island
An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...
in
Estonia
Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...
. It has an area of 989 km2 and is 22 km from the Estonian mainland. Its largest town is
Kärdla
Kärdla (; ; ) is the only town on the island of Hiiumaa, Estonia. It is the capital of Hiiu County and the administrative center of Hiiumaa Parish. The Chairman of the District Council of Kärdla is Tõnis Paljasma.
Geography
Kärdla is located ...
. It is located within
Hiiu County
Hiiu County ( or ''Hiiumaa'') is one of 15 counties of Estonia, being the smallest county both in terms of area and population. It consists of Hiiumaa (German language, German and ), the second largest island of Estonia, and several smaller isl ...
.
Names
Administratively Hiiumaa is the "main island" of the
Hiiu County
Hiiu County ( or ''Hiiumaa'') is one of 15 counties of Estonia, being the smallest county both in terms of area and population. It consists of Hiiumaa (German language, German and ), the second largest island of Estonia, and several smaller isl ...
, called or in
Estonian
Estonian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe
* Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent
* Estonian language
* Estonian cuisine
* Estonian culture
See also ...
. The Swedish and German name of the island is or ('Day' island) and in Danish. In modern Finnish, it is called , literally '
Hiisi
Hiisi (; plural ''hiidet'' ) is a term in Finnic mythologies, originally denoting sacred localities and later on various types of mythological entities.
In later, Christian-influenced folklore, they are depicted as demonic or trickster-like ent ...
's Land'. In
Old Gutnish
Old Gutnish was a stage in the development of the North Germanic language Gutnish, spoken on the Baltic Sea, Baltic island of Gotland and Fårö. The extant body of Old Gutnish is small, and Gutalagen and the Guta saga constitute its majority. ...
, it was ('day isthmus'), from which the local North Germanic name is derived.
History
Prehistory
Hiiumaa emerged from the Baltic Sea 8500 years ago due to isostatic uplift after the retreat of the
ice cap
In glaciology, an ice cap is a mass of ice that covers less than of land area (usually covering a highland area). Larger ice masses covering more than are termed ice sheets.
Description
By definition, ice caps are not constrained by topogra ...
.
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic (Ancient Greek language, Greek: μÎσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic i ...
settlements are found on the island's Kõpu Peninsula from about 5500 BC. These settlements seem to be related mostly to
seal hunting
Seal hunting, or sealing, is the personal or commercial hunting of Pinniped, seals. Seal hunting is currently practiced in nine countries: Canada, Denmark (in self-governing Greenland only), Russia, the United States (above the Arctic Circle ...
and extend into the earliest
Neolithic
The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
. As Hiiumaa is constantly uplifting the local
sea level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...
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
The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
through to the
Late Iron Age
The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progr ...
.
Crusades
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
The Teutonic Order is a religious order (Catholic), Catholic religious institution founded as a military order (religious society), military society in Acre, Israel, Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Order of Brothers of the German House of Sa ...
, acting partly on behalf of the
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was a Middle Ages, medieval commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in Central Europe, Central and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Growing from a few Northern Germany, North German towns in the ...
.
Swedish and Russian era
The island was part of Swedish Estonia from 1563 to 1721, after which it passed to the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
as part of the
Governorate of Estonia
The Governorate of Estonia, also known as the Esthonia (Estland) Governorate, was a province (''guberniya'') and one of the Baltic governorates of the Russian Empire. It was located in the northern Estonia with some islands in the West Estoni ...
, 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
The Estonian Swedes (, or ''aibofolke'', "island people"; , or ''rannarootslased'', "coastal Swedes") are a Swedish language, Swedish-speaking minority traditionally residing in the coastal areas and islands of what is now western and northern ...
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.
World War I
Hiiumaa was occupied during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
by the
Imperial German Army
The Imperial German Army (1871–1919), officially referred to as the German Army (), was the unified ground and air force of the German Empire. It was established in 1871 with the political unification of Germany under the leadership of Kingdom o ...
, in Operation Albion. After the war, in 1918, it became a part of independent Estonia.
