Hiiumaa
From Free net encyclopedia
Image:Tahkuranna.jpg Hiiumaa (Swedish, German: Dagö) is the second largest island (989 km²) belonging to Estonia. It is located in the Baltic Sea, north of the island of Saaremaa, belonging to the west Estonian archipelago (Moonsund archipelago).
Hiiumaa is the main island of Hiiu County, called Hiiumaa or Hiiu maakond in Estonian. The Swedish and German name of the island is Dagö (day island). In Finnish it's called Hiidenmaa, literally devil's land.
Archaelogical evidence of first human settlement in Hiiumaa dates to as early as the 4th century BC. The first documented record of the island of Dageida was made by contemporary chroniclers in 1228, at the time when Hiiumaa, along with the rest of Estonia, had been conquered by Germanic crusaders. In 1254, Hiiumaa was divided between the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek and the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order (who were also partly acting on behalf of the Hanseatic League). The island was held by Sweden (1563-1710). Most of the island's previously numerous Swedish-speaking population emigrated or "Estonianised" during the following period of Imperial Russian rule which lasted from 1710 until World War I, when it was occupied by german forces. After the war, it became a part of the independent Estonia. It was annexed by the Soviets in 1940, by the Germans in 1941 and by the Soviets again in 1944. It was then a part of the Soviet Union until its collapse in 1991. Since then, it has been a part of the independent Estonia.
See also
- List of islands of Estonia
- List of islands in the Baltic Sea
- Hiiu County
- Saaremaa
- Åland
- Gotland
- Öland
- Bornholm
- Rügen
External links
de:Hiiumaa et:Hiiumaa eo:Hiiumaa fr:Hiiumaa he:היומאה it:Hiiumaa nl:Hiiumaa no:Hiiumaa pl:Hiuma fi:Hiidenmaa sv:Dagö tr:Hiiumaa