Stora Karlsö is a small Swedish island in the Baltic Sea, situated about west of the island of Gotland and part of Eksta socken.
Environment
Stora Karlsö has an area of about . It is mainly a limestone plateau, up to in height, bordered by steep cliffs along the shore. It is mostly covered with alvar. It is a nature reserve, the second oldest in the world after Yellowstone National Park.
Flora and fauna
The island is mostly known for its rich flora and birdlife. There are many juniper bushes and some small groves of deciduous trees. In spring, there is an extraordinary number of orchids, mostly elder-flowered orchid and early purple orchid. There are also several very rare plants for Sweden such as Adonis vernalis, Lactuca quercina (called Karlsösallat in Swedish), hart's-tongue fern and Corydalis gotlandica (the only endemic plant of Gotland). Along with neighbouring Lilla Karlsö, it has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International.
History
There is evidence that Stora Karlsö has been inhabited since the Stone Age. During the Middle Ages there was a marble quarry, which gave the material for many of Gotland's churches. The island is a nature reserve, and after Yellowstone National Park is the oldest established protected nature area in the world. From May to August there are tour boats from the village Klintehamn.
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Gallery
<gallery>
File:Stora Förvar Stora Karlsö.jpg|Stora Förvar, Stora Karlsö
File:Stora Karlso and Lilla Karlso.jpg|Stora Karlsö and Lilla Karlsö
File:Razorbills.jpg|Razorbills
Fyren på Stora Karlsö.jpg|Limestone cliffs and lighthouse on Stora Karlsö
</gallery>
See also
- Lilla Karlsö
- Svenska Turistföreningen