Map of the Estonian archipelago (Saaremaa and Hiiumaa)

Saaremaa is the largest island (2673 km²) belonging to Estonia. It is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hiiumaa island, and belongs to the west Estonian archipelago. The capital of Saaremaa is Kuressaare, which has about 16,000 inhabitants; the whole island has about 40,000 inhabitants. Map Of Estonian archipelago (Saaremaa and Hiiumaa) from http://www. ... The Mergui Archipelago An archipelago is a landform which consists of a chain or cluster of islands. ... Tahkuranna the northern most part of Hiiumaa, Estonia Hiiumaa (Swedish, German: Dagö) is the second largest island belonging to Estonia. ... The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. ... Tahkuranna the northern most part of Hiiumaa, Estonia Hiiumaa (Swedish, German: Dagö) is the second largest island belonging to Estonia. ... The Mergui Archipelago An archipelago is a landform which consists of a chain or cluster of islands. ... County Saare County Mayor Urmas Treiel Area 14. ...

Saaremaa is the main island of Saare County, called Saaremaa or Saare maakond in Estonian. The Swedish and German name of the island is Ösel, while in Finnish it is called Saarenmaa - literally isle's land. Saare County, or Saare maakond, is a county or maakond of Estonia. ...

History

Main article: History of Estonia // Pre-history Chudes (proto-Estonians) and other Finnic tribes. ...

According to archeological finds, the territory of Saaremaa has been inhabited for at least five thousand years. In old Scandinavian sagas, Saaremaa is called Eysysla which means exactly the same as the name of the island in Estonian: the district (land) of island. This is the origin of the island's name in German and Swedish, Ösel, Danish, Øsel, and in Latin Osilia. The name Eysysla appears sometimes together with Adalsysla, 'the big land', perhaps 'Suuremaa' or 'Suur Maa' in Estonian which refers to mainland Estonia. Sagas talk about numerous skirmishes between islanders and vikings. Saaremaa was the wealthiest county of ancient Estonia and the home of notorious Estonian 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, then belonging to Denmark. In 1227 Saaremaa was conquered by the Livonian Order, but remained a hotbed of Estonian resistance. When the Order was defeated by the Lithuanian army in 1236, Saaremaa islanders rebelled. The conflict was ended by a treaty that was signed by the Osilians and the Master of the Order. The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia (Latvian: Indrika hronikas, Latin: Heinrici Cronicon Lyvoniae) is a historic document describing the history of Latvia and Estonia from 1180 to 1227. ... Events Henry III of England declares himself of age and assumes power Births September 30 - Pope Nicholas IV Deaths March 18 - Pope Honorius III (b. ... The Teutonic knights in Pskov in 1240. ... The Livonian Brothers of the Sword (Latin Fratres militiae Christi, literally the brothers of the army of Christ), also known as the Christ Knights, Sword Brethren or The Militia of Christ of Livonia, was a military order started in 1202 by Albert von Buxhövden, bishop of Riga (or Prince... // Events May 6 - Roger of Wendover, Benedictine monk and chronicler of St Albanss Abbey dies. ...

Part of Saaremaa was ruled directly by the Order, while another part was ruled by the semi-independent Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek. On 15 April 1560 the bishopric and Saaremaa were sold by the last prince-bishop to Denmark. The Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek (German: Bistum Ösel-Wiek, Estonian: Saare-Lääne piiskopkond) was a semi-independent principality in what is now Saare and Lääne counties of Estonia. ... April 15 is the 105th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (106th in leap years). ... Events February 27 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation of Scotland The first tulip bulb was brought from Turkey to the Netherlands. ...

In 1645, Saaremaa was ceded from Denmark to Sweden by the Treaty of Brömsebro. In 1721, along with the rest of Swedish Estonia, Saaremaa (then known by its Swedish name of Ösel) was ceded to Imperial Russia by the Treaty of Nystad, becoming a part of the Russian governorate-general of Estonia. // Events January 10 - Archbishop Laud executed on Tower Hill, London. ... The Treaty of Brömsebro of August 13, 1645 ended the Torstenson War between Sweden and Denmark-Norway, which had begun in 1643. ... // Events Pope Innocent XIII becomes pope Johann Sebastian Bach composes the Brandenburg Concertos April 4 - Robert Walpole becomes the first prime minister of Britain September 10 - Treaty of Nystad is signed, bringing an end to the Great Northern War November 2 - Peter I is proclaimed Emperor of All the Russias... Estonia was a dominion of Sweden from 1561 until 1719, when it was ceded to Russia in the Treaty of Nystad, following the outcome in the Great Northern War. ... Imperial Russia is the term used to cover the period of history from the expansion of Russia under Peter the Great, through the expansion of the Russian Empire from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean, to the deposal of Nicholas II of Russia, the last tsar, at the start... The Treaty of Nystad (1721), signed at the present-day Finnish town of Uusikaupunki (Swedish Nystad), ended the Great Northern War, in which Russia received the territories of Estonia, Livonia and Ingria, as well as much of Karelia and Tsar Peter I of Russia replaced King Frederick I of Sweden... Estonia became a governorate-general of Russia in 1710, when it was conquered from Sweden. ...