World War II
The waters near Hiiumaa were active during World War II:
* 23 June 1941: The Soviet destroyer ''Gnevny'' was sunk by a German seamine.
* 25 June: the Soviet minesweeper ''T-208 Shkiv'' was destroyed by a German seamine.
* 27 June: Two German motor torpedo boats, ''S43'' and ''S106'', were destroyed by Soviet seamines.
* 1 July: the Soviet submarine ''M-81'' was destroyed by a German seamine north of Hiiumaa.
* 7 July: the Soviet minesweeper ''T-216'' was sunk.
* 30 July: the Soviet minesweeper ''T-201 Zarjad'' was sunk.
* 10 August: the German submarine was sunk by a torpedo from the Soviet submarine ''SC-307''.
* Hiiumaa Island was occupied by the
Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...
ist
Soviet Union
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
in 1940, by
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
in 1941, and by the USSR again in 1944.
Hiiumaa remained under Soviet control until Estonia regained independence in August 1991. During the period of Soviet occupation (1944–1991), Hiiumaa was declared a restricted zone, closed to foreigners and to most mainland Estonians. A number of derelict Soviet forts and communication towers are still present on the island's northern coast.
Natural environment
Hiiumaa is an island in
Estonia
Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...
located north of
Saaremaa
Saaremaa (; ) is the largest and most populous island in Estonia. Measuring , its population is 31,435 (as of January 2020). The main island of the West Estonian archipelago (Moonsund archipelago), it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hi ...
in the
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...
. It is the northernmost island in the Muhu archipelago, which includes Saaremaa and
Muhu
Muhu (also called Muhumaa in Estonian) is an island in the West Estonian archipelago of the Baltic Sea. With an area of , it is the third largest island belonging to Estonia, after Saaremaa and Hiiumaa.
Together with neighbouring smaller i ...
. Hiiumaa has a low relief (up to 68 m above sea level) and is mostly formed of limestone, that is exposed in cliffs around parts of the island's coast. In the north of the island there are a series of fossilized beaches preserved as uplift has occurred. The modern beaches are primarily on the northern and western coast lines. The natural environment is protected within the Tahkuna Nature Reserve and West Estonian Archipelago Biosphere Reserve.
The Hiiu Shoal (Nekmangrund) is located off the northwestern shore of Hiiumaa Island. The Soela Strait separates Hiiumaa from Saaremaa to its south, and the Muhu Strait separates it from the mainland of
Estonia
Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...
.
Ecology
The fauna and flora of Hiiumaa are similar to the Estonian mainland. The
mammal
A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...
fauna includes
elk
The elk (: ''elk'' or ''elks''; ''Cervus canadensis'') or wapiti, is the second largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. ...
,
red deer
The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or Hart (deer), hart, and a female is called a doe or hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Ir ...
wild boar
The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a Suidae, suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The speci ...
s, foxes,
lynx
A lynx ( ; : lynx or lynxes) is any of the four wikt:extant, extant species (the Canada lynx, Iberian lynx, Eurasian lynx and the bobcat) within the medium-sized wild Felidae, cat genus ''Lynx''. The name originated in Middle Engl ...
es and
marten
A marten is a weasel-like mammal in the genus ''Martes'' within the subfamily Guloninae, in the family Mustelidae. They have bushy tails and large paws with partially retractile claws. The fur varies from yellowish to dark brown, depending on ...
s. Wolves and bears have recently started to repopulate the island after being made locally extinct.
Minks were also reintroduced in 2000, after they were exterminated by
trappers
Animal trapping, or simply trapping or ginning, is the use of a device to remotely catch and often kill an animal. Animals may be trapped for a variety of purposes, including for meat, fur/feathers, sport hunting, pest control, and wildlife man ...
. Since the end of the 1990s the island shelters a conservation project aimed at restoring populations of
European mink
The European mink (''Mustela lutreola''), also known as the Russian mink and Eurasian mink, is a semiaquatic species of mustelid native to Europe.
It is similar in colour to the American mink, but is slightly smaller and has a less specialize ...
