EstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by the Russian Federation...
's fourth largest
islandAn island or isle is any piece of land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls are called islets. A key or cay is another name for a small island or islet. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot, .There are two main types of islands:...
,
Vormsi , is located between
HiiumaaHiiumaa is the second largest island belonging to Estonia. It is located in the Baltic Sea, north of the island of Saaremaa, a part of the west Estonian archipelago . Its largest town is Kärdla....
and the mainland with a total area of 92 square kilometers. It is part of a rural
municipalityA Municipality is the smallest administrative subdivision of Estonia. Each municipality is a unit of self-government with its representative and executive bodies. The municipalities in Estonia cover the entire territory of the country....
with the same name in
Lääne CountyLääne County , or Läänemaa , is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in western Estonia and borders Baltic Sea to the north, Harju County to the north-east, Rapla County to the east, Pärnu County to the south, and the island counties of Saare and Hiiu to the west...
.
History
Vormsi's history as an inhabited island dates back as far as the 13th century. During most of its history, the island has been inhabited by
Estonian SwedesThe Estonian Swedes, Estonia-Swedes, or Coastal Swedes are a Swedish-speaking linguistic minority traditionally residing in the coastal areas and islands of what is now western and northern Estonia...
("rannarootslased" in
EstonianEstonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
or "coastal Swedes" in
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
), whose population reached 3,000 before
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During the war, nearly all of Vormsi's population, along with other Swedes living in Estonia, were evacuated, or fled, to Sweden. The island's current population is approximately 240 inhabitants.
The island's Estonian name Vormsi is derived from its
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
name Worms or its
SwedishSwedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the coast and on the Åland islands. It is to a considerable extent mutually intelligible with Norwegian and to a lesser extent with Danish...
name Ormsö ("snake island"). Swedish influence can also be seen in other placenames, as in villages like Hullo (the administrative center), Sviby (the main port), Söderby, Norrby, Diby, Rälby,
BorrbyBorrby is a locality situated in Simrishamn Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 947 inhabitants in 2005.- External links :* *...
, Kärrslätt, Saxby, Busby, Suuremõisa (Magnushof) and Rumpo; and lakes like Prästvik.
Literature
Gallery
EstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by the Russian Federation...
's fourth largest
islandAn island or isle is any piece of land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls are called islets. A key or cay is another name for a small island or islet. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot, .There are two main types of islands:...
,
Vormsi , is located between
HiiumaaHiiumaa is the second largest island belonging to Estonia. It is located in the Baltic Sea, north of the island of Saaremaa, a part of the west Estonian archipelago . Its largest town is Kärdla....
and the mainland with a total area of 92 square kilometers. It is part of a rural
municipalityA Municipality is the smallest administrative subdivision of Estonia. Each municipality is a unit of self-government with its representative and executive bodies. The municipalities in Estonia cover the entire territory of the country....
with the same name in
Lääne CountyLääne County , or Läänemaa , is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in western Estonia and borders Baltic Sea to the north, Harju County to the north-east, Rapla County to the east, Pärnu County to the south, and the island counties of Saare and Hiiu to the west...
.
History
Vormsi's history as an inhabited island dates back as far as the 13th century. During most of its history, the island has been inhabited by
Estonian SwedesThe Estonian Swedes, Estonia-Swedes, or Coastal Swedes are a Swedish-speaking linguistic minority traditionally residing in the coastal areas and islands of what is now western and northern Estonia...
("rannarootslased" in
EstonianEstonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
or "coastal Swedes" in
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
), whose population reached 3,000 before
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During the war, nearly all of Vormsi's population, along with other Swedes living in Estonia, were evacuated, or fled, to Sweden. The island's current population is approximately 240 inhabitants.
The island's Estonian name Vormsi is derived from its
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
name Worms or its
SwedishSwedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the coast and on the Åland islands. It is to a considerable extent mutually intelligible with Norwegian and to a lesser extent with Danish...
name Ormsö ("snake island"). Swedish influence can also be seen in other placenames, as in villages like Hullo (the administrative center), Sviby (the main port), Söderby, Norrby, Diby, Rälby,
BorrbyBorrby is a locality situated in Simrishamn Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 947 inhabitants in 2005.- External links :* *...
