[1] Constitutionally, the regions exercise a degree of municipal self-government provided by the Basic Laws of Sweden.
This does not constitute any degree of federalism, which is consistent with Sweden's status as a unitary state.
Within the geographic boundaries of the county there are also several smaller municipalities and administrations that exercise local self-government independent of the regions.
Gotland Municipality is an exception, due to its geographical boundaries, and also has the responsibilities of a region.
In January 2020, the county councils (landsting) of Sweden were officially reclassified as regions (regioner), though the term had already de facto adopted the term well before the new law.