Hiiumaa

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Hiiumaa (Swedish, German: Dag?) is the second largest island belonging to Estonia. It is located in the Baltic Sea, north of the island of Saaremaa, belonging to the west Estonian archipelago (Moonsund archipelago).

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Hiiumaa is the main island of Hiiu County, called Hiiumaa or Hiiu maakond in Estonian. The Swedish and German name of the island is Dag? (day island). In Finnish it's called Hiidenmaa, literally devil's land.

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Archaelogical evidence of first human settlement in Hiiumaa dates to as early as the 4th century BC. The first documented record of the island of Dageida was made by contemporary chroniclers in 1228, at the time when Hiiumaa, along with the rest of Estonia, had been conquered by Germanic crusaders. In 1254, Hiiumaa was divided between the Bishopric of ?sel-Wiek and the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order (who were also partly acting on behalf of the Hanseatic League). The island was held by Sweden (1563-1710). Most of the island's previously numerous Swedish-speaking population emigrated or "Estonianised" during the following period of Imperial Russian rule which lasted from 1710 until World War I. Since 1918 Hiiumaa has been a part of independent Estonia.

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Swedish: The term Swedish can refer to:...

German: German may mean:...

Island: An island or isle is any piece of land smaller than a continent and larger than a rock that is completely surrounded by water. Very small islands are called islets. Although seldom adhered to, it is also proper to call an emergent land feature on an atoll an islet, since an atoll is a type of islan...