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Gotland is an island in the middle of the Baltic Sea approximately 100 km from nearest main land. It has sometimes been called the Pearl of the Baltic. The surface is about 3 140 km2. The bedrock leaves its mark on the landscape. The part of the bedrock that is above the sea level consists of sedimentary rock that goes back to the Silurian period (439-409 million years) before our time. The mild climate and limestone bedrock has formed a very rich and often special flora. More then 40 % of the surface is covered with pine, the most important tree for the lumber industry. The island has been habitated for about 10 000 years. The population is nearly 60000 people.. The island is a popular place for tourists so during the summer season the populaion is multiplied. About 800 years ago the language spoken was Old Gotlandic (Forngutniska) which later developed to modern Gotlandic. |
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