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Hiiumaa
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Hiiumaa
Hiiumaa (US: /ˈhiːʊmɑː, ˈhiːəmɑː/ HEE-uum-ah, -ə-mah, Estonian: [ˈhiːumɑː]) is the second largest island in Estonia and is part of the West Estonian archipelago, in the Baltic Sea. It has an area of 989 km2 and is 22 km from the Estonian mainland. Its largest town is Kärdla. It is located within Hiiu County.
Administratively Hiiumaa is the "main island" of the Hiiu County, called Hiiumaa or Hiiu maakond in Estonian. The Swedish name of the island is Dagö ('Day' island), Dagden in German, and Dagø in Danish. In modern Finnish, it is called Hiidenmaa, literally 'Hiisi's Land'. In Old Gutnish, it was Dagaiþ ('day isthmus'), from which the local North Germanic name Daë is derived.
Hiiumaa emerged from the Baltic Sea 8500 years ago due to isostatic uplift after the retreat of the ice cap. Mesolithic settlements are found on the island's Kõpu Peninsula from about 5500 BC. These settlements seem to be related mostly to seal hunting and extend into the earliest Neolithic. As Hiiumaa is constantly uplifting the local sea level was 20 m higher than today at this time. For this reason these settlements are located far from the modern coastline. The pottery found at these sites is of the Narva Type and is similar to that found on Saaremaa and the Estonian mainland.
A series of stone-cist graves are also present on the island from the Late Bronze Age through to the Late Iron Age.
The first documented record of the island of Dageida was made by contemporary chroniclers in 1228, when Hiiumaa and the rest of Estonia were conquered by Germanic crusaders. In 1254, Hiiumaa was divided between the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek and the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order, acting partly on behalf of the Hanseatic League.
The island was part of Sweden (Swedish Estonia) from 1563 to 1721, after which it passed to the Russian Empire as part of the Governorate of Estonia, though Dagö's Swedish population kept most of their privileges. Most of the island's previously numerous Swedish-speaking population emigrated or were "Estonianised" during the period of Imperial Russian rule, although a minority remained until the 20th century. Estonian Swedes are also known as aibofolke ("the island people" in the local Swedish) or rannarootslased ("coastal Swedes" in Estonian). Administratively the island of Hiiumaa belonged to Lääne County.
Hiiumaa was occupied during World War I by the Imperial German Army, in Operation Albion. After the war, in 1918, it became a part of independent Estonia.
The waters near Hiiumaa were active during World War II:
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Hiiumaa
Hiiumaa (US: /ˈhiːʊmɑː, ˈhiːəmɑː/ HEE-uum-ah, -ə-mah, Estonian: [ˈhiːumɑː]) is the second largest island in Estonia and is part of the West Estonian archipelago, in the Baltic Sea. It has an area of 989 km2 and is 22 km from the Estonian mainland. Its largest town is Kärdla. It is located within Hiiu County.
Administratively Hiiumaa is the "main island" of the Hiiu County, called Hiiumaa or Hiiu maakond in Estonian. The Swedish name of the island is Dagö ('Day' island), Dagden in German, and Dagø in Danish. In modern Finnish, it is called Hiidenmaa, literally 'Hiisi's Land'. In Old Gutnish, it was Dagaiþ ('day isthmus'), from which the local North Germanic name Daë is derived.
Hiiumaa emerged from the Baltic Sea 8500 years ago due to isostatic uplift after the retreat of the ice cap. Mesolithic settlements are found on the island's Kõpu Peninsula from about 5500 BC. These settlements seem to be related mostly to seal hunting and extend into the earliest Neolithic. As Hiiumaa is constantly uplifting the local sea level was 20 m higher than today at this time. For this reason these settlements are located far from the modern coastline. The pottery found at these sites is of the Narva Type and is similar to that found on Saaremaa and the Estonian mainland.
A series of stone-cist graves are also present on the island from the Late Bronze Age through to the Late Iron Age.
The first documented record of the island of Dageida was made by contemporary chroniclers in 1228, when Hiiumaa and the rest of Estonia were conquered by Germanic crusaders. In 1254, Hiiumaa was divided between the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek and the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order, acting partly on behalf of the Hanseatic League.
The island was part of Sweden (Swedish Estonia) from 1563 to 1721, after which it passed to the Russian Empire as part of the Governorate of Estonia, though Dagö's Swedish population kept most of their privileges. Most of the island's previously numerous Swedish-speaking population emigrated or were "Estonianised" during the period of Imperial Russian rule, although a minority remained until the 20th century. Estonian Swedes are also known as aibofolke ("the island people" in the local Swedish) or rannarootslased ("coastal Swedes" in Estonian). Administratively the island of Hiiumaa belonged to Lääne County.
Hiiumaa was occupied during World War I by the Imperial German Army, in Operation Albion. After the war, in 1918, it became a part of independent Estonia.
The waters near Hiiumaa were active during World War II:
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