Facts about Gotland and Sweden

GOTLAND
Area	3 140 km2
Inhabitants	57 535
Largest town - Visby	24 000 inhabitants
Biggest lake	Bästeträsk 6,3 km2
Deepest lake	Sigvalde träsk 16 m
Width	50 kilometers
Length Fårö - Hoburgen	176 kilometers
Large employers:	Gotlands kommun  Försvarsmakten  Svenska Spel  Faktab AB  Destination Gotland
Islands around Gotland:	Fårö 114 km2  Gotska Sandön 37 km2  Furillen 4 km2  Stora Karlsö 2,4 km2  Lilla Karlsö 1,6 km2
Densely populated areas:	Visby  Hemse  Slite  Klintehamn  Roma  Vibble  Fårösund  Lärbro Map of Parishes on Gotland »

Sweden is situated in northern Europe, together with Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway, forming the Scandinavian hemisphere and The Nordic countries. With the exception of Iceland and Norway, all countries are members of the European Union.

Sweden has a population of 8,8 milion spread over an area of 450,000 square kilometres. Official language is Swedish, however, most Swedes speak or understand english. The Swedish flag has a yellow cross laid horizontally on medium blue field.

Sweden is a kingdom with constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary form of government. This is consisting of one chamber, whose members are elected directly by proportional representation for four-year terms. The king, His Majesty Charles XVI Gustavus, has a ceremonial function as Head of State.

Most Swedes are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, which is supported by the state, however most people attend church only casually. Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the constitution and like most of Europe, Sweden is a highly secular society.
 

Due to the passage of the Gulf Stream, the Swedish climate is probably milder than you might expect in theese latitudes. Sweden has four seasons: winter, spring, summer and autumn.

The temperatures vary strongly from north to south, especially during winter when the northernmost parts are covered with snow. Springtime begins in april, lasts to june when the warm season reaches its peak in july and august with temperatures around 20-30 degrees Celsius. Autumn usually offers a gently mild and pleasant climate.

From north to south 1 600 kilometers line the coast with thousands of islands in a beautiful archipelago. Mountains form much of the northwest and many rivers flow through the forests, east, and into the Baltic Sea. Over half of Sweden is forested whilst the southern part is mostly flat with rolling hills.
 

Sweden has right hand traffic. Drivers licences are issued from the age of 18. Foreign visitors driving in Sweden do not need domestic drivers licences, however you must carry a picture ID in complement to your own drivers licence.
 

Gotland is an island situated in the centre of the Baltic Sea, 90 kilometers from the Swedish mainland, 130 kilometers from the Baltic coastline, 560 kilometers from St Petersburg and 540 from Hamburg.

Almost 60 000 people residence on Gotland year round and during summer the amount of visitors reaches almost a million. Visby is the capital where also the municipality officials are located. Gotlands employment structure differ from the Swedish mainland. More people are occupied within agriculture, less in industry.

However, Gotland is going through a large transformation process. During the last few years, high-level information technology corporations have been established on the island. After agriculture, tourism is Gotlands main source of income.

Gotland is Sweden’s largest rural municipality. Half of the inhabitants live on the countryside, however, far from isolated. Schools, shops and health care are spread to major rural centres across the island.
 

Since the climate on Gotland is milder than on the Swedish mainland, the scenery offers a variation of both flora and fauna. Vast, white beaches you normally associate to tropical resorts, statue-like limestone formations of rauk’s, cliffs, forests, heaths and meadows will fill your impressions of a unique landscape.

Sweden is one of few countries in the world with a special and unique tradition of Right to Common access. This allows you to hike or camp, pick berries, mushrooms and flowers (many spieces can be preserved i.e. not allowed to pick), swim or enjoy nature even in private property areas.

However there can be local restrictions, fences should not be crossed and littering is prohibited by law. Reserves and bird sanctuaries can be closed for visitors during breeding season.

To maintain our possibility of charing a pure nature, there are som unwirtten laws to follow: do not destroy, disturb, light fires or litter, show respect to people, agriculture crops and wildlife and do not trespass with motor vehicles.
 

Emergency
If you need to call for an ambulance, the police, the fire brigade or in any other case of any other emergency, dial 112

Health care
Medical Information
Phone: +46 498 26 80 00

Adminstration
The Municipality of Gotland
Phone: +46 498 26 90 00

Gotland County Adminstration
Phone +46 498 29 21 00
 

Telephones
Public phones require phone cards. Phone card phones and fax are available at tobacco shops, petrol stations or various shops. International direct dialling is possible from any pay phone. When dialling a telephone number within Gotland, simply dial the six digits and exclude the area code (0498). For international calls, add 009, the contry code requested, area code and telephone number.

Postal services
Many grocery stores can assist with postal services. Postage can be bought in all grocery stores, tobacco shops and petrol stations.

Internet cafés
Internet access (free of charge) at the city's public library, Almedalsbiblioteket, near the harbor. Some areas in Visby, including the harbor and town square areas, have access to wireless broadband for cellphones, PDA:s and laptops.
 

Newpapers from other countries
The most common international newspapers can be bought at some news agents in the harbour area. Swedish and international newspapers can also be read for free of charge at the city's public library, Almedalsbiblioteket, near the harbor.

Radio news in English
Swedish radio has both public service channels and commercial ones. The local public service radio channel on the island is Radio Gotland FM 100,2 Mhz. Radio Sweden broadcasts international news in English every day on FM 89,6 Mhz.
 

Centigrade - Fahrenheit
0 freezing 32
20 68
37 body temp 98
100 boiling 212

Weights
1 kilo (kg) = 10 hectogram (hg) = 1 000 gram (g) = 2.2 pounds

Measures
1 litre (1) = 10 decilitre (dl) = 2.1134 U.S pints
1 meter (m) = 10 decimetres (dm) = 100 centimetres (cm) =
1 000 millimetres (mm)
1 kilometre (km) = 1000 meters = 0.62 miles
1 Swedish mile, mil = 10 kilometres
1 inch = 2,54 centimetres
1 foot = 30,5 centimetres
1 yard = 0,914 meters
1 mile = 1,61 kilometres

Time
In Sweden we use the European system for expressing time and say 13.00 instead of 1 p.m. From the end of March to the end of September daylight saving time is used. You set your clock one hour ahead in March and set it back one hour in September.

Dates
The most common ways of writing dates are 2004-06-02 or just 040602, meaning June 2, 2004. You can also write 2/6 2004.

Address (letter)
Line 1: First name + family name
Line 2 c/o last name of the person, whose name is on the door, if not your own
Line 3 Name of street, street number and floor (floor can be written in Roman or in Arabic numerals followed by tr. for "trappa", floor).
Line 4 Postal (zip) code number (five figures) and postal area in capital letters.

Electricity
In Sweden 230 volts and 50 cycles (Hz) and round-pin plugs are standard. As British and US outlets differ from Swedish ones, you may need an adapter for your electrical appliances.

Means of payment
The Swedish krona, or crown (SEK) is the national unit of currency. Euro and US dollar are accepted at tourist establishments, often at disadventageous rates. Major credits are mostly accepted in shops and restaurants.


 

Golf on Gotland