Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists headed for Virginia. Tourism to the island to escape North American winters first developed in Victorian times. Tourism continues to be important to the island's economy, although international business has overtaken it in recent years. Bermuda has developed into a highly successful offshore financial center. Although a referendum on independence from the UK was soundly defeated in 1995, the present government has reopened debate on the issue.

North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US)
32 20 N, 64 45 W
North America
total: 53.3 sq km ; land: 53.3 sq km ; water: 0 sq km
about one-third the size of Washington, DC
0 km
103 km
territorial sea: 12 nm ; exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter
low hills separated by fertile depressions
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m ; highest point: Town Hill 76 m
limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism
arable land: 20% ; permanent crops: 0% ; other: 80% (55% developed, 45% rural/open space) (2005)
NA


hurricanes (June to November)
sustainable development

consists of about 138 coral islands and islets with ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land was leased by US Government from 1941 to 1995
66,163 (July 2007 est.)
0-14 years: 18.3% (male 6,094/female 6,014) ; 15-64 years: 69.2% (male 22,696/female 23,094) ; 65 years and over: 12.5% (male 3,597/female 4,668) (2007 est.)
total: 40.6 years ; male: 39.7 years ; female: 41.4 years (2007 est.)
0.576% (2007 est.)
11.26 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
7.84 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
2.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female ; under 15 years: 1.013 male(s)/female ; 15-64 years: 0.983 male(s)/female ; 65 years and over: 0.771 male(s)/female ; total population: 0.959 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
total: 8.08 deaths/1,000 live births ; male: 9.58 deaths/1,000 live births ; female: 6.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total population: 78.13 years ; male: 76 years ; female: 80.29 years (2007 est.)
1.88 children born/woman (2007 est.)
0.297% (2005)
163 (2005)
392 (2005)
noun: Bermudian(s) ; adjective: Bermudian
black 54.8%, white 34.1%, mixed 6.4%, other races 4.3%, unspecified 0.4% (2000 census)
Anglican 23%, Roman Catholic 15%, African Methodist Episcopal 11%, other Protestant 18%, other 12%, unaffiliated 6%, unspecified 1%, none 14% (2000 census)
English (official), Portuguese
definition: age 15 and over can read and write ; total population: 98% ; male: 98% ; female: 99% (2005 est.)


conventional long form: none ; conventional short form: Bermuda ; former: Somers Islands
parliamentary; self-governing territory
name: Hamilton ; geographic coordinates: 32 17 N, 64 47 W ; time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) ; daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November
9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smith's, Southampton, Warwick

none (overseas territory of the UK)
Bermuda Day, 24 May
8 June 1968; amended 1989 and 2003
English law
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Sir Richard GOZNEY (since 12 December 2007) ; head of government: Premier Ewart BROWN (since 30 October 2006); Deputy Premier Paula COX ; cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the premier, appointed by the governor ; elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed premier by the governor
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; members appointed by the governor, the premier, and the opposition) and the House of Assembly (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve up to five-year terms) ; elections: last general election held 18 December 2007 (next to be held not later than 2012) ; election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 52.5%, UBP 47.3%; seats by party - PLP 22, UBP 14
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts
Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Ewart BROWN]; United Bermuda Party or UBP [Wayne FURBERT]
Bermuda Employer's Union [Eddie SAINTS]; Bermuda Industrial Union or BIU [Derrick BURGESS]; Bermuda Public Services Union or BPSU [Ed BALL]; Bermuda Union of Teachers [Michael CHARLES]
Caricom (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ITUC, UPU, WCO
red, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Bermudian coat of arms (white and green shield with a red lion holding a scrolled shield showing the sinking of the ship Sea Venture off Bermuda in 1609) centered on the outer half of the flag
none (overseas territory of the UK)
chief of mission: Consul General Gregory W. SLAYTON ; consulate(s) general: Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire DVO3 ; mailing address: P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX; American Consulate General Hamilton, US Department of State, 5300 Hamilton Place, Washington, DC 20520-5300 ; telephone: [1] (441) 295-1342 ; FAX: [1] (441) 295-1592, [1] (441) 296-9233
overseas territory of the UK




