Facts About SaaremaaSaaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring 2,673 km2 (1,032 sq mi).The Capital city of Saaremaa is Kuressaare.Over 40% of Saaremaa is covered with forests.In old Scandinavian sources, Saaremaa is called Eysysla and in the Icelandic Sagas Eysýsla, meaning “the district (land) of the island”. The island is called Saaremaa in Estonian, and in Finnish Saarenmaa—literally “isle land” or “island land”.The island is low-lying and is composed largely of limestones and dolomites.The island was occupied in 1227 by the Brothers of the Sword, who founded a bishopric there. It came under Danish (1559), Swedish (1645), and Russian (1721) rule before becoming part of Estonia in 1918.The island forms the main barrier between the Gulf of Riga and the Baltic Sea. To the south of it is the main passage out of the gulf, the Irbe Strait, next to Sõrve Peninsula, the southernmost portion of the island.Saaremaa has more spas than anywhere else in Estonia.The first people came to Saaremaa Island around 7,000 years ago and were hunters and fishermen.Russian forces flew bombing raids on Berlin from their military base on Saaremaa Island.The Population of Saaremaa is approximately 31,357.The islands lie in the East Atlantic Flyway, a migration path of waterfowl. This “bird road” connects northeastern Europe with Arctic regions. Each year hundreds of thousands of migratory birds visit Saaremaa in spring and autumn.Facts About Saaremaa