the Estonian mainland to Kuivastu on Muhu island, which is itself connected to Saaremaa by a
causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet Tra ...
, the
Väinatamm Väinatamm is the name of the largest causeway in Estonia on the Estonian national road 10. The causeway, opened in 1896, connects the island of Muhu, located between Saaremaa and the continent, with Saaremaa. Construction of the causeway cut the ...
. Saaremaa can also be reached by ferry from
Sõru Sõru is a village in Hiiumaa Parish, Hiiu County in northwestern Estonia. Sõru harbour is located in the neighboring Pärna village. A ferry service operates to Triigi on Saaremaa Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring ...
on the island of Hiiumaa to Triigi. There are also passenger services from Roomassaare to the smaller island of Abruka. During many winters it is possible to drive to Saaremaa by an ice road between the mainland and Muhu or between Saaremaa and the island of Hiiumaa. There are regular bus services from Tallinn, Pärnu and
Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after the Northern European country's political and financial capital, Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 91,407 (as of 2021). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of ...
on the mainland, which use the ferry from Virtsu to Muhu. There is an airport at
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 ...
with regular flights to Tallinn operated by
Transaviabaltika Transaviabaltika is a Lithuanian charter airline based at Kaunas Airport. Operations Transaviabaltika provides PSO services to the island of Hiiumaa in Estonia. Transaviabaltika also operates Savonlinna - Helsinki - Savonlinna PSO passenger r ...
. In the summer season there are regular service to
Ruhnu Ruhnu ( sv, Runö; german: Runö; lv, Roņu sala) is an Estonian island in the Gulf of Riga in the Baltic Sea. It is administratively part of Saare County but is geographically closer to the Latvian mainland. At , it has currently fewer than 100 ...
and Pärnu operated by
Luftverkehr Friesland Harle Luftverkehr Friesland-Harle, commonly abbreviated LFH, was a small airline based in Wangerland, Germany, that was established in 1983 and had 30 employees (at March 2007). It operated scheduled and chartered passenger and cargo flights, linking H ...
, and a twice weekly service to
Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
operated by Estonian Air. Historically there was a Soviet air base at
Aste Aste or ASTE may refer to: * Aste (rapper) (born 1985), Finnish rapper * Aste, Estonia, a borough in Kaarma Parish, Saare County, Estonia * Aste village, Estonia, A village in Kaarma Parish, Saare County, Estonia * Aste, India, a village in Belgau ...
during the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
. Plans to connect Saaremaa to the mainland either by the
Saaremaa Bridge 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 ...
or Saaremaa Tunnel are being studied.


Sport

FC Kuressaare competes in the first tier of Estonian football, the Meistriliiga. Saaremaa competes in the biannual
Island Games The Island Games (currently known as the NatWest International Island Games for sponsorship reasons) are biennial international multi-sports events organised by the International Island Games Association (IIGA). Competitor teams each represent d ...
. There are three main international traditional sport events in Saaremaa: # Saaremaa Rally takes place every year in October and attracts thousands of rally fans. The first rally was an amateur competition and it took place in 1974. The first professional competition took place in 1975 and from 1993 the rally has been international. # # Saaremaa Velotuur is a group race of road cyclists that is oldest in the Nordic countries (held since 1957) and the only international one in the Baltic states. # # Saaremaa three-day running marathon takes place on the roads around Kuressaare town and Sõrve peninsula. The main race consists of three different runs, which are held on three sequential days (10+16,195+16=42,195 km). The first marathon was held in 1974.


Notable people

* Hannibal Sehested (1609–1666), Dano-Norwegian statesman and son-in-law of King Christian IV. * Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen (1778–1852), leader of the second expedition to successfully cross the Antarctic Circle. *
Louis Isadore Kahn Louis Isadore Kahn (born Itze-Leib Schmuilowsky; – March 17, 1974) was an Estonian-born American architect based in Philadelphia. After working in various capacities for several firms in Philadelphia, he founded his own atelier in 1935. Whi ...
(1901–1974), one of the most influential architects of mid-20th century. * Paul F. Saagpakk (1910–1996), author of the largest Estonian-English dictionary (published in 1982). * Ott Tänak (born 1987), rally driver currently competing for
Hyundai Hyundai is a South Korean industrial conglomerate ("chaebol"), which was restructured into the following groups: * Hyundai Group, parts of the former conglomerate which have not been divested ** Hyundai Mobis, Korean car parts company ** Hyundai ...
at the World Rally Championship, 2019 world drivers' champion


