Gotland Municipality
Encyclopedia
Gotland Municipality is a municipality
that covers the entire island
of Gotland
in Sweden
. The city
of Visby
is the municipality's seat.
units on the island of Gotland, among them one city (Visby
), one market town
(Slite
), one county council
and a lot of rural municipalities, many of them with less than 100 inhabitants.
Twenty years later the situation was totally different.
The first of the two nation-wide local government reforms in Sweden during the 20th century was implemented on January 1, 1952. From that date on, the rural municipalities on the island were regrouped into twelve new enlarged municipalities, which together with Visby, Slite and the Gotland County Council formed the new administrative pattern.
After ten years it was clear that this reform had not been radical enough and the work began preparing for the next one.
On January 1, 1971 the second and last local government reform was implemented in Sweden. All administrative and judicial differences between rural and urban areas were abolished. Only one type of municipality (kommun) existed from that date on. In the case of Gotland all the former entities were united into one single unit. As there was only one municipality in the county, also the County Council was abolished and merged into the new unitary municipality.
s (also called a Tätort or locality) in Gotland Municipality.
In the table the localities are listed according to the size of the population as of December 31, 2005. The municipal seat is in bold characters.
Election results 2006:
When Gotland was made into a single municipality in the 1970s, the county council
was abolished and its responsibilities transferred to the municipality, making it a unitary authority
. During a trial period some of the authority normally held by the Gotland County Administrative Board, an agency of the national government, has also been devolved to the Gotland Municipality, as well as to two mainland councils. The municipality of Gotland is there for in this respect also a region. It has responsibility for the public healthcare system
and public transport
.
(Almedalsveckan), an important meetingplace for everyone involved in Swedish politics
. During the week, representatives from the political parties in the Parliament of Sweden
take turns to hold speeches in the Almedalen
park in Visby
.
Municipalities of Sweden
The municipalities of Sweden are the local government entities of Sweden. The current 290 municipalities are organized into 21 counties...
that covers the entire island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
of Gotland
Gotland
Gotland is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden; it is Sweden's largest island and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, the region makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area...
in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. The city
City status in Sweden
Stad is a Swedish term which nominally means town but can also encompass the English word "city". Since 1971 stad has had no administrative or legal significance in Sweden and there exists no commonly accepted definition of the term.-History :...
of Visby
Visby
-See also:* Battle of Visby* Gotland University College* List of governors of Gotland County-External links:* - Visby*...
is the municipality's seat.
History
On December 31, 1951 there were 93 local governmentLocal government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
units on the island of Gotland, among them one city (Visby
Visby
-See also:* Battle of Visby* Gotland University College* List of governors of Gotland County-External links:* - Visby*...
), one market town
Köping
This article deals with the Swedish denomination for a market town. For the city, see Köping, Sweden. For the municipality, see Köping Municipality....
(Slite
Slite
Slite is a locality situated in Gotland Municipality, Gotland County, Sweden with 1,598 inhabitants in 2005. For a long time Slite was an important place for trade and business; nowadays tourism is an important source of income but also industry with stone and gravel, producing concrete from raw...
), one county council
County Councils of Sweden
A county council, or landsting, is an elected assembly of a county in Sweden. A county council is a political entity, elected by the county electorate and typically its main responsibilities lie within the public health care system. In each county there is also a county administrative board which...
and a lot of rural municipalities, many of them with less than 100 inhabitants.
Twenty years later the situation was totally different.
The first of the two nation-wide local government reforms in Sweden during the 20th century was implemented on January 1, 1952. From that date on, the rural municipalities on the island were regrouped into twelve new enlarged municipalities, which together with Visby, Slite and the Gotland County Council formed the new administrative pattern.
After ten years it was clear that this reform had not been radical enough and the work began preparing for the next one.
On January 1, 1971 the second and last local government reform was implemented in Sweden. All administrative and judicial differences between rural and urban areas were abolished. Only one type of municipality (kommun) existed from that date on. In the case of Gotland all the former entities were united into one single unit. As there was only one municipality in the county, also the County Council was abolished and merged into the new unitary municipality.
Localities
There are 16 urban areaUrban areas in Sweden
Urban area is a common English translation of the Swedish term tätort. The official term in English, used by Statistics Sweden, is, however, locality. There are 1,940 localities in Sweden . They could be compared with census-designated places in the United States.A tätort in Sweden has a minimum of...
s (also called a Tätort or locality) in Gotland Municipality.
