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Motto:
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'Quo fata ferunt' (Whither
the Fates carry [us])
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History |
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 |
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Geography |
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Location:
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North America, group of islands
in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US) |
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Geographic coordinates:
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32 20 N, 64 45 W
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Map references:
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North America
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Area:
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Total:
54 sq km
land: 54 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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Land Boundaries: |
0 km |
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Coastline:
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103 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
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Climate:
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subtropical; mild, humid; gales,
strong winds common in winter
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Terrain:
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low hills separated by fertile
depressions
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Elevation
Extremes
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Town Hill 76 m |
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Natural
Resources:
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limestone, pleasant climate
fostering tourism
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Land use:
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Arable land:
20%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 80% (55% developed, 45% rural/open space) (2005)
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Natural hazards:
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Hurricanes (June to November)
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Environment - current issues:
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sustainable development |
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Geography
Note: |
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 |
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People
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Population:
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67,837 (July 2009 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 18.3% (male 6,271/female 6,163)
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 22,555/female 23,215)
65 years and over: 14.2% (male 3,979/female 5,654) (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate: |
0.647% (2009 est.) |
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Birth rate: |
11.57 births/1,000 population
(2009 est.) |
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Death rate: |
7.3 deaths/1,000 population (July
2009 est.) |
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Net migration rate: |
2.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2009 est.) |
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Urbanization: |
urban population: 100% of total
population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 0.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio: |
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2009 est.) |
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Nationality: |
noun: Bermudian(s)
adjective: Bermudian |
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Ethnic groups: |
black 54.8%, white 34.1%, mixed
6.4%, other races 4.3%, unspecified 0.4% (2000 census) |
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Religions: |
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Anglican 23%, Roman Catholic 15%,
African Methodist Episcopal 11%, other Protestant 18%,
other 12%, unaffiliated 6%, unspecified 1%, none 14%
(2000 census) |
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Languages: |
English (official) , Portuguese |
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Government |
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Country name: |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bermuda
former: Somers Islands |
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Dependency status: |
Overseas territory of the UK
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Government Type: |
parliamentary; self-governing
territory |
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Capital: |
name: Hamilton
geographic coordinates: 32 17 N, 64 47 W |
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Administrative divisions:
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9 parishes and 2 municipalities*;
Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*,
Saint George's, Sandys, Smith's, Southampton, Warwick |
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Independence: |
none (overseas territory of the
UK) |
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National holiday: |
Bermuda Day, 24 May |
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Constitution: |
8 June 1968; amended 1989 and
2003 |
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Legal system: |
English Law |
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Suffrage: |
18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch: |
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: 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 |
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Legislative branch: |
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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
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Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal;
Magistrate Courts |
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Political parties and leaders: |
Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Ewart
BROWN]; United Bermuda Party or UBP [Kim SWAN]
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Political pressure groups and
leaders: |
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]
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International organization participation: |
Caricom (associate), Interpol (subbureau),
IOC, ITUC, UPU, WCO, WFTU |
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Diplomatic representation in the US: |
None
(Overseas territory of the UK) |
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Diplomatic representation from the US: |
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, 296-9233 |
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National Holidays: |
New Year's Day (1 January); Good
