THE GEOGRAPHY (Foreign Office UK)
Full Name: Bermuda
Status: British Overseas Territory
Area: 53.3 sq km (21 sq miles)
Population: 62,059 (2000 CENSUS)
Capital City: Hamilton
Languages: English. There is also a
significant Portuguese-speaking
community.
Religion(s): Mainly Christian although
many faiths are represented. The most
popular denominations are Anglican and
African Methodist Episcopalian (AME).
Currency: Bermuda Dollar (parity with
US Dollar)
Major political parties: Progressive
Labour Party (PLP), United Bermuda
Party (UBP)
GEOGRAPHY
The islands and islets of Bermuda (32
degrees 18'N and 64 degrees 46'W) lie
along the southern rim of the summit
of a submarine volcanic mountain in the
Western Atlantic. Bermuda, a group of
about 138 islands and islets, lies 570
miles east of the coast of North
Carolina. The eight main islands form a
chain about 22 miles long,
interconnected by bridges and
causeways. The warming effect of the
Gulf Stream makes Bermuda the most
northerly group of coral islands in the
world.
THE HISTORY (Foreign Office UK)
The Bermudas were visited in about
1505 by a Spanish sailor, Juan de
Bermudez, and had been given the
name 'La Bermuda' by 1510. Ferdinand
d'Orviedo (also Spanish) sighted them
in 1515. They remained uninhabited until
1609, when The Sea Venture,
commanded by Sir George Somers on
its way to Virginia with British settlers,
was wrecked on reefs close to the
eastern shores. The survivors were
able to build two ships and continue
their journey to Jamestown - bringing
with them much needed supplies for
Bermuda. News spread of the beauty
and fertility of the islands, and in 1612
King James I and VI extended the
charter of the Virginia Company to
include them. The first emigrants went
out in that year; others followed, and
enslaved Africans were brought with
them as house servants. The islands,
which became known as Somers
Islands, were bought about 1615 by
some entrepreneurs from the City of
London. The settlers became weary of
the restrictions imposed on them by
the Virginia Company and its successor
the Bermuda Company. They took their
case to London and in 1684 the
company's charter was annulled, and
government passed to the Crown. As
elsewhere in the British empire,
slavery was abolished in Bermuda in
August 1834.
POLITICS
Constitutional Status
Bermuda is Britain's oldest colony and
its Parliament, which first met in 1620,
is the oldest legislature in the
Commonwealth outside the British Isles.
Bermuda is a British Overseas
Territory and is self-governing with a
high degree of control over its own
affairs. Appointed by and representing
the British monarch, the Governor in
turn appoints the majority leader in the
House of Assembly as Premier. The
Premier has complete responsibility
for choosing the Cabinet, which must
include at least six other members of
the legislature, and allocating
portfolios, though the Governor retains
responsibility for external affairs,
defence, internal security and the
police.
THE ECONOMY (Foreign Office UK)
Basic Economic Facts
GDP: US$ 3.3 billion (2002 estimate)
GDP per head: US$ 54,740 (2002
estimate)
Annual Growth: 1.93% (2002 estimate)
Inflation: 2.5% (November 2002)
Major Industries: Reinsurance, tourism
Major trading partners: USA
Exchange rate: UK£1 = B$1.60 (parity
with US Dollar)
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Bermuda's Relations with Neighbours
Bermuda's closest neighbours are the
US and Canada. Bermuda has had
strong historical links with US in trade
and as a strategic military position.
During the Second World War, a US
military base was established at Kindley
Field. Under a treaty between the US
and Britain, its airport was opened to
civilian aircraft. The base was closed
down in 1995, and the formal
termination of the lease completed in
2003. Bermuda is often linked with the
Caribbean region, even though it is
approximately 1000 miles away.
Flags Of The World: Bermuda
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