Moonsund Islands
| Moonsund Islands | ||
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| Waters | Baltic Sea | |
| Geographical location | 58 ° 30 ' N , 23 ° 0' E | |
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| Number of islands | about 500 | |
| Main island | Saaremaa | |
| Total land area | 4000 km² | |
The Moonsund Islands ( Estonian Lääne-Eesti saarestik ) form a group of islands belonging to Estonia in the eastern part of the Baltic Sea .
Islands
The archipelago with a total area of approx. 4000 km² includes the larger islands
as well as about 500 smaller islands. The Moonsund Islands are separated from the Estonian mainland in the east by the Moon Sound (Estonian Väinameri ).
Straits
The larger islands are separated from each other by the following straits:
- Voosi kurk between the mainland (Noarootsi peninsula) and Vormsi
- Hari kurk ( Moon-Sund ) between Vormsi and Hiiumaa
- Soela väin ( Sele-Sund ) between Hiiumaa and Saaremaa
- Väike väin between Saaremaa and Muhu
- Suur väin between Muhu and the mainland
Muhu and Saaremaa are connected by a 3.6 km long dam ( Väinatamm ), which is also accessible by cars. It was inaugurated on July 27, 1896 after two years of construction. A permanent connection between the mainland and the island of Muhu via the Suur väin is currently being hotly debated in Estonia.