Friday (varies); Bermuda Day (24 May); Queen's Official Birthday
(Second Monday in June); Emancipation Day (Thursday before the
First Monday in August); Somer's Day (Friday before the First
Monday in August); Labour Day (First Monday in September);
Remembrance Day (11 November); Christmas Day (25 December);
Boxing Day (26 December) |
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Caricom Associate Member: |
2 July 2003 |
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Flag description: |
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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 |
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Economy |
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Overview: |
Bermuda enjoys the third 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. |
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GDP (purchasing
power parity): |
$4.5 billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP -real growth rate: |
4.6% (2004 est.) |
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GDP per capita (PPP): |
$69,900 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 10%
services: 89% (2002 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
2.8% (November 2005) |
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Labor force: |
38,360 (2004) |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
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agriculture and fishing 3%, laborers
17%, clerical 19%, professional and technical 21%,
administrative and managerial 15%, sales 7%, services
19% (2004 est.) |
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Unemployment rate: |
2.1% (2004 est.) |
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Budget: |
revenues: $738 million
expenditures: $665 million (FY04/05) |
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Industries: |
international business, tourism,
light manufacturing |
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Agriculture - products: |
bananas, vegetables, citrus,
flowers; dairy products, honey |
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Exports: |
$763 million (2006) |
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Exports - commodities: |
re exports of pharmaceuticals
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Exports - partners: |
Brazil 22.4%, US 14.6%, Germany
11%, South Africa 8.4%, Switzerland 6% (2008) |
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Imports: |
$1.162 billion (2006) |
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Imports - commodities: |
clothing, fuels, machinery and
transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and
live animals |
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Imports - partners:
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South Korea 31.7%, Italy 21.7%,
US 14.9%, UK 6.8%, Singapore 4.4%, France 4.2% (2008) |
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Debt - external: |
$160 million (FY99/00) |
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Exchange rates: |
Bermudian dollars (BMD) per US
dollar - 1.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar) |
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Business Hours: |
Commercial: 9:00am to 5:00pm
Monday to Friday
Government: 8:30am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday |
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Communications |
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
57,600 (2008) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
79,000 (2008) |
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Telephone System: |
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) |
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Radio broadcast stations: |
AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005)
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Television broadcast stations: |
3 (2005) |
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Internet country Code: |
.bm |
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Internet hosts: |
1,628 (2008) |
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Internet users: |
48,000 (2007) |
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Transportation |
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Airports: |
1; L.F. Wade International
Airport
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2009) |
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Roadways: |
total: 447 km
country comparison to the world: 195
paved: 447 km
note: public roads - 225 km; private roads - 222 km (2007)
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Merchant marine: |
total: 137
country comparison to the world: 44
by type: bulk carrier 23, chemical tanker 3, container 22,
liquefied gas 33, passenger 24, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum
tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 9
foreign-owned: 115 (Australia 1, China 10, France 1, Germany 22,
Greece 9, Hong Kong 4, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Japan 2, Nigeria 11,
Norway 5, Sweden 20, UK 3, US 23)
registered in other countries: 50 (Bahamas 12, Marshall Islands
4, Philippines 34) (2008) |
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Ports and
Terminals: |
Hamilton, Saint George |
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Military |
Bermuda Regiment (2008) |
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defense is the responsibility of
the UK |
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Main Source of Information: the Central Intelligence Agency
World Factbook |
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Items of Interest |
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Anthem: |
God Save
The Queen
God Save the Queen
God save our gracious Queen,
Long live our noble Queen,
God save The Queen.
Send her victorious,
Happy and glorious,
Long to reign over us:
God save The Queen.
O Lord our God, arise,
Scatter our enemies,
And make them fall;
Confound their politics,
Frustrate their knavish tricks;
On thee our hopes we fix:
God save us all.
Thy choicest gifts in store
On her be pleased to pour,
Long may she reign.
May she defend our laws,
And ever give us cause
To sing with heart and voice,
God save The Queen.Unofficial
Local Anthem
Words by: Bette Johns
Hail to Bermuda
My island in the sun
Sing out in glory
To the nation we've become
We've grown from heart to heart
And strength to strength
For loyalty is prime
So sing long live Bermuda
Because this island's mine
Hail to Bermuda
My homeland dear to me
This is my own land
Built on strength
And unity
We've grown from heart to heart
And strength to strength
This privilege is mine
So sing long live Bermuda
Because this island's mine!
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Favourite Local
Cuisine: |
Codfish and
Potatoes, Cassava Pie, Shark Hash, Johnny Bread, Peas and Rice
and Fish Cakes |
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Government
website: |
http://www.gov.bm |
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