According to archaeological finds, the territory of Saaremaa has been inhabited for at least 5, 000 years.

Because of its mild maritime climate and a variety of soils, Saaremaa has a rich flora, illustrated by the fact that 80 % of the plant species found in Estonia are represented here.

The local population of grey seal is slightly increasing Ringed seals can also be encountered everywhere in the coastal waters of Saaremaa, but because of their timidity it has not been possible to make an estimation of their number.

Saaremaa has an entrepreneur-friendly, safe, and strain-free economic environment.

Thule island he described has been frequently identified as Saaremaa.

The story of Taara's flight from Vironia to Saaremaa has been associated with a major meteor disaster that formed Lake Kaali in Saaremaa.

It has been suggested, among others by ethnologist and former president Lennart Meri, that a meteorite which passed dramatically over populated regions and landed on the island of Saaremaa around 3, 000-4, 000 years ago was a cataclysmic event that may have influenced the mythology of Estonia and neighboring countries, especially those from whose vantage point a " sun " seemed to set in the east.

The most famous endemic species is Rhinanthus osiliensis-a rare little flower growing mostly in spring fens ; rare and beautiful flowers are widespread-out of the 36 species found in Estonia, 35 of them are found on Saaremaa and neighbouring islands.

Sweden had achieved a rare war exploit, in Sweden considered to be matched only by the crusade of the Livonian Order led by William of Modena to conquer Saaremaa ( Osel ) in January 1227 and afterwards when two Russian armies crossed the frozen Gulf of Bothnia from Finland to mainland Sweden in March during the Finnish War.

Probably around 1000 Gunnar Hámundarson from Iceland was in wiking at Eysýsla ( Saaremaa ).

In 1645, Saaremaa was ceded from Denmark to Sweden by the Treaty of Brömsebro.

More than 10, 000 years ago the first parts of Saaremaa arose from the Baltic Ice Lake.

A typical road on Western SaaremaaSaaremaa is reached by ferry from Virtsu on the Estonian mainland to Kuivastu on Muhu island, which is itself connected to Saaremaa by a causeway, the Väinatamm.

Saaremaa can also be reached by ferry from Sõru on the island of Hiiumaa to Triigi.

* April 15 – Denmark buys the Estonian island of Saaremaa from its last prince bishop.

He was said to have taken this famed weapon in battle from a man named Hallgrímur, while on a viking raid to the island of Eysýsla ( Saaremaa in present-day Estonia-see detailed account on that page ).

He graduated from Jäneda Agricultural College in 1949, and worked as a senior agronomist for the Department of Agriculture of Saaremaa ( 1949 – 1950 ) and as a teacher of agriculture at the Tartu School of Mechanization of Agriculture from 1955 to 1957.

According to Meri, it is possible that Thule derives from the old folk poetry of Estonia, which depicts the birth of the crater lake in Kaali, Saaremaa.

The large ostracod Herrmannina from the Silurian ( Ludlow ) Soeginina Beds ( Paadla Formation ) on eastern Saaremaa Island, Estonia.

The island of Saaremaa ( Estonia ) partially separates it from the rest of the Baltic Sea.

In 1645, Saaremaa was ceded from Denmark to Sweden by the Treaty of Brömsebro.

Kievan rulers then collected tribute from the Chudes of the surrounding ancient Estonian county of Ugaunia, possibly until 1061, when, according to chronicles, Yuryev was burned down by another tribe of Chudes ( Sosols ( probably Sackalians, or the Osilians the people of Saaremaa ( Ösel ) or Soopoolitse )).

If all the islands of Europe, from Azores to the Franz Joseph Land and from Crete to Iceland, are taken into consideration, it is claimed that the centre of Europe lies on the island of Saaremaa in western Estonia, in Mõnnuste village, at.

The island is divided from mainland Estonia by the Suur Strait ( Moonsund ) and from Saaremaa by the Väike Strait.

In January 1227, an army of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword with Letts, Germans of Riga and native Livonians ( 20, 000 men commanded by William of Modena ) crossed on sea ice from the mainland and attacked the island of Saaremaa to reduce the last holdout of pagan Estonians.

According to the chronicle, when the crusaders invaded Vironia in 1220, there was a beautiful wooded hill in Vironia, where locals believe Oeselian god Tharapita was born and from which he flew to Saaremaa.

Along with the first mention, Henry presents the story of Tharapita flying from a nice forest on top of a hill in Vironia to the island of Saaremaa.

The two largest islands are Saaremaa ( literally, island land ), at, and Hiiumaa, at.

A small, recent cluster of meteorite craters, the largest of which is called Kaali are found near Saaremaa, Estonia.

The northern group consists of the keskmurre or middle dialect that is also the basis for the standard language, the läänemurre or western dialect, roughly corresponding to Läänemaa and Pärnumaa, the saarte murre ( islands ') dialect of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa and the idamurre or eastern dialect on the northwestern shore of Lake Peipsi.

The last Estonian county to hold out against the invaders was the island county of Saaremaa, whose war fleets had raided Denmark and Sweden during the years of fighting against the German crusaders.

In 1206, a Danish army led by king Valdemar II and Andreas, the Bishop of Lund landed on Saaremaa and attempted to establish a stronghold without success.

In 1216 the Livonian Brothers of the Sword and the bishop Theodorich joined forces and invaded Saaremaa over the frozen sea.

In 1222, the Danish king Valdemar II attempted the second conquest of Saaremaa, this time establishing a stone fortress housing a strong garrison.

A 20, 000 strong army under Papal legate William of Modena crossed the frozen sea while the Saaremaa fleet was icebound, in January 1227.

In 1236, after the defeat of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword in the Battle of Saule, military action on Saaremaa broke out again.

Saaremaa (; ; ; ; ; ) is the largest island in Estonia, measuring 2, 673 km².

Saaremaa was the wealthiest county of ancient Estonia and the home of notorious Estonian pirates, sometimes called the Eastern Vikings.

In 1227, Saaremaa was conquered by the Livonian Brothers of the Sword during the Livonian Crusade, but remained a hotbed of Estonian resistance.

When the Order was defeated by the Lithuanian army in the Battle of Saule in 1236, the Saaremaa islanders rebelled.

Most of Saaremaa was ruled directly by the Bishopric of Ösel-Wiek, while some parts were enfeoffed to the Livonian Order.

In 1559, the bishopric and Saaremaa were sold to Denmark, becoming part of Danish Estonia.

In 1721, along with the rest of Livonia, Saaremaa ( then known by its Swedish name of Ösel ) was ceded to the Russian Empire by the Treaty of Nystad, becoming a part of the Governorate of Livonia.

In 1946, Saaremaa was declared a restricted zone, closed to foreigners and to most mainland Estonians.

Altogether 1200 species of vascular plants can be found in Saaremaa.

Over 40 % of Saaremaa is covered with forests.

Wooded meadows were still common in Saaremaa before World War II, but many of these unique natural complexes have gradually become overgrown and thus turned into the ordinary forest.