, an endangered species of which there is about only 1,000 individual specimens left in Europe as of 2017. This project started with removing from the island all
American mink
The American mink (''Neogale vison'') is a semiaquatic species of Mustelidae, mustelid native to North America, though human introduction has expanded its range to many parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. Because of range expansion, the Am ...
s that had escaped from
breeding farm
A stud farm or stud in animal husbandry is an establishment for selective breeding of livestock. The word "stud" comes from the Old English ''stod'' meaning "herd of horses, place where horses are kept for breeding". Historically, documentation ...
s, and reintroducing some European minks. The latter started breeding.
The bird species found on the island include
black stork
The black stork (''Ciconia nigra'') is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his ''Systema Naturae''. Measuring on average from beak tip to end of tail with a wingspan, t ...
s,
golden eagle
The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of pr ...
avocet
The four species of avocets are a genus, ''Recurvirostra'', of waders in the same avian family as the stilts. The genus name comes from Latin , 'curved backwards' and , 'bill'. The common name is thought to derive from the Italian ( Ferrarese) ...
s and
swan
Swans are birds of the genus ''Cygnus'' within the family Anatidae. The swans' closest relatives include the goose, geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe (biology) ...
s. The forests are dominated by pine and
deciduous trees
In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, after flo ...
, the rest of the uncultivated land is covered by swamps and dunes. The island has about 1000 species of large plants of which 50 are protected.
Geology
The exposed geology of Hiiumaa is composed of
Paleozoic
The Paleozoic ( , , ; or Palaeozoic) Era is the first of three Era (geology), geological eras of the Phanerozoic Eon. Beginning 538.8 million years ago (Ma), it succeeds the Neoproterozoic (the last era of the Proterozoic Eon) and ends 251.9 Ma a ...
limestone
Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
which dips towards the South, covered by glacial sediments. In the North of the island the limestones are
Ordovician
The Ordovician ( ) is a geologic period and System (geology), system, the second of six periods of the Paleozoic Era (geology), Era, and the second of twelve periods of the Phanerozoic Eon (geology), Eon. The Ordovician spans 41.6 million years f ...
and they young upwards to the
Silurian
The Silurian ( ) is a geologic period and system spanning 23.5 million years from the end of the Ordovician Period, at million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Devonian Period, Mya. The Silurian is the third and shortest period of t ...
in the South. These limestones formed at 30 degrees South and have since been moving North with the rest of the Estonian block. Bore holes have found
Cambrian
The Cambrian ( ) is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 51.95 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran period 538.8 Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the Ordov ...
sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rocks are types of rock (geology), rock formed by the cementation (geology), cementation of sediments—i.e. particles made of minerals (geological detritus) or organic matter (biological detritus)—that have been accumulated or de ...
s and a
crystalline
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macrosc ...
basement
A basement is any Storey, floor of a building that is not above the grade plane. Especially in residential buildings, it often is used as a utility space for a building, where such items as the Furnace (house heating), furnace, water heating, ...
.
In the
Ordovician
The Ordovician ( ) is a geologic period and System (geology), system, the second of six periods of the Paleozoic Era (geology), Era, and the second of twelve periods of the Phanerozoic Eon (geology), Eon. The Ordovician spans 41.6 million years f ...
(c. 455 million years ago) the sea floor was hit by a
meteorite
A meteorite is a rock (geology), rock that originated in outer space and has fallen to the surface of a planet or Natural satellite, moon. When the original object enters the atmosphere, various factors such as friction, pressure, and chemical ...
forming the 4 km wide Kärdla
impact structure
An impact structure is a generally circular or craterlike geologic structure of deformed bedrock or sediment produced by impact on a planetary surface, whatever the stage of erosion of the structure. In contrast, an impact crater is the surface e ...
. This structure was then filled with Paleozoic sediment. It located about 4 km west-southwest of
Kärdla
Kärdla (; ; ) is the only town on the island of Hiiumaa, Estonia. It is the capital of Hiiu County and the administrative center of Hiiumaa Parish. The Chairman of the District Council of Kärdla is Tõnis Paljasma.
