Introduction

 

Background: 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. A referendum on independence was soundly defeated in 1995.

 

Geography

 

Location: North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US)

 

Geographic coordinates: 32 20 N, 64 45 W

 

Map references: North America

 

Area: total: 53.3 sq km;land: 53.3 sq km;water: 0 sq km

 

Area - comparative: about one-third the size of Washington, DC

 

Land boundaries: 0 km

 

Coastline: 103 km

 

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm;exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

 

Climate: subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter

 

Terrain: low hills separated by fertile depressions

 

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m;highest point: Town Hill 76 m

 

Natural resources: limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism

 

Land use: arable land: 20%;permanent crops: 0%;other: 80% (55% developed, 45% rural/open space) (2001)

 

Irrigated land: NA

 

Natural hazards: hurricanes (June to November)

 

Environment - current issues: asbestos disposal; water pollution; preservation of open space; sustainable development

 

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

 

People

 

Population: 65,365 (July 2005 est.)

 

Age structure: 0-14 years: 18.9% (male 6,177/female 6,154);15-64 years: 69.2% (male 22,422/female 22,828);65 years and over: 11.9% (male 3,378/female 4,406) (2005 est.)

 

Median age: total: 39.76 years;male: 38.78 years;female: 40.58 years (2005 est.)

 

Population growth rate: 0.64% (2005 est.)

 

Birth rate: 11.6 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Death rate: 7.63 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Net migration rate: 2.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)

 

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female;under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female;15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female;65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female;total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

 

Infant mortality rate: total: 8.53 deaths/1,000 live births;male: 10.14 deaths/1,000 live births;female: 6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)

 

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 77.79 years;male: 75.7 years;female: 79.91 years (2005 est.)

 

Total fertility rate: 1.89 children born/woman (2005 est.)

 

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA

 

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

 

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

 

Nationality: noun: Bermudian(s);adjective: Bermudian

 

Ethnic groups: black 54.8%, white 34.1%, mixed 6.4%, other races 4.3%, unspecified 0.4% (2000 census)

 

Religions: Anglican 23%, Roman Catholic 15%, African Methodist Episcopal 11%, other Protestant 18%, other 12%, unaffiliated 6%, unspecified 1%, none 14% (2000 census)

 

Languages: English (official), Portuguese

 

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write;total population: 98%;male: 98%;female: 99% (1970 est.)

 

Government

 

Country name: conventional long form: none;conventional short form: Bermuda;former: Somers Islands

 

Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK

 

Government type: parliamentary British overseas territory with internal self-government

 

Capital: Hamilton

 

Administrative divisions: 9 parishes and 2 municipalities; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George, Saint George's, Sandys, Smith's, Southampton, Warwick

 

Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)

 

National holiday: Bermuda Day, 24 May

 

Constitution: 8 June 1968, amended 1989 and 2003

 

Legal system: English law

 

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

 

Executive branch: chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Sir John VEREKER (since 11 April 2002);head of government: Premier William Alexander SCOTT (since 24 July 2003); Deputy Premier Ewart BROWN;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

 

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (an 11-member body 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 24 July 2003 (next to be held July 2008)

election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 51.7%, UBP 48%; seats by party - PLP 22, UBP 14

 

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts

 

Economy

 

Economy - overview: Bermuda enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, nearly equal to that of the US. Its economy is primarily based on providing financial services for international business and luxury facilities for tourists. The effects of 11 September 2001 have had both positive and negative ramifications for Bermuda. On the positive side, a number of new reinsurance companies have located on the island, contributing to the expansion of an already robust international business sector. On the negative side, Bermuda's tourism industry - which derives over 80% of its visitors from the US - was severely hit as American tourists chose not to travel. Tourism rebounded somewhat in 2002-04. 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, only 20% of the land being arable.

 

GDP: purchasing power parity - $2.33 billion (2003 est.)

 

GDP - real growth rate: 2% (2003 est.)

 

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $36,000 (2003 est.)

 

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 1%;industry: 10%;services: 89% (2002 est.)

 

Labor force: 37,470 (2000)

 

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture and fishing 3%, laborers 17%, clerical 22%, professional and technical 17%, administrative and managerial 13%, sales 8%, services 20% (2000 est.)

 

Unemployment rate: 5% (2002 est.)

 

Population below poverty line: 19% (2000)

 

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA

highest 10%: NA

 

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.3% (mid-2003 est.)

 

Budget: revenues: $671.1 million;expenditures: $594.6 million, including capital expenditures of $55 million (FY03/04)

 

Agriculture - products: bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products

 

Industries: tourism, international business, light manufacturing

 

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

 

Electricity - production: 643 million kWh (2002)

 

Electricity - consumption: 598 million kWh (2002)

 

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)

 

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)

 

Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

 

Oil - consumption: 4,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

 

Oil - imports: NA

 

Exports: $879 million (2002)

 

Exports - commodities: reexports of pharmaceuticals

 

Exports - partners: France 73.8%, UK 6.2%, Sweden 2.6% (2004)

 

Imports: $5.523 billion (2002)

 

Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals

 

Imports - partners: Kazakhstan 36.6%, France 19.1%, Japan 15.1%, Italy 10.6%, US 8.2% (2004)

 

Debt - external: $160 million (FY99/00)

 

Economic aid - recipient: NA

 

Exchange rates: Bermudian dollar per US dollar - 1.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar)

 

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

 

Communications

 

Telephones - main lines in use: 56,000 (2002)

 

Telephones - mobile cellular: 37,873 (2003)

 

Telephone system: general assessment: good;domestic: fully automatic digital telephone system; fiber optic trunk lines;international: country code - 1-441; 3 fiber optic submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

 

Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2004)

 

Television broadcast stations: 4 (2004)

 

Internet country code: .bm

 

Internet hosts: 5,161 (2001)

 

Internet users: 34,500 (2003)

 

Transportation

 

Highways: total: 450 km;paved: 450 km;unpaved: 0 km;note: public roads - 209 km; private roads - 241 km (2002)

 

Ports and harbors: Hamilton, Saint George

 

Merchant marine: total: 108 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,845,326 GRT/6,501,782 DWT

by type: bulk carrier 22, cargo 6, container 22, liquefied gas 13, passenger 13, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 8, refrigerated cargo 11, roll on/roll off 7

foreign-owned: 103 (Australia 2, Canada 20, Finland 2, Germany 1, Greece 1, Hong Kong 5, Indonesia 1, Nigeria 8, Norway 5, Sweden 9, Switzerland 2, United Kingdom 27, United States 20);registered in other countries: 1 (2005)

 

Airports: 1 (2004 est.)

 

Airports - with paved runways: total: 1;2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)

 

Transnational Issues

 

Disputes - international: none