Vormsi, also Ormsö ( sv, Ormsö, german: Worms) is the fourth-largest island of

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 ...

. It is located between

Hiiumaa Hiiumaa (, ) 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 ...

and the mainland and has a total area of . It is part of

Vormsi Parish Vormsi Parish ( et, Vormsi vald; sv, Ormsö kommun) is a rural municipality of Estonia, in Lääne County. It covers the area of Vormsi island. The population of Vormsi is 231 (as of 1 January 2013) and has an area of 92.93 km2. Settlement ...

, a rural

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

Etymology

Ormsö in Swedish means "Orm's Island", and can be translated also as "Snake Island". The island's Estonian name Vormsi is derived from its

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 **Ge ...

name Worms or its

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 ...

name Ormsö.

History

Vormsi's history dates back as far as the 13th century. During most of this time, the island was inhabited by

Estonian Swedes The Estonian Swedes, or Estonia-Swedes ( sv, estlandssvenskar, colloquially ''aibofolke'', "island people"; et, eestirootslased), or "Coastal Swedes" ( et, rannarootslased) are a Swedish-speaking minority traditionally residing in the coastal ...

("rannarootslased" in Estonian or "coastal Swedes" in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

), whose population reached 3,000 before

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. During the war, nearly all of Vormsi's population, along with other Swedes living in Estonia, forming the larger region of

Aiboland Aiboland (also known as Swedish Estonia and Egeland) is the Estonian Swedish name for the historically Swedish-speaking areas and towns of northern and western Estonia. Historical Aiboland encompasses Nuckö, Ormsö, Runö, Odensholm, ...

, were evacuated, or fled, to Sweden. The island's current registered population is about 400.

Villages

The villages on the island include: Hullo (the administrative center), Sviby (the main port), Söderby, Norrby, Diby,

Rälby Rälby is a village in Vormsi Parish, Lääne 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 Finl ...

Förby Förby is a village in Vormsi Parish, Lääne 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 ...

Borrby Borrby is a locality situated in Simrishamn Municipality Simrishamn Municipality ( sv, Simrishamns kommun) is a municipality in Skåne County in southern Sweden. Its seat is located in the city Simrishamn. The creation of the present munici ...

Kärrslätt Kersleti ( sv, Kärrslätt) is a village in Vormsi Parish, Lääne 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 Finla ...

, Saxby, Suuremõisa (Magnushof, formerly Busby),

Rumpo Rumpo is a village in Vormsi Parish, Lääne County in western Estonia. (retrieved 28 July 2021) References

Villages in Lääne County {{Lääne-geo-stub ...

(the main beach area) and Hosby.

Economy

Vormsi is the per capita wealthiest island and region in

outside of the

Tallinn Tallinn () is the most populous and capital city of Estonia. Situated on a bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn has a population of 437,811 (as of 2022) and administratively lies in the Harju '' ...

metro area, with incomes on the same level as inner Tallinn. This is attributed to the fact that many comparatively wealthy people own summer homes on the island and are registered as residents, so their yearly income tax is forwarded to the island's budget. Vormsi has no industrial activity. The island earns the majority of its revenues from the taxation of the mainland and overseas income of residents.

Residents

The island of Vormsi has homeowners from several countries and regions:

, Sweden,

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

, Switzerland,

Åland Åland ( fi, Ahvenanmaa: ; ; ) is an autonomous and demilitarised region of Finland since 1920 by a decision of the League of Nations. It is the smallest region of Finland by area and population, with a size of 1,580 km2, and a populat ...

Literature

* Kanarbik, Madis, ''Ormsö. De estlandssvenska böndernas kamp mot godsägarna under 1700- och 1800-talet'' ordistica Tartuensia; 9(Tartu, 2003)
Beyer, Jürgen, 'Whom should one thank for a narrow escape? Lessons drawn from a perilous journey from Vormsi and Noarootsi to Finland in 1796', ''Pro Ethnologia'' 17 (2004), 175-95

Gallery

File:Vormsi sadam 2015.jpg, Vormsi harbor File:Vormsi tuletorn 29-03-2013.jpg, Saxby lighthouse File:Lehmihaka.jpg, Paddock, Rälby File:Vormsi-tuulimylly.jpg, Old windmill, Rälby File:Metsänvartijanmökki1.jpg, Woodsman's cottage, Hullo File:Vormsi-Ormso-Rumpo-muul.jpg, Beach area in

Rumpo Rumpo is a village in Vormsi Parish, Lääne County in western Estonia. (retrieved 28 July 2021) References

Villages in Lääne County {{Lääne-geo-stub ...

File:Vormsi-Rumpo.jpg, Viewing platform in

Rumpo Rumpo is a village in Vormsi Parish, Lääne County in western Estonia. (retrieved 28 July 2021) References

Villages in Lääne County {{Lääne-geo-stub ...

peninsula, looking towards Sviby harbor File:Rookatusega maja Vormsil.jpg, Thatched roof house File:Vormsi kalmistu 02.jpg, Vormsi cemetery File:Huitbergi_korallriff.jpg, The Huitberg Coral Reef File:Suvine_loojang_Saxbys.jpg, Sunset in Saxby File:Aurora Borealis in Vormsi, Estonia.jpg, Aurora Borealis in Saxby File:Vormsi_Hullo_tuulikud.jpg, Windmills in Hullo, 1930s File:Toomas_Hendrik_Ilves_at_Ormsö.JPG, The President of Estonia,

Toomas Hendrik Ilves Toomas Hendrik Ilves (; born 26 December 1953) is an Estonian politician who served as the fourth president of Estonia from 2006 until 2016. Ilves worked as a diplomat and journalist, and he was the leader of the Social Democratic Party in the ...

in Vormsi in 2010 File:Klagomännen_från_Ormsö_1861.jpg,

in the 19th century File:Estlandssvenska flyktingar.jpg, Fleeing the Soviet occupation to Sweden, 1944 File:Vormsi_Parish_-_panoramio.jpg, Road signs in Hullo File:Vormsi_kirik_2011.jpg, The Swedish Lutheran Church on the island File:Vormsi-cottage.JPG, Traditional island architecture File:Vormsi_-_panoramio_(1).jpg, Round crosses in the cemetery are unique to Vormsi and Gotland File:Highland Cattle on Ormsö.jpg, Scottish Highland Cattle on the island in Rumpo

References

External links

Vormsi vald
(Vormsi municipality) {{Authority control Estonian islands in the Baltic Landforms of Lääne County Vormsi