Geography
Kärdla is located ...
and is barely visible in the modern
geomorphology
Geomorphology () is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topographic and bathymetric features generated by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or near Earth's surface. Geomorphologists seek to understand wh ...
. The
crater
A crater is a landform consisting of a hole or depression (geology), depression on a planetary surface, usually caused either by an object hitting the surface, or by geological activity on the planet. A crater has classically been described ...
is well preserved at depth, with a clear rim,
breccia
Breccia ( , ; ) is a rock composed of large angular broken fragments of minerals or Rock (geology), rocks cementation (geology), cemented together by a fine-grained matrix (geology), matrix.
The word has its origins in the Italian language ...
and minerals and rocks formed from the heat and pressure of the impact.
The limestone is overlain by
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene ( ; referred to colloquially as the ''ice age, Ice Age'') is the geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fin ...
glacial deposits that were deposited as the ice cap retreated 11 to 12 thousand years ago. These include
terminal moraine
A terminal moraine, also called an end moraine, is a type of moraine that forms at the terminal (edge) of a glacier, marking its maximum advance. At this point, debris that has accumulated by plucking and abrasion, has been pushed by the front e ...
s, the two most prominent being one in the South of Island running towards the North-East and another forming the
Kõpu
Kõpu () is a small borough () in Viljandi County, Estonia. It was the administrative centre of Kõpu Parish.
Suure-Kõpu Manor
Suure-Kõpu Manor (), located in the village, has a history that goes back to 1487. During most of its history it ...
Peninsula.
Climate
Towns and buildings
The island has several villages, as well a small town of
Kärdla
Kärdla (; ; ) is the only town on the island of Hiiumaa, Estonia. It is the capital of Hiiu County and the administrative center of Hiiumaa Parish. The Chairman of the District Council of Kärdla is Tõnis Paljasma.
Geography
Kärdla is located ...
Kõrgessaare
Kõrgessaare () is a small borough () in Hiiumaa Parish, Hiiu County, Estonia, on the northwestern coast of Hiiumaa
Hiiumaa ( , ) is the second largest island in Estonia and is part of the West Estonian archipelago, in the Baltic Sea. It has ...
. The oldest surviving church was built in Pühalepa in 1259, though it was rebuilt in the 18th century. The
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was a Middle Ages, medieval commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in Central Europe, Central and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Growing from a few Northern Germany, North German towns in the ...
built a lighthouse in Kõpu near the start of the 16th century. It is the third oldest continuously operating lighthouse in the world.
Employment and land-use
The island’s economy is mostly tourism, livestock, farming, wrecking, fishing, and fish processing. The tourism is mostly seasonal.
Hiiumaa council agrees to the construction of a wind farm. Recently there has been a trend towards smaller farms and more tourism
Transport
Road transport from Estonian mainland to Hiiumaa involves a 75-minute (28 km) ferry crossing from
Rohuküla
Rohuküla is a village in Haapsalu municipality, Lääne County, in western Estonia. It is a seaport connecting the mainland with the islands of Hiiumaa ( Heltermaa port) and Vormsi ( Sviby port). During winter there are two ice roads from t ...
to
Heltermaa
Heltermaa is a village in Hiiumaa Parish, Hiiu County, in northwestern Estonia. The village is the site of the seaport connecting Hiiumaa with Rohuküla
Rohuküla is a village in Haapsalu municipality, Lääne County, in western Estonia. It i ...
, which is 25 km by road from
Kärdla
Kärdla (; ; ) is the only town on the island of Hiiumaa, Estonia. It is the capital of Hiiu County and the administrative center of Hiiumaa Parish. The Chairman of the District Council of Kärdla is Tõnis Paljasma.
Geography
Kärdla is located ...
. There are up to 10 ferry departures a day operated by
TS Laevad
''TS Laevad'' ("TS Ships") is an Estonian ferry company which operates two routes between the Estonian mainland and the islands of Hiiumaa and Muhu in the Baltic Sea. Muhu is connected by a causeway to Estonia's largest island, Saaremaa.
