Gotland is located in the Baltic Sea to the east of Öland, and is the largest of Sweden's islands.

Both the County Administrative Board and the municipality have their seat in the largest city, Visby, with over 22,000 inhabitants.

The provinces of Sweden are no longer officially administrative units but are used in reporting population size, politics, etc.

The main aims of the County Administrative Board are to fulfil the goals set in national politics by the Riksdag and the Government, to coordinate the interests and promote the development of the county, to establish regional goals and safeguard the due process of law in the handling of each case.

Similar provisions are applicable to the counties of Västra Götaland and Skåne during the trial period.