The Estonian Swedes, Estonia-Swedes, or Coastal Swedes (Swedish: estlandssvenskar, "Estonia Swedes", colloquially aibofolke, "Island People", Estonian: rannarootslased, 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 thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, when their Swedish-speaking ancestors arrive in Estonia from what is now Sweden and Finland.
Almost all of Estonia's Swedish-speaking minority flees to Sweden during the Second World War, and only the descendants of a few individuals who had opted to stay are permanently resident in Estonia today.
