LANDSCAPE, FLORA, AND FAUNA
Gotland’s bedrock is very rich in fossils, which are visible everywhere along our stone beaches. The island got its current shape during and after the last ice age. Gotland looks a bit like a wedding cake on the western side, rising in high, steep cliffs that continue below the sea surface where the depth suddenly increases. The eastern side is generally flatter, with gently sloping beaches.
The island has rocky outcrops, low-growing pine forests, deciduous meadows, grazing and farmland. Several inland lakes, called swamps here, remain despite extensive drainage efforts, including lake Tingstäde and lake Bästeträsk. Along the coasts are shingle fields and beach ridges alternating with long sand and stone beaches. The vegetation is rich with many species of orchids. Birdlife is intense, with the Baltic Sea’s only bird cliffs on two islands off Gotland’s west coast, Lilla and Stora Karlsö, where both guillemots and razorbills nest.
North of Fårö, on Gotska Sandön and on Lilla Karlsö, there are colonies of grey seals. However, many mammals common on the mainland, such as moose, badger, and weasel, are absent.
With 92 medieval churches still in use, Gotland is Sweden's most church-dense municipality. The island’s antiquity, history, and traditions are evident and visible in everyday life here in everything from picture stones and burial mounds to distinctive place names.
In 2019, according to the Swedish Board of Agriculture, there were 68,300 sheep: ewes, rams, and lambs on Gotland, representing 12% of all sheep in the country.