Estonian Swedes

The Estonian Swedes, Estonia-Swedes, or Coastal Swedes (, "Estonia Swedes", colloquially aibofolke, "Island People", , i.e. "Coastal Swedes" or eestirootslased) are a Swedish-speaking linguistic minority traditionally residing in the coastal areas and islands of what is now western and northern Estonia. The beginning of the continuous settlement of Estonian Swedes in these areas (known as Aiboland) dates back to the 13th and 14th centuries, when their Swedish-speaking ancestors arrived in Estonia from what is now Sweden and Finland. Almost all of Estonia's Swedish-speaking minority fled to Sweden during World War II, and only the descendants of a few individuals who opted to stay are permanently resident in Estonia today.