The c ...
. In the summer weekends, getting car space on the ferry usually requires advance booking. There are about 2 scheduled buses a day between
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...
(the capital of Estonia) and Kärdla.
In the winter, the island can be reached, conditions permitting, via a 26.5 km
ice road
An ice road or ice bridge is a human-made structure that runs on a frozen water surface (a river, a lake or a sea water expanse).Masterson, D. and Løset, S., 2011, ISO 19906: Bearing capacity of ice and ice roads, Proceedings of the 21st Int ...
(the longest in
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
) across the frozen Baltic Sea. A bridge to the mainland of Estonia has been occasionally proposed.
Hiiumaa is served by
Kärdla Airport
Kärdla Airport (, ) is an airport in Estonia. The airport is situated east of the town of Kärdla on Hiiumaa island.
The airport has one asphalt runway, 14/32, and is . The runway was upgraded in 1998.
Overview
Kärdla Airport opened in 1963. ...
, with regular flights to Tallinn. Bicycle rental is also available in Kärdla and there is a good
bicycle path
A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike, push-bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist.
...
built from Kärdla towards
Kõrgessaare
Kõrgessaare () is a small borough () in Hiiumaa Parish, Hiiu County, Estonia, on the northwestern coast of Hiiumaa
Hiiumaa ( , ) is the second largest island in Estonia and is part of the West Estonian archipelago, in the Baltic Sea. It has ...
.
Culture and politics
The island is part of the B7 Network, a loose grouping of the major islands of the Baltic Sea. Smoked cooked
plaice
Plaice is a common name for a group of flatfish that comprises four species: the European, American, Alaskan and scale-eye plaice.
Commercially, the most important plaice is the European. The principal commercial flatfish in Europe, it is ...
is a traditional summertime delicacy. There is a friendly rivalry with the neighboring island of
Saaremaa
Saaremaa (; ) is the largest and most populous island in Estonia. Measuring , its population is 31,435 (as of January 2020). The main island of the West Estonian archipelago (Moonsund archipelago), it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hi ...
.
Notable people
*
Juhan Maaker
Juhan Maaker ( – 21 September 1930) nicknamed ''Torupilli-Juss'' was an Estonian folk musician, a player of the Estonian bagpipe. He was considered one of the most popular players at the time called the king of bagpipe players.
During his lif ...
(1845–1930), Estonian folk musician
*
Rudolf Tobias
Rudolf Tobias ( – 29 October 1918) was the first Estonian professional composer, as well as a professional organist. He studied at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. His compositions include among others piano works, string quartets and an o ...
(1873–1918), Estonian composer
*
Marie Under
Marie Under ( – 25 September 1980) was an Estonian poet. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 14 separate years.
Early life
Marie Under was born on 27 March 1883 in Reval (Tallinn), Estonia to school teachers Fri ...
(1883–1980), Estonian poet, nominated for the
Nobel Prize in Literature
The Nobel Prize in Literature, here meaning ''for'' Literature (), is a Swedish literature prize that is awarded annually, since 1901, to an author from any country who has, in the words of the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, "in ...
several times
*
Roman von Ungern-Sternberg
Nikolai Robert Maximilian Freiherr von Ungern-Sternberg (; 10 January 1886 – 15 September 1921), often referred to as Roman von Ungern-Sternberg or Baron Ungern, was an anti-communist general in the Russian Civil War and then an independent wa ...
(1885–1921), Russian White military commander in the
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War () was a multi-party civil war in the former Russian Empire sparked by the 1917 overthrowing of the Russian Provisional Government in the October Revolution, as many factions vied to determine Russia's political future. I ...
*
Aleksander Maaker
Aleksander Maaker ( in Muda, Hiiumaa – 28 January 1968), nicknamed ''Torupilli-Sass'' was a folk musician, a player of the traditional ''torupill'', the Estonian bagpipe. Maaker was from the Estonian island of Hiiumaa. At the time of his deat ...
(1890–1968), the last traditional player of the ''
torupill
The torupill () is a traditional bagpipes, bagpipe from Estonia.
