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Columbia Encyclopedia entry: Gotland

Gotlandgŏt'lənd, Swed. Gotlands län, county (1995 pop. 58,240), 1,225 sq mi (3,173 sq km), SE Sweden, in the Baltic Sea. The county comprises the large island of Gotland and several smaller islands, including Fårön, Gotska Sandön, and Karlsö. Visby is the capital. Gotland island is made up of a limestone plateau and has a steep coastline and a few hills. Its climate is temperate, and there is much fertile soil. Cereals, sugar beets, and vegetables are grown, and sheep are raised. Fishing, cement making, and tourism are the main industries. Archaeological remains indicate that Gotland, inhabited since the Stone Age, had wide commercial contacts from early times, especially under the Vikings (9th–11th cent.). In the 12th cent. German merchants settled at Visby, which became one of the chief towns of the Hanseatic League. From the 11th to the 14th cent. Gotland prospered as a major trade center of N Europe, but internal strife between the Hanse merchants and local tradesmen weakened the county. Gotland was conquered by the Swedish king, Magnus I (Magnus Ladulas) in 1280, and later was taken by Waldemar IV of Denmark in 1361 and by the Hanseatic League in 1370. Soon after, Gotland became the base of wide-ranging pirates, and it gradually declined in importance. By the Treaty of Stettin in 1570, Gotland passed under Danish rule; by the Peace of Brömsebro in 1645 it was returned to Sweden. The county has many fine churches and ruined castles.

Wikipedia search results for: Gotland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

is a county, province, municipality and diocese of Sweden and the largest island in the Baltic Sea. At 3,140 square kilometers in area, it makes up less than one percent of Sweden's total land area. The region also includes the small islands of Fårö and Gotska Sandön to the north, and the tiny Karlsö Islands to the west. The inhabitants number is 57,317, with about 22,600 living in the primary city Visby. The main sources of income to the island are tourism, agriculture and concrete production from locally mined limestone. The traditional provinces of Sweden serve no administrative or political purposes, but are historical and cultural entities. In...more »

Columbia Encyclopedia search results: Gotland

Results 1 - 7 of 7

Fårön
Fårön, island, 40 sq mi (104 sq km), Gotland co., E Sweden, separated from Gotland Island by the Fårösund, an arm of the Baltic Sea. It has a lighthouse, fine beaches, and prehistoric and medi...
Visby
Visby or Wisby, city (1990 pop. 20,990), capital of Gotland co., SE Sweden, on Gotland Island and on the Baltic Sea. It is an industrial center and a popular resort and has a modern ice-free p...
Tromp, Cornelis
Tromp, Cornelis, 1629–91, Dutch admiral in the second and third of the Dutch Wars; son of Maarten Tromp. In 1665 he was made commander of the Dutch fleet, but he was replaced by M. A. de Ruyte...
Waldemar IV
Waldemar IV (Valdemar Atterdag), c.1320–1375, king of Denmark (1340–75). He became king of a land completely dismembered by foreign rulers, but his ambition, unscrupulousness, and military abi...
Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea, arm of the Atlantic Ocean, c.163,000 sq mi (422,170 sq km), including the Kattegat strait, its northwestern extension. The Øresund, Store Bælt, and Lille Bælt connect the Baltic Se...
Scandinavian art and architecture
Scandinavian art and architecture, works of art and structures created in the Scandinavian area of Europe. The Scandinavian countries are rich in artifacts and objects of archaeological intere...
Sweden
Sweden, Swed. Sverige, officially Kingdom of Sweden, constitutional monarchy (2005 est. pop. 9,002,000), 173,648 sq mi (449,750 sq km), N Europe, occupying the eastern part of the Scandinavian...

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