, Kärrslätt, Saxby, Busby, Suuremõisa (Magnushof) and Rumpo; and lakes like Prästvik.
Literature
Gallery
EstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by the Russian Federation...
's fourth largest
islandAn island or isle is any piece of land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls are called islets. A key or cay is another name for a small island or islet. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot, .There are two main types of islands:...
,
Vormsi , is located between
HiiumaaHiiumaa is the second largest island belonging to Estonia. It is located in the Baltic Sea, north of the island of Saaremaa, a part of the west Estonian archipelago . Its largest town is Kärdla....
and the mainland with a total area of 92 square kilometers. It is part of a rural
municipalityA Municipality is the smallest administrative subdivision of Estonia. Each municipality is a unit of self-government with its representative and executive bodies. The municipalities in Estonia cover the entire territory of the country....
with the same name in
Lääne CountyLääne County , or Läänemaa , is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in western Estonia and borders Baltic Sea to the north, Harju County to the north-east, Rapla County to the east, Pärnu County to the south, and the island counties of Saare and Hiiu to the west...
.
History
Vormsi's history as an inhabited island dates back as far as the 13th century. During most of its history, the island has been inhabited by
Estonian SwedesThe Estonian Swedes, Estonia-Swedes, or Coastal Swedes are a Swedish-speaking linguistic minority traditionally residing in the coastal areas and islands of what is now western and northern Estonia...
("rannarootslased" in
EstonianEstonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
or "coastal Swedes" in
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
), whose population reached 3,000 before
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During the war, nearly all of Vormsi's population, along with other Swedes living in Estonia, were evacuated, or fled, to Sweden. The island's current population is approximately 240 inhabitants.
The island's Estonian name Vormsi is derived from its
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
name Worms or its
SwedishSwedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the coast and on the Åland islands. It is to a considerable extent mutually intelligible with Norwegian and to a lesser extent with Danish...
name Ormsö ("snake island"). Swedish influence can also be seen in other placenames, as in villages like Hullo (the administrative center), Sviby (the main port), Söderby, Norrby, Diby, Rälby,
BorrbyBorrby is a locality situated in Simrishamn Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 947 inhabitants in 2005.- External links :* *...
, Kärrslätt, Saxby, Busby, Suuremõisa (Magnushof) and Rumpo; and lakes like Prästvik.
Literature
Gallery
EstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by the Russian Federation...
's fourth largest
islandAn island or isle is any piece of land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls are called islets. A key or cay is another name for a small island or islet. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot, .There are two main types of islands:...
,
Vormsi , is located between
HiiumaaHiiumaa is the second largest island belonging to Estonia. It is located in the Baltic Sea, north of the island of Saaremaa, a part of the west Estonian archipelago . Its largest town is Kärdla....
and the mainland with a total area of 92 square kilometers. It is part of a rural
municipalityA Municipality is the smallest administrative subdivision of Estonia. Each municipality is a unit of self-government with its representative and executive bodies. The municipalities in Estonia cover the entire territory of the country....
with the same name in
Lääne CountyLääne County , or Läänemaa , is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in western Estonia and borders Baltic Sea to the north, Harju County to the north-east, Rapla County to the east, Pärnu County to the south, and the island counties of Saare and Hiiu to the west...
.
History
Vormsi's history as an inhabited island dates back as far as the 13th century. During most of its history, the island has been inhabited by
Estonian SwedesThe Estonian Swedes, Estonia-Swedes, or Coastal Swedes are a Swedish-speaking linguistic minority traditionally residing in the coastal areas and islands of what is now western and northern Estonia...
("rannarootslased" in
EstonianEstonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
or "coastal Swedes" in
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
), whose population reached 3,000 before
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During the war, nearly all of Vormsi's population, along with other Swedes living in Estonia, were evacuated, or fled, to Sweden. The island's current population is approximately 240 inhabitants.