Bermuda enjoys the highest per capita income in the world, more than 50% higher than that of the US. Its economy is primarily based on providing financial services for international business and luxury facilities for tourists. A number of reinsurance companies relocated to the island following the 11 September 2001 attacks and again after Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, contributing to the expansion of an already robust international business sector. Bermuda's tourism industry - which derives over 80% of its visitors from the US - continues to struggle but remains the island's number two industry. Most capital equipment and food must be imported. Bermuda's industrial sector is small, although construction continues to be important; the average cost of a house in June 2003 had risen to $976,000. Agriculture is limited with only 20% of the land being arable.
$4.5 billion (2004 est.)
$NA
4.6% (2004 est.)
$69,900 (2004 est.)
agriculture: 1% ; industry: 10% ; services: 89% (2002 est.)
38,360 (2004)
agriculture and fishing 3%, laborers 17%, clerical 19%, professional and technical 21%, administrative and managerial 15%, sales 7%, services 19% (2004 est.)
2.1% (2004 est.)
19% (2000)
lowest 10%: NA% ; highest 10%: NA%

2.8% (November 2005)

revenues: $738 million ; expenditures: $665 million (FY04/05)

bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products, honey
international business, tourism, light manufacturing
NA%
618 million kWh (2005)
fossil fuel: 100% ; hydro: 0% ; nuclear: 0% ; other: 0% (2001)
574.8 million kWh (2005)
0 kWh (2005)
0 kWh (2005)
0 bbl/day (2005)
4,400 bbl/day (2005 est.)
0 bbl/day (2005)
4,250 bbl/day (2004)
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005)
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

$763 million (2006)
reexports of pharmaceuticals
Spain 31.6%, UK 16.6%, Brazil 9.6%, Sweden 7.9% (2006)
$1.162 billion (2006)
US 71.8%, Venezuela 6.9%, Canada 6.6% (2006)


$160 million (FY99/00)
$NA
$NA
$2.125 billion (2005)
Bermudian dollar (BMD)
BMD
Bermudian dollar per US dollar - 1.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar)
1 April - 31 March
$90,000 (2004)
57,700 (2006)
60,100 (2006)
general assessment: good ; domestic: fully automatic digital telephone system; fiber-optic trunk lines ; international: country code - 1-441; landing point for the Atlantica-1 telecommunications submarine cable that extends from the US to Brazil; satellite earth stations - 3 (2007)
AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005)
82,000 (1997)
3 (2005)
66,000 (1997)
.bm
2,949 (2007)
20 (2000)
42,000 (2005)

1 (2007)
total: 1 ; 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2007)




total: 447 km ; paved: 447 km ; note: public roads - 225 km; private roads - 222 km (2002)

total: 133 ships (1000 GRT or over) 8,366,999 GRT/8,615,385 DWT ; by type: bulk carrier 24, container 22, liquefied gas 30, passenger 23, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 15, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 4 ; foreign-owned: 126 (Australia 4, Belgium 3, China 10, France 1, Germany 21, Greece 3, Hong Kong 4, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Japan 1, Nigeria 11, Norway 5, Singapore 1, Sweden 15, UK 20, US 23) ; registered in other countries: 50 (Bahamas 12, Croatia 2, Marshall Islands 5, Philippines 31) (2007)
Hamilton, Saint George

no regular military forces; Bermuda Police Service, Bermuda Reserve Constabulary, Bermuda Regiment
18-23 years of age; eligible men required to register for conscription as needed into the Bermuda Regiment, which is largely voluntary; term of service 39 months (2007)
males age 18-49: 15,151 (2005 est.)
males age 18-49: 12,165 (2005 est.)
males age 18-49: 408 (2005 est.)
0.11% (2005 est.)
defense is the responsibility of the UK
none



