Perhaps we islanders are more conscious of our environment than other people since we're so dependent on our own resources. Gotland enjoys important natural and cultural assets which it's our duty to preserve and protect. We must therefore build a society in which the eco-cycle and careful resource management are accorded a position of central importance. Gotland must play its part in improving the Baltic environment. Gotland's living farmland helps keep the countryside open and the environment sound. No other region in Sweden has so many biodynamic growers as Gotland,

Gotland's electricity supply is ensured by two direct-current cables between Gotland and the mainland. Actually, however, we'd manage quite well without these, for Gotland is at the forefront of research in matters pertaining to energy. District heating, waste heat recovery, geothermal heating, digestion gas and wind power are a few of the alternative sources of energy currently being investigated. Today, there are 100 wind-power units in operation in Gotland.

Gotland is Sweden's business region par excellence. Here, large numbers of companies, most of them small, dynamic and highly flexible, are active in a wide variety of business areas. However, the island's employment structure differs from that of mainland Sweden - more people are occupied in agriculture, less in industry. The Swedish state lottery is headquartered in Gotland, as are Cementa and Euroc Research AB. Gotland offers all the services a company could need - from data processing, legal, financial, advertising and marketing services to printing and distribution. Over the last few years, several high-level IT companies have also located to Gotland.

The fertile Gotland soil and the island's mild climate give good harvests and produce of high quality. Agriculture is one of the mainstays of the island's economy, and the foodstuffs industry is correspondingly large. Dairies, slaughterhouses, vegetable wholesalers, the canning industry and a whole range of others all send their products to mainland Sweden. Today, consumers are increasingly demanding produce that is organically grown, and as Gotland has Sweden's proportionately largest area of biodynamic farmland, it's hardly surprising that the island is renowned far outside its borders for the high quality of its foodstuffs.

The low Gotland forest grows slowly, giving wood that is extremely hard. Timber, chips and wooden products are exported from Gotland in large quantities.

Lime was burned in Gotland as early as the 12th century. Now, however, the cement industry has taken over, and Cementa's plant is the largest in Northern Europe. Large quantities of lime are also mined and exported by Nordkalk.

The wool and skin of the special Gotland sheep are other valuable assets. Several companies and crafts cooperatives specialise in transforming these raw materials into tasteful items of clothing, including sheepskin coats and knitted goods combining traditional patterns with original new designs.