The island's Estonian name Vormsi is derived from its
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
name Worms or its
SwedishSwedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the coast and on the Åland islands. It is to a considerable extent mutually intelligible with Norwegian and to a lesser extent with Danish...
name Ormsö ("snake island"). Swedish influence can also be seen in other placenames, as in villages like Hullo (the administrative center), Sviby (the main port), Söderby, Norrby, Diby, Rälby,
BorrbyBorrby is a locality situated in Simrishamn Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 947 inhabitants in 2005.- External links :* *...
, Kärrslätt, Saxby, Busby, Suuremõisa (Magnushof) and Rumpo; and lakes like Prästvik.
Literature
Gallery
EstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by the Russian Federation...
's fourth largest
islandAn island or isle is any piece of land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls are called islets. A key or cay is another name for a small island or islet. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot, .There are two main types of islands:...
,
Vormsi , is located between
HiiumaaHiiumaa is the second largest island belonging to Estonia. It is located in the Baltic Sea, north of the island of Saaremaa, a part of the west Estonian archipelago . Its largest town is Kärdla....
and the mainland with a total area of 92 square kilometers. It is part of a rural
municipalityA Municipality is the smallest administrative subdivision of Estonia. Each municipality is a unit of self-government with its representative and executive bodies. The municipalities in Estonia cover the entire territory of the country....
with the same name in
Lääne CountyLääne County , or Läänemaa , is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in western Estonia and borders Baltic Sea to the north, Harju County to the north-east, Rapla County to the east, Pärnu County to the south, and the island counties of Saare and Hiiu to the west...
.
History
Vormsi's history as an inhabited island dates back as far as the 13th century. During most of its history, the island has been inhabited by
Estonian SwedesThe Estonian Swedes, Estonia-Swedes, or Coastal Swedes are a Swedish-speaking linguistic minority traditionally residing in the coastal areas and islands of what is now western and northern Estonia...
("rannarootslased" in
EstonianEstonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
or "coastal Swedes" in
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
), whose population reached 3,000 before
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During the war, nearly all of Vormsi's population, along with other Swedes living in Estonia, were evacuated, or fled, to Sweden. The island's current population is approximately 240 inhabitants.
The island's Estonian name Vormsi is derived from its
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
name Worms or its
SwedishSwedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the coast and on the Åland islands. It is to a considerable extent mutually intelligible with Norwegian and to a lesser extent with Danish...
name Ormsö ("snake island"). Swedish influence can also be seen in other placenames, as in villages like Hullo (the administrative center), Sviby (the main port), Söderby, Norrby, Diby, Rälby,
BorrbyBorrby is a locality situated in Simrishamn Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 947 inhabitants in 2005.- External links :* *...
, Kärrslätt, Saxby, Busby, Suuremõisa (Magnushof) and Rumpo; and lakes like Prästvik.
Literature
Gallery
EstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by the Russian Federation...
's fourth largest
islandAn island or isle is any piece of land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls are called islets. A key or cay is another name for a small island or islet. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot, .There are two main types of islands:...
,
Vormsi , is located between
HiiumaaHiiumaa is the second largest island belonging to Estonia. It is located in the Baltic Sea, north of the island of Saaremaa, a part of the west Estonian archipelago . Its largest town is Kärdla....
and the mainland with a total area of 92 square kilometers. It is part of a rural
municipalityA Municipality is the smallest administrative subdivision of Estonia. Each municipality is a unit of self-government with its representative and executive bodies. The municipalities in Estonia cover the entire territory of the country....
with the same name in
Lääne CountyLääne County , or Läänemaa , is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in western Estonia and borders Baltic Sea to the north, Harju County to the north-east, Rapla County to the east, Pärnu County to the south, and the island counties of Saare and Hiiu to the west...
.
