Fårösund facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Fårösund
Fåresunda
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Strandvägen in Fårösund
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 Fårösund
Location in Gotland
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| Country | Sweden |
| Province | Gotland |
| County | Gotland County |
| Municipality | Gotland Municipality |
| Area | |
| • Total | 2.89 km2 (1.12 sq mi) |
| Population
(31 December 2014)
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| • Total | 800 |
| • Density | 282/km2 (730/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
Fårösund is a small town located on the Swedish island of Gotland. In 2014, about 800 people lived there. You can drive to Fårösund from Visby, another town on Gotland. From Fårösund, you can take a ferry across a narrow strait to the island of Fårö.
Fårösund is the northernmost town in the Gotland area. It's about 56 kilometers (35 miles) north of Visby. The town sits right by the sea, looking out towards Fårö island. Many tourists visit Fårösund during the summer. However, it is usually a quiet place in the autumn, winter, and spring. For a long time, it was a small, peaceful resort and a ferry stop for boats going to Fårö. The Swedish government has recently been working to buy back the old naval port and other facilities. This is part of an effort to strengthen Gotland's defenses.
Fårösund is also the name of the strait, which is the narrow waterway between Gotland's main island and Fårö.
Climate in Fårösund
Fårösund has a maritime climate. This means its weather is greatly influenced by the sea. The temperatures don't change too much between seasons compared to other places in Scandinavia.
The climate here is often quite dry and sunny. This is because high-pressure systems often sit over the Baltic Sea. This also means that heavy snow is rare. Summer days are usually mild and pleasant. The sea helps keep the nights warm, so summer temperatures are generally comfortable. The weather station that collects this information is located very close to the sea.
| Climate data for Fårösund (2002–2020 averages, extremes since 1995, sunshine from Visby) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 10.8 (51.4) |
13.7 (56.7) |
17.1 (62.8) |
22.9 (73.2) |
27.1 (80.8) |
29.5 (85.1) |
30.8 (87.4) |
30.1 (86.2) |
25.6 (78.1) |
21.3 (70.3) |
15.8 (60.4) |
13.7 (56.7) |
30.8 (87.4) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 7.2 (45.0) |
7.3 (45.1) |
12.2 (54.0) |
17.3 (63.1) |
22.1 (71.8) |
25.5 (77.9) |
26.6 (79.9) |
26.2 (79.2) |
22.2 (72.0) |
16.4 (61.5) |
11.4 (52.5) |
8.5 (47.3) |
27.8 (82.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 2.4 (36.3) |
2.2 (36.0) |
4.5 (40.1) |
9.0 (48.2) |
14.1 (57.4) |
18.5 (65.3) |
21.2 (70.2) |
20.9 (69.6) |
17.0 (62.6) |
11.1 (52.0) |
7.2 (45.0) |
4.3 (39.7) |
11.0 (51.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 0.6 (33.1) |
0.4 (32.7) |
2.1 (35.8) |
5.9 (42.6) |
10.6 (51.1) |
15.1 (59.2) |
18.2 (64.8) |
18.0 (64.4) |
14.5 (58.1) |
9.1 (48.4) |
5.5 (41.9) |
2.7 (36.9) |
8.6 (47.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −1.2 (29.8) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
−0.4 (31.3) |
2.7 (36.9) |
7.1 (44.8) |
11.7 (53.1) |
15.1 (59.2) |
15.1 (59.2) |
11.9 (53.4) |
7.1 (44.8) |
3.8 (38.8) |
1.0 (33.8) |
6.0 (42.9) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | −7.0 (19.4) |
−6.9 (19.6) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
2.3 (36.1) |
7.4 (45.3) |
11.4 (52.5) |
11.1 (52.0) |
7.2 (45.0) |
1.9 (35.4) |
−0.9 (30.4) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
−9.2 (15.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −10.6 (12.9) |
−17.0 (1.4) |
−17.0 (1.4) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
4.8 (40.6) |
9.0 (48.2) |
8.4 (47.1) |
2.7 (36.9) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
−5.7 (21.7) |
−13.0 (8.6) |
−17.0 (1.4) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 29.7 (1.17) |
20.8 (0.82) |
21.7 (0.85) |
19.4 (0.76) |
26.3 (1.04) |
39.4 (1.55) |
53.7 (2.11) |
57.0 (2.24) |
38.1 (1.50) |
52.6 (2.07) |
49.6 (1.95) |
39.8 (1.57) |
448.1 (17.63) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 37 | 70 | 167 | 261 | 322 | 331 | 313 | 265 | 200 | 103 | 42 | 31 | 2,142 |
| Source 1: SMHI Open Data (temperature) | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: SMHI Open Data (precipitation) | |||||||||||||
History of Fårösund
Fårösund has a long history as an important military location. During the Crimean War (in the 1850s), a group of countries fighting against Russia used Fårösund as their base in the Baltic Sea.
Long before that, in 1721, defenses were built to protect the entrance to Fårösund. These included an artillery battery (a place for cannons) and a blockhouse. However, these were later abandoned.
In 1818, Fårösund's importance as a Naval base was recognized again. In 1885, when there was a chance of conflict between Russia and the United Kingdom, more defenses were quickly added. These included placing naval mines around the harbor. This was done to show that Sweden wanted to stay neutral in any conflicts. New batteries with cannons were built at both ends of the strait.
From 1905, a special coastal artillery unit was stationed in Fårösund. They had barracks built for them between 1902 and 1906.
In 1937, the Gotland Coastal Artillery Regiment (KA 3) was created. This brought an economic boost to the town, including a new shipyard. Before the 1950s, the port was also used as a base for submarines. The regiment was eventually closed down in 2000.
After the regiment closed, the old military area was no longer used for defense. Many new companies started up there. However, in 2017, the Swedish government began trying to buy back the old military facilities, including the port. This was because Sweden wanted to strengthen its defenses again. There were other private groups interested in buying the port, but the government wanted it for national security.
In January 2018, the Swedish Armed Forces successfully bought back the base. They paid 20 million Swedish krona for it. This purchase was important for rebuilding Gotland's defenses.
Sports Clubs
Fårösund has a local sports club:
- Fårösunds GoIK