Place in Estonian folk music
It is not clear when the bagpipe became established in Estonia.
The instrument was known throughout Estonia. The bagpipe tradition was longest preser ...
'' (Estonian bagpipe)
* Lydia Mei (1896–1965), Estonian artist
*
Ivan Triesault
Ivan Triesault (born Johann Constantin Treisalt; in Tallinn, Reval (now Tallinn) – January 3, 1980 in Los Angeles) was an Estonians, Estonian-American actor. His parents were from the island of Hiiumaa.
Life
His first stage appearance was at ...
(1898–1980), Estonian-American actor
* Natalie Mei (1900–1975), Estonian artist
*
Elmar Tampõld
Elmar Tampõld (August 3, 1920 – March 7, 2013) was an
Ülo Sooster
Ülo Ilmar Sooster (October 17, 1924 in Ühtri, Käina Parish – October 25, 1970 in Moscow) was an Estonian nonconformist painter.
Ülo Sooster was born the village of Ühtri on the Estonian island of Hiiumaa. He was the son of Johanne ...
(1924–1970), Estonian artist
* Ave Alavainu (1942–2022), Estonian poet
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Erkki-Sven Tüür
Erkki-Sven Tüür (; born 16 October 1959) is an Estonian composer.
Life and career
Tüür was born in Kärdla on the Estonian island of Hiiumaa. He studied flute and percussion at the Tallinn Music School from 1976 to 1980 and composition wi ...
(b. 1959), Estonian composer of contemporary classical music
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Heiki Nabi
Heiki Nabi (born 6 June 1985) is an Estonian Olympic champion Greco-Roman wrestler.
Nabi was born in Hilleste, Hiiumaa. At the 2006 World Wrestling Championships he won the gold medal in the men's Greco-Roman (96 kg) category and becam ...
(b. 1985), Estonian Olympic champion Greco-Roman wrestler
Image gallery
Tahkuna tuletorn Hiiumaal, päikeseloojanguvalguses.jpg,
File:Hiidenmaa-Kassarin kirkko.JPG,
File:Talo Tammelan kylässä.JPG,
File:Sorven museo.JPG,
File:Malvastechapell.jpg,
File:Port of Heltermaa 2.jpg, Cars boarding the ferry to mainland at
Heltermaa
Heltermaa is a village in Hiiumaa Parish, Hiiu County, in northwestern Estonia. The village is the site of the seaport connecting Hiiumaa with Rohuküla
Rohuküla is a village in Haapsalu municipality, Lääne County, in western Estonia. It i ...
Hellamaa panoraam.jpg, Coast of Hiiumaa
Tubala tuulik august 2014.jpg,
Tubala
Tubala is a village in Hiiumaa Parish, Hiiu County in northwestern Estonia
Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by th ...
windmill
Hiiu-Suuremõisa mõisahoone.jpg, Suuremõisa Manor in Suuremõisa
23623 Suuremõisa mõisa allee.jpg, Avenue at
Suuremõisa Park
Suuremõisa Park (Estonian ''Suuremõisa'' 'Big Manor') is the largest park on the Estonian island of Hiiumaa. It is in the village of Suuremõisa, which itself surrounds Suuremõisa Manor. The park covers . The manor and park are Estonian cul ...
List of islands of Estonia
This is an incomplete list of islands of Estonia. There are 2355 islands in total.
Largest islands
Incomplete list
See also
*List of islands in the Baltic Sea
*List of islands
Notes
References
{{Authority control
Islands of E ...
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List of islands in the Baltic Sea
This is a list of islands in the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea proper is bordered to the north by the Bothnian Sea and, further north, the Gulf of Bothnia, neither being part of the Baltic Sea proper. The eastern basins the Gulf of Finland and the ...
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Estonian Swedes
The Estonian Swedes (, or ''aibofolke'', "island people"; , or ''rannarootslased'', "coastal Swedes") are a Swedish language, Swedish-speaking minority traditionally residing in the coastal areas and islands of what is now western and northern ...