History
Vormsi's history as an inhabited island dates back as far as the 13th century. During most of its history, the island has been inhabited by
Estonian SwedesThe Estonian Swedes, Estonia-Swedes, or Coastal Swedes are a Swedish-speaking linguistic minority traditionally residing in the coastal areas and islands of what is now western and northern Estonia...
("rannarootslased" in
EstonianEstonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
or "coastal Swedes" in
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
), whose population reached 3,000 before
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During the war, nearly all of Vormsi's population, along with other Swedes living in Estonia, were evacuated, or fled, to Sweden. The island's current population is approximately 240 inhabitants.
The island's Estonian name Vormsi is derived from its
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
name Worms or its
SwedishSwedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the coast and on the Åland islands. It is to a considerable extent mutually intelligible with Norwegian and to a lesser extent with Danish...
name Ormsö ("snake island"). Swedish influence can also be seen in other placenames, as in villages like Hullo (the administrative center), Sviby (the main port), Söderby, Norrby, Diby, Rälby,
BorrbyBorrby is a locality situated in Simrishamn Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 947 inhabitants in 2005.- External links :* *...
, Kärrslätt, Saxby, Busby, Suuremõisa (Magnushof) and Rumpo; and lakes like Prästvik.
Literature
Gallery
EstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by the Russian Federation...
's fourth largest
islandAn island or isle is any piece of land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls are called islets. A key or cay is another name for a small island or islet. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot, .There are two main types of islands:...
,
Vormsi , is located between
HiiumaaHiiumaa is the second largest island belonging to Estonia. It is located in the Baltic Sea, north of the island of Saaremaa, a part of the west Estonian archipelago . Its largest town is Kärdla....
and the mainland with a total area of 92 square kilometers. It is part of a rural
municipalityA Municipality is the smallest administrative subdivision of Estonia. Each municipality is a unit of self-government with its representative and executive bodies. The municipalities in Estonia cover the entire territory of the country....
with the same name in
Lääne CountyLääne County , or Läänemaa , is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in western Estonia and borders Baltic Sea to the north, Harju County to the north-east, Rapla County to the east, Pärnu County to the south, and the island counties of Saare and Hiiu to the west...
.
History
Vormsi's history as an inhabited island dates back as far as the 13th century. During most of its history, the island has been inhabited by
Estonian SwedesThe Estonian Swedes, Estonia-Swedes, or Coastal Swedes are a Swedish-speaking linguistic minority traditionally residing in the coastal areas and islands of what is now western and northern Estonia...
("rannarootslased" in
EstonianEstonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
or "coastal Swedes" in
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
), whose population reached 3,000 before
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During the war, nearly all of Vormsi's population, along with other Swedes living in Estonia, were evacuated, or fled, to Sweden. The island's current population is approximately 240 inhabitants.
The island's Estonian name Vormsi is derived from its
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
name Worms or its
SwedishSwedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the coast and on the Åland islands. It is to a considerable extent mutually intelligible with Norwegian and to a lesser extent with Danish...
name Ormsö ("snake island"). Swedish influence can also be seen in other placenames, as in villages like Hullo (the administrative center), Sviby (the main port), Söderby, Norrby, Diby, Rälby,
BorrbyBorrby is a locality situated in Simrishamn Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 947 inhabitants in 2005.- External links :* *...
, Kärrslätt, Saxby, Busby, Suuremõisa (Magnushof) and Rumpo; and lakes like Prästvik.
Literature
Gallery
EstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by the Russian Federation...
's fourth largest
islandAn island or isle is any piece of land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls are called islets. A key or cay is another name for a small island or islet. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot, .There are two main types of islands:...
,
Vormsi , is located between
HiiumaaHiiumaa is the second largest island belonging to Estonia. It is located in the Baltic Sea, north of the island of Saaremaa, a part of the west Estonian archipelago . Its largest town is Kärdla....
and the mainland with a total area of 92 square kilometers. It is part of a rural
municipalityA Municipality is the smallest administrative subdivision of Estonia. Each municipality is a unit of self-government with its representative and executive bodies. The municipalities in Estonia cover the entire territory of the country....
with the same name in
Lääne CountyLääne County , or Läänemaa , is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in western Estonia and borders Baltic Sea to the north, Harju County to the north-east, Rapla County to the east, Pärnu County to the south, and the island counties of Saare and Hiiu to the west...
