Almedalen
Encyclopedia
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....
city Visby
Visby
-See also:* Battle of Visby* Gotland University College* List of governors of Gotland County-External links:* - Visby*...
on the island 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...
. It is well known in Sweden as the central site of the annual Almedalen Week
Almedalen 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....
.
In medieval times the area, just outside the city walls, was the city harbour. Due to the post-glacial rebound
Post-glacial rebound
Post-glacial rebound is the rise of land masses that were depressed by the huge weight of ice sheets during the last glacial period, through a process known as isostasy...
, the port over time grew too shallow and a new one had to be constructed further away from the city, where the sea is deeper. In the 19th century the area went by the name Gamle Hamn (Old Port). When the area was planted with elm
Elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus Ulmus in the plant family Ulmaceae. The dozens of species are found in temperate and tropical-montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ranging southward into Indonesia. Elms are components of many kinds of natural forests...
s in the 1870s, the name Almedalen was coined.
In Sweden, the name Almedalen is generally associated with the Almedalen Week
Almedalen 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....
, an annual event in Visby, which is 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, which takes place in week 27 every year, representatives from the major political parties in Sweden take turns to hold speeches in the park.
Next to the park, the county library of Gotland, the conference centre Visby Strand (opened in April 2007), and the Gotland University College are situated.