In the 20th century, Saaremaa was twice occupied by German forces. In World War I, the Estonian islands were conquered in October 1917 and occupied (Operation Albion) until the end of hostilities. Combatants Allied Powers: Russian Empire France British Empire Italy Empire of Japan United States Central Powers: Austria-Hungary German Empire Ottoman Empire Bulgaria Commanders Nicholas II Aleksei Brusilov Georges Clemenceau Joseph Joffre Ferdinand Foch Herbert Henry Asquith Douglas Haig John Jellicoe Victor Emmanuel III Luigi Cadorna Armando Diaz Woodrow Wilson... Operation Albion was the German military and naval operation in October 1917 to invade and occupy the Estonian islands of Saaremaa (Ösel), Hiiumaa {Dagö} and Muhu (Moon). ...

Estonia became independent after the October Revolution and the collapse of Imperial Russia. The new state was pressured into incorporation into the USSR in June 1940, as a result of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Nonaggression Pact. The Germans once again occupied the islands in 1941 (Operation Beowulf) and remained there until expelled by the Red Army in November 1944. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Imperial Russia is the term used to cover the period of history from the expansion of Russia under Peter the Great, through the expansion of the Russian Empire from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean, to the deposal of Nicholas II of Russia, the last tsar, at the start... State motto: Kõigi maade proletaarlased, ühinege Official language According to the constition, all languages were equal. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... Molotov (left), Ribbentrop (in black) and Stalin The Molotov-Ribbentrop pact, also known as the Hitler-Stalin pact or Nazi-Soviet pact, was a non-aggression treaty between Germany and Russia, or more precisely between the Soviet Union and the Third Reich. ... Operation Beowulf refers to two German plans to occupy the islands of Saaremaa, Hiiumaa and Muhu, off the Estonian east coast. ... The short forms Red Army and RKKA refer to the Workers and Peasants Red Army, (in Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия - Raboche-Krestyanskaya Krasnaya Armiya), the armed forces first organized by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War in 1918. ...

Estonian independence was regained on August 20, 1991 in the collapse of the Soviet Union. August 20 is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The rise of Gorbachev Although reform stalled between 1964–1982, the generational shift gave new momentum for reform. ...

Transport to Saaremaa

It is possible to reach Saaremaa by ferry from Virtsu on the Estonian mainland to Muhu island, which is itself connected to Saaremaa via a causeway. Saaremaa can also be reached using a ferry from Sõru on the island of Hiiumaa. The Pride of Rotterdam, One of the P&O Ferriess Flagships operating the Hull-Rotterdam Route A ferry is a boat or a ship carrying passengers, and sometimes their vehicles, on scheduled services. ... Muhu, also called Muhumaa, is an island in the Baltic Sea. ... The Hindenburgdamm rail causeway across the Wadden Sea to the island of Sylt in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated by a bank, usually across a broad body of water or wetland. ... Tahkuranna the northern most part of Hiiumaa, Estonia Hiiumaa (Swedish, German: Dagö) is the second largest island belonging to Estonia. ...

It is also possible to reach Saaremaa by ferry from Ventspils in Latvia. This service started in 2005 and is run by SSC Ferries. Ventspils (Russian: , formerly Виндава; German: Windau, Polish: Windawa, Livonian: Vǟnta) is a city in northwestern Latvia on the coast of the Baltic Sea. ...

There are regular bus services from Tallinn, Pärnu and Tartu on the mainland. County Harju County Mayor Jüri Ratas Area 159. ... County Pärnu County Mayor Mart Viisitamm Area 32. ... County Tartu County Mayor Laine Jänes Area 38. ...

An airfield exists at Kuressaare Airport. It is possible to fly from Kuressaare to Tallinn, and there are also seasonal flights to Pärnu and Stockholm. Finnair subsidiary Aero Airlines operates seasonal flights to Helsinki during the summer season [1]. There was an airfield at Asta (air base) during the Cold War. Kuressaare Airport (IATA: URE, ICAO: EEKE) is an airport in Estonia. ... Finnair Airbus A320-200 Finnair MD-11, decorated with Moomin characters Finnair is Finlands biggest airline and the national flag carrier. ... Aero Airlines is an airline based in Tallinn, Estonia. ... The Cold War was the period of protracted conflict and competition between the United States and the Soviet Union and their allies from the late 1940s until the late 1980s. ...

Plans to connect Saaremaa to the mainland either by bridge or tunnel are being studied. The project will cost at least 175 million euros and will be ready no sooner than 2014.

See also

• List of islands of Estonia
• List of islands in the Baltic Sea
• Kaali crater
• Saare County
• Extreme points of Europe

This is a list of islands of Estonia. ... This is a list of islands in the Baltic Sea. ... The main crater is nearly circular. ... Saare County, or Saare maakond, is a county or maakond of Estonia. ... This is a list of the extreme points of Europe, the points that are farther north, south, east or west than any other location on the continent. ...

External links

• Saaremaa
• Avies fly daily between Tallinn and Kuressaare
• Neomobile provide local bus services across the island

Coordinates: 58°25′N 22°30′E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...