Gallery

File:Panga-pank.jpg, The cliffs near the village of
Panga Panga or panga seabream is the common South African name for ''Pterogymnus laniarius'', a small, ocean-dwelling fish, native to the southeast Atlantic Ocean and southwest Indian Ocean. Alternatively called "torpedo scads", they are cold-blood ...
on the north coast of Saaremaa File:National clothes in Saare countyIMGP6244.JPG, Women in traditional Saaremaa dress performing a folk dance File:Kuressaare-linnus, 2010.jpg,
Kuressaare Castle Kuressaare Castle ( et, Kuressaare linnus; german: Schloss Arensburg), also Kuressaare Episcopal Castle, ( et, Kuressaare piiskopilinnus), is a castle in Kuressaare on Saaremaa island, in western Estonia. History The earliest written record men ...
in winter File:Kuressaare-1.JPG, Historic buildings near the center of
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 ...
File:Loode tammik Saaremaal.jpg, Saaremaa countryside File:Old farmhouse.JPG, Farmhouse in Järveküla File:TagalahtBayPanorama.jpg,
Tagalaht Tagalaht ( sv, Taggaviken) is a bay in the Baltic Sea, on the north-west coast of Saaremaa Island in Estonia, situated between the Tagamõisa Peninsula (german: Hundsort) and Ninase (Cape Ninnast). During World War I, the bay, guarded by Russian ...
Bay panorama File:Valjala kirik, 2007.jpg,
Valjala Church Saint Martin's Church of Valjala is a Lutheran church in Valjala, on the island of Saaremaa, Estonia. It is the oldest stone church on Saaremaa and possibly the oldest surviving church in Estonia. History 13th century Christianity was brought ...
File:Kihelkonna Mihkli kirik 2009.jpg,
Kihelkonna St. Michael's Church Kihelkonna St. Michael's Church, ( et, Kihelkonna Mihkli kirik) sometimes simply Kihelkonna Church, is a medieval Lutheran church on Saaremaa island in western Estonia. History The church was founded sometime around 1250 as a joint undertaking b ...
File:Karja kirik Leisi vallas Saaremaal.jpg, Karja Church in the village of
Linnaka Linnaka is a village in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County in western Estonia. Before the administrative reform in 2017, the village was in Leisi Parish. Karja church, dating from the Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages ...
File:Angla tuulikud Saaremaal.jpg, Angla windmills in Leisi Parish File:Kiipsaare leaning lighthouse.jpg, Kiipsaare leaning lighthouse File:Sõrve tuletorn 2013.jpg, Lighthouse at
Sõrve Peninsula Sõrve is a village in Harku Parish, Harju County in northern Estonia. (retrieved 27 July 2021) It has a population of 197 (as of 1 June 2010). Sõrve was first mentioned in 1241 as ''Serueueræ'' village in the Danish Census Book The Danish ...
File:Ring fort.JPG,
Kaarma Kaarma (german: Karmel) is a village in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County, on the island of Saaremaa, Estonia. (retrieved 28 July 2021) The Estonian communist politician Viktor Kingissepp was born here in 1888. Before the administrative reform in 20 ...
ring fort File:Pidula veskioja 02.jpg,
Odalätsi Odalätsi is a village in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County in western Estonia. Before the administrative reform in 2017, the village was in Kihelkonna Parish Kihelkonna Parish was a municipality in Saare County, Estonia. The parish included the ...
springs File:Hirved1.jpg, Red deer in winter near
Leisi Leisi is a small borough in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County in western Estonia. Before the administrative reform in 2017, the borough was administrative centre of Leisi Parish. File:Võlupe rändrahn, ostrov Saaremaa, Estonsko 6.jpg, Võlupe Glacia ...
File:Nasva klubi-saaremaa-andres larin.jpg, Nasva Club


See also

* List of islands of Estonia *
List of islands in the Baltic Sea This is a list of islands in the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea proper is bordered to the north by the Bothnian Sea and, further north, the Gulf of Bothnia, neither being part of the Baltic Sea proper. The eastern basins the Gulf of Finland and the ...
* Saare County * Œsel – Œsel (Œselia), ancient Estonian independent eldership in the present territory of Saare County * 4163 Saaremaa, asteroid


Notes


References


Further reading

* Taylor, N. with Karin T (2008). ''Saaremaa: a History and Travel Guide''. Tallinn: OÜ Greif.
Geotourism highlights of the Saaremaa and Hiiumaa islands
(2009) (23 mb pdf)


External links

*
VisitSaaremaa – Official Tourism page of Saaremaa and Muhu

Saaremaa

Saaremaa.org – #1 Saaremaa info portal

Saaremaa for tourists. Photos and stories.

Neomobile
provide local bus services across the island
Estonian Air
fly between Tallinn and Kuressaare
Watch Saaremaa online via webcam

Saaremaa
Estonica {{Authority control Estonian islands in the Baltic Gulf of Riga Kreis Ösel Landforms of Saare County