Saaremaa was the wealthiest county of ancient Estonia[citation needed] and the home of notorious pirates, sometimes called the Eastern Vikings.

The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia describes a fleet of sixteen ships and 500 Osilians ravaging the area that is now southern Sweden, then belonging to Denmark.

"Two warships lie on the other side under the ness, and I will tell thee who command them: two brothers are the captains—one's name is Hallgrímur, and the other's Kolskeggur.

The XIVth book of Gesta Danorum, Saxo Grammaticus describes a subsequent battle on Öland in 1170 in which the Danish king Valdemar I mobilized his entire fleet to curb the incursions of pirates from "Couronia" (Courland) and Saaremaa.

Perhaps the most renowned raid by the inhabitants of Saaremaa occurred in 1187, with the attack on the Swedish town of Sigtuna (other candidates as raiders are Karelians and Curonians).

Normal life in Sigtuna continued until town started to slowly lose its importance during 13th century due to navigability problems caused by post-glacial rebound.

The crusader's fortress Kuressaare Castle, known in German as Schloss Arensburg, was built by the Teutonic Order for the bishops of Ösel–Wiek (Estonian: Saare-Lääne).

During the 14th–16th centuries, and possibly earlier, inhabitants of Saaremaa started to resettle into areas surrounding the Baltic Sea and, for example, to establish villages on the Livonian coast.

During World War II, the island was first occupied by the Soviet Red Army in June 1940 and, along with the rest of Estonian territory, formally annexed into the Stalinist USSR in August 1940.

German troops were expelled and the island was reoccupied by the Soviet Red Army in the Moonsund Landing Operation in October and November 1944.

In 1946, the Soviet military authorities declared Saaremaa a restricted zone closed to all non-local civilians, i.e., mainland Estonians and foreigners.

In medieval times islanders crossed the strait to form fishing villages on the Livonian coast, notably Pitrags.

In those days it was easier and quicker to cross the strait towards nearby Kolka, Saunags or Mazirbe, than travel by horse large distances inland.

The West Estonian islands are low-lying plains resting on limestone; their average elevation is roughly 15 meters (49 ft) above sea level.

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.

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

The smallest protected wildlife species in terms of size include the clouded apollo butterflies and Roman snails.

Ringed seals can 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.

[12] The energy of the impact—about 80 TJ (20 kilotons of TNT), comparable with the Hiroshima bomb—burned forests within a radius of 6 km (3.7 mi) of the impact site.

[12] Dolomite, limestone, curative mud, mineral water, ceramic clay, sand, and gravel are the major local resources.

Compared to the Republic of Estonia on the whole, the population of Saare County and particularly of Kuressaare town is younger, whereas the number of the retired people is considerably smaller.

Saaremaa is located in the heart of the Baltic region, which is one of the most rapidly growing markets in Europe, with 70 million consumers.

The island's "Gates to the West" include the reconstructed Kuressaare Airport and Roomassaare Harbour, the operation of modern ferries between Saaremaa and the Estonian mainland, and the rapid development of the telecommunications.

[15] Saaremaa Velotuur is a group race of road cyclists that is oldest in the Nordic countries (held since 1957) and the only international one in the Baltic states.

[16] Saaremaa three-day running marathon takes place on the roads around Kuressaare town and Sõrve peninsula.