.
History
Vormsi's history as an inhabited island dates back as far as the 13th century. During most of its history, the island has been inhabited by
Estonian SwedesThe Estonian Swedes, Estonia-Swedes, or Coastal Swedes are a Swedish-speaking linguistic minority traditionally residing in the coastal areas and islands of what is now western and northern Estonia...
("rannarootslased" in
EstonianEstonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
or "coastal Swedes" in
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
), whose population reached 3,000 before
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During the war, nearly all of Vormsi's population, along with other Swedes living in Estonia, were evacuated, or fled, to Sweden. The island's current population is approximately 240 inhabitants.
The island's Estonian name Vormsi is derived from its
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
name Worms or its
SwedishSwedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the coast and on the Åland islands. It is to a considerable extent mutually intelligible with Norwegian and to a lesser extent with Danish...
name Ormsö ("snake island"). Swedish influence can also be seen in other placenames, as in villages like Hullo (the administrative center), Sviby (the main port), Söderby, Norrby, Diby, Rälby,
BorrbyBorrby is a locality situated in Simrishamn Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 947 inhabitants in 2005.- External links :* *...
, Kärrslätt, Saxby, Busby, Suuremõisa (Magnushof) and Rumpo; and lakes like Prästvik.
Literature
Gallery
EstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by the Russian Federation...
's fourth largest
islandAn island or isle is any piece of land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls are called islets. A key or cay is another name for a small island or islet. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot, .There are two main types of islands:...
,
Vormsi , is located between
HiiumaaHiiumaa is the second largest island belonging to Estonia. It is located in the Baltic Sea, north of the island of Saaremaa, a part of the west Estonian archipelago . Its largest town is Kärdla....
and the mainland with a total area of 92 square kilometers. It is part of a rural
municipalityA Municipality is the smallest administrative subdivision of Estonia. Each municipality is a unit of self-government with its representative and executive bodies. The municipalities in Estonia cover the entire territory of the country....
with the same name in
Lääne CountyLääne County , or Läänemaa , is one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is located in western Estonia and borders Baltic Sea to the north, Harju County to the north-east, Rapla County to the east, Pärnu County to the south, and the island counties of Saare and Hiiu to the west...
.
History
Vormsi's history as an inhabited island dates back as far as the 13th century. During most of its history, the island has been inhabited by
Estonian SwedesThe Estonian Swedes, Estonia-Swedes, or Coastal Swedes are a Swedish-speaking linguistic minority traditionally residing in the coastal areas and islands of what is now western and northern Estonia...
("rannarootslased" in
EstonianEstonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
or "coastal Swedes" in
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
), whose population reached 3,000 before
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. During the war, nearly all of Vormsi's population, along with other Swedes living in Estonia, were evacuated, or fled, to Sweden. The island's current population is approximately 240 inhabitants.
The island's Estonian name Vormsi is derived from its
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
name Worms or its
SwedishSwedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along the coast and on the Åland islands. It is to a considerable extent mutually intelligible with Norwegian and to a lesser extent with Danish...
name Ormsö ("snake island"). Swedish influence can also be seen in other placenames, as in villages like Hullo (the administrative center), Sviby (the main port), Söderby, Norrby, Diby, Rälby,
BorrbyBorrby is a locality situated in Simrishamn Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 947 inhabitants in 2005.- External links :* *...
, Kärrslätt, Saxby, Busby, Suuremõisa (Magnushof) and Rumpo; and lakes like Prästvik.
Literature
Gallery
Image:Norrby majakka.jpg
Image:Lehmihaka.jpg
Image:Vormsi-tuulimylly.jpg
Image:Metsänvartijanmökki1.jpg