In the table the localities are listed according to the size of the population as of December 31, 2005. The municipal seat is in bold characters.
| # | Locality | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visby Visby -See also:* Battle of Visby* Gotland University College* List of governors of Gotland County-External links:* - Visby*... |
22,236 |
| 2 | Hemse Hemse Hemse is a locality situated in Gotland Municipality, Gotland County, Sweden with 1,836 inhabitants in 2005. It is the second largest locality on the island of Gotland. During 19th century Hemse was known for its market places.... |
1,836 |
| 3 | Slite Slite Slite is a locality situated in Gotland Municipality, Gotland County, Sweden with 1,598 inhabitants in 2005. For a long time Slite was an important place for trade and business; nowadays tourism is an important source of income but also industry with stone and gravel, producing concrete from raw... |
1,598 |
| 4 | Klintehamn Klintehamn Klintehamn is a locality situated in Gotland Municipality, Gotland County, Sweden with 1,407 inhabitants in 2005.... |
1,407 |
| 5 | Vibble Vibble Vibble is a locality situated in Gotland Municipality, Gotland County, Sweden with 1,135 inhabitants in 2005. It is sometimes regarded as a suburb of Visby which it lies about 3 km south of. Main business of the location is tourism. The famous Villa Villekulla - where Pippi Longstocking lived - is... |
1,135 |
| 6 | Romakloster Romakloster Romakloster is a locality situated in Gotland Municipality, Gotland County, Sweden with 905 inhabitants in 2005.The locality of Romakloster was delimited by Statistics Sweden in 1995, when part of the previous locality of Roma was broken out, originally with the tentative name of Roma kyrkby, and... |
905 |
| 7 | Fårösund Fårösund Fårösund is a locality situated in Gotland Municipality, Gotland County, Sweden with 862 inhabitants in 2005. The village can be reached by car from Visby. The little island of Fårö can be reached by ferry from Fårösund.... |
862 |
| 8 | Lärbro Lärbro Lärbro is a locality situated in Gotland Municipality, Gotland County, Sweden with 521 inhabitants in 2005. It is located in the north app. 10 km away from Slite. There was a train connection from 1921 to 1960 with Visby, the main place of the island. The main sight of the place is the Lärbro... |
521 |
| 9 | Burgsvik Burgsvik Burgsvik ['buschvick] is a locality situated in Gotland Municipality, Gotland County, Sweden with 347 inhabitants in 2005. Burgsvik lies in the southern part of the island of Gotland. The Burgsvik beds are a geological sequence found there.-External links:*... |
347 |
| 10 | Stånga Stånga Stånga is a locality situated in Gotland Municipality, Gotland County, Sweden with 342 inhabitants in 2005.... |
342 |
| 11 | Havdhem Havdhem Havdhem is a locality situated in Gotland Municipality, Gotland County, Sweden with 318 inhabitants in 2005.... |
318 |
| 12 | Västerhejde Västerhejde Västerhejde is a locality situated in Gotland Municipality, Gotland County, Sweden with 302 inhabitants in 2005.... |
302 |
| 13 | Tingstäde Tingstäde Tingstäde is a locality situated in Gotland Municipality, Gotland County, Sweden with 278 inhabitants in 2005. It is most famous for its nearby swamp, which contains a sunken bulwark , built, used and abandoned in the 1130s.... |
278 |
| 14 | Väskinde Väskinde Väskinde is a locality situated in Gotland Municipality, Gotland County, Sweden with 275 inhabitants in 2005.... |
275 |
| 15 | Roma Roma, Sweden Roma is a locality situated in Gotland Municipality, Gotland County, Sweden with 253 inhabitants in 2005.In 1995 the locality known as Roma was divided by Statistics Sweden into a part with the tentative name of "Roma kyrkby" and the remaining part that was given the name "Romakloster"... |
253 |
| 16 | När När När is a locality situated in Gotland Municipality, Gotland County, Sweden with 209 inhabitants in 2005.... |
209 |
Politics
Election results 2002:| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| Swedish Social Democratic Party Swedish Social Democratic Party The Swedish Social Democratic Workers' Party, , contesting elections as 'the Workers' Party – the Social Democrats' , or sometimes referred to just as 'the Social Democrats' and most commonly as Sossarna ; is the oldest and largest political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1889... | 28 |
| Centre Party Centre Party (Sweden) The Centre Party is a centrist political party in Sweden. The party maintains close ties to rural Sweden and describes itself as "a green social liberal party". The ideology is sometimes called agrarian, but in a European context, the Centre Party can perhaps best be characterized as social... | 13 |
| Moderate Party Moderate Party The Moderate Party is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1904 as the General Electoral League by a group of conservatives in the Swedish parliament... | 11 |
| Left Party Left Party (Sweden) The Left Party is a socialist and feminist political party in Sweden, from 1967 to 1990 known as the Left Party – The Communists .On welfare issues, the party opposes privatizations... | 8 |
| Liberal People's Party Liberal People's Party (Sweden) The Liberal People's Party is a political party in Sweden. The party advocates social liberalism and is part of the governing centre-right coalition The Alliance, which achieved a majority in the general election of 17 September 2006... | 4 |
