Vormsi

Vormsi (Swedish: Ormsö) is the fourth-largest island of Estonia, located between Hiiumaa and the mainland with a total area of 92 square kilometers. It is part of Vormsi Parish, a rural municipality.

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 Swedes ("rannarootslased" in Estonian or "coastal Swedes" in English), whose population reached 3,000 before World War II. 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 German name Worms or its Swedish name Ormsö ("snake island"). Swedish influence can also be seen in other place names, as in villages like Hullo (the administrative center), Sviby (the main port), Söderby, Norrby, Diby, Rälby, Förby, Borrby, Kärrslätt, Saxby, Busby, Suuremõisa (Magnushof) and Rumpo; and lakes like Prästvik.

Literature

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Vormsi.

Coordinates: 59°00′N 23°13′E / 59.000°N 23.217°E / 59.000; 23.217

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/4/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.