| Green Party Green Party (Sweden) -External links:**... | 4 |
| Christian Democrats Christian Democrats (Sweden) The Christian Democrats ) is a political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1964 but did not enter parliament until 1985 in an electoral cooperation with the Centre Party and on the Christian Democrats' own accord in 1991. The leader since April 3, 2004 is Göran Hägglund. He succeeded Alf... | 3 |
| Total | 71 |
Election results 2006:
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| Swedish Social Democratic Party Swedish Social Democratic Party The Swedish Social Democratic Workers' Party, , contesting elections as 'the Workers' Party – the Social Democrats' , or sometimes referred to just as 'the Social Democrats' and most commonly as Sossarna ; is the oldest and largest political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1889... | 24 |
| Centre Party Centre Party (Sweden) The Centre Party is a centrist political party in Sweden. The party maintains close ties to rural Sweden and describes itself as "a green social liberal party". The ideology is sometimes called agrarian, but in a European context, the Centre Party can perhaps best be characterized as social... | 17 |
| Moderate Party Moderate Party The Moderate Party is a centre-right, liberal conservative political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1904 as the General Electoral League by a group of conservatives in the Swedish parliament... | 14 |
| Left Party Left Party (Sweden) The Left Party is a socialist and feminist political party in Sweden, from 1967 to 1990 known as the Left Party – The Communists .On welfare issues, the party opposes privatizations... | 7 |
| Green Party Green Party (Sweden) -External links:**... | 4 |
| Liberal People's Party Liberal People's Party (Sweden) The Liberal People's Party is a political party in Sweden. The party advocates social liberalism and is part of the governing centre-right coalition The Alliance, which achieved a majority in the general election of 17 September 2006... | 4 |
| Christian Democrats Christian Democrats (Sweden) The Christian Democrats ) is a political party in Sweden. The party was founded in 1964 but did not enter parliament until 1985 in an electoral cooperation with the Centre Party and on the Christian Democrats' own accord in 1991. The leader since April 3, 2004 is Göran Hägglund. He succeeded Alf... | 1 |
| Total | 71 |
Region
Main article County Councils of SwedenCounty Councils of Sweden
A county council, or landsting, is an elected assembly of a county in Sweden. A county council is a political entity, elected by the county electorate and typically its main responsibilities lie within the public health care system. In each county there is also a county administrative board which...
When Gotland was made into a single municipality in the 1970s, the county council
County council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.-United Kingdom:...
was abolished and its responsibilities transferred to the municipality, making it a unitary authority
Unitary authority
A unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
. During a trial period some of the authority normally held by the Gotland County Administrative Board, an agency of the national government, has also been devolved to the Gotland Municipality, as well as to two mainland councils. The municipality of Gotland is there for in this respect also a region. It has responsibility for the public healthcare system
Publicly-funded health care
Publicly funded health care is a form of health care financing designed to meet the cost of all or most health care needs from a publicly managed fund. Usually this is under some form of democratic accountability, the right of access to which are set down in rules applying to the whole population...
and public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
.
Events organised by the municipality
The municipality coordinates the annual Almedalen WeekAlmedalen Week
The Almedalen Week is an annual event taking place in week 27 in and around Almedalen, a park in the city of Visby on the Swedish island Gotland....
(Almedalsveckan), an important meetingplace for everyone involved in Swedish politics
Politics of Sweden
Politics of Sweden takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy. Executive power is exercised by the government, led by the Prime Minister of Sweden. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament, elected within a multi-party...
. During the week, representatives from the political parties in the Parliament of Sweden
Parliament of Sweden
The Riksdag is the national legislative assembly of Sweden. The riksdag is a unicameral assembly with 349 members , who are elected on a proportional basis to serve fixed terms of four years...
take turns to hold speeches in the Almedalen
Almedalen
Almedalen is a park in the Swedish city Visby on the island of Gotland. It is well known in Sweden as the central site of the annual Almedalen Week....
park in Visby
Visby
-See also:* Battle of Visby* Gotland University College* List of governors of Gotland County-External links:* - Visby*...
.
External links
- Gotland Municipality - Official site
- Coat of arms