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Guide
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. Bermuda has developed into a highly successful offshore financial
center. A referendum on independence was soundly defeated in 1995. |
| Location: |
North America, group of
islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of North Carolina (US) |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
32 20 N, 64 45 W |
| Map
references: |
North America |
| Area: |
total: 58.8 sq
km
land: 58.8 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
about 0.3 times the size of
Washington, DC |
| Maritime
claims: |
exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM
territorial sea: 12 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: 6%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 0%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 94% (55% developed, 39% rural/open space) (1997
est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
hurricanes (June to November) |
| Environment
- current issues: |
asbestos disposal; water
pollution; preservation of open space |
| Geography
- note: |
consists of about 360 small
coral islands with ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes;
some land, reclaimed and otherwise, was leased by US Government from
1941 to 1995 |
| Population: |
63,503 (July 2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
19.4% (male 6,091; female 6,230)
15-64 years: 69.43% (male 21,783; female 22,309)
65 years and over: 11.17% (male 3,073; female 4,017) (2001
est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
0.74% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
12.16 births/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
7.42 deaths/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
2.66 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 0.94
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
9.55 deaths/1,000 live births
(2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
77.12 years
male: 75.04 years
female: 79.06 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.81 children born/woman
(2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
NA% |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Bermudian(s)
adjective: Bermudian |
| Ethnic
groups: |
black 58%, white 36%, other
6% |
| Religions: |
non-Anglican Protestant 39%,
Anglican 27%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 19% |
| Languages: |
English (official),
Portuguese |
| Literacy: |
definition: age
15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 98%
female: 99% (1970 est.) |
| 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 |
| Administrative
divisions: |
9 parishes and 2
municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint
George*, Saint Georges, Sandys, Smiths, Southampton, Warwick |
| Independence: |
none (overseas territory of
the UK) |
| National
holiday: |
Bermuda Day, 24 May |
| Constitution: |
8 June 1968, amended 1989 |
| 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
Thorold MASEFIELD (since NA June 1997)
head of government: Premier Jennifer SMITH (since 10
November 1998)
cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the premier, appointed by the
governor
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor
appointed by the monarch; governor invites leader of largest party in
Parliament to form a government as premier |
| Legislative
branch: |
bicameral Parliament consists
of the Senate (an 11-member body appointed by the governor) and the
House of Assembly (40 seats; members are elected by popular vote to
serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 9 November 1998 (next to be held NA
November 2003)
election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 54%, UBP
44%, NLP 1%, independents 1%; seats by party - PLP 26, UBP 14 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court; Court of
Appeal; Magistrate Courts |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
National Liberal Party or NLP
[Dessaline WALDRON]; Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Jennifer SMITH];
United Bermuda Party or UBP [Pamela GORDON] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Bermuda Industrial Union or
BIU [Derrick BURGESS]; Bermuda Public Services Association or BPSA
[Betty CHRISTOPHER] |
| International
organization participation: |
Caricom (observer), CCC,
ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
none (overseas territory of
the UK) |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Consul General Lawrence D. OWEN
consulate(s) general: Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road,
Devonshire, Hamilton
mailing address: P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX; American
Consulate General Hamilton, Department of State, Washington, DC
20520-5300
telephone: [1] (441) 295-1342
FAX: [1] (441) 295-1592 |
| Flag
description: |
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 |
| Economy
- overview: |
Bermuda enjoys one of the
highest per capita incomes in the world, having successfully exploited
its location by providing financial services for international firms and
luxury tourist facilities for 360,000 visitors annually. The tourist
industry, which accounts for an estimated 28% of GDP, attracts 84% of
its business from North America. The industrial sector is small, and
agriculture is severely limited by a lack of suitable land. About 80% of
food needs are imported. International business contributes over 60% of
Bermuda's economic output; a failed independence vote in late 1995 can
be partially attributed to Bermudian fears of scaring away foreign
firms. Government economic priorities are the further strengthening of
the tourist and international financial sectors. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity -
$2.1 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
1.5% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity -
$33,000 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 10%
services: 89% (1995 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
2.7% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
35,296 (1997) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
clerical 23%, services 22%,
laborers 17%, professional and technical 17%, administrative and
managerial 12%, sales 7%, agriculture and fishing 2% (1996) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
NEGL% (1995) |
| Budget: |
revenues: $504.6
million
expenditures: $537 million, including capital expenditures
of $75 million (FY97/98) |
| Industries: |
tourism, finance, insurance,
structural concrete products, paints, perfumes, pharmaceuticals, ship
repairing |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA% |
| Electricity
- production: |
550 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
511.5 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0 kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
bananas, vegetables, citrus,
flowers; dairy products |
| Exports: |
$56 million (2000 est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
reexports of pharmaceuticals |
| Exports
- partners: |
UK 29.5%, US 9.8% (1997) |
| Imports: |
$739 million (2000 est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and transport
equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals |
| Imports
- partners: |
US 34%, UK 9%, Mexico 8%
(1997) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$27.9 million (1995) |
| Currency: |
Bermudian dollar (BMD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Bermudian dollar per US
dollar - 1.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar) |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 April - 31 March |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
52,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
7,980 (1996) |
| Telephone
system: |
general assessment:
NA
domestic: modern, fully automatic telephone system
international: 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations
- 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 0
(1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
3 (1997) |
| Televisions: |
66,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.bm |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
20 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
25,000 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total: 225 km
paved: 225 km
unpaved: 0 km
note: in addition, there are 232 km of paved and unpaved
roads that are privately owned (1997) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Hamilton, Saint George |
| Merchant
marine: |
total: 105 ships
(1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,836,538 GRT/9,728,045 DWT
ships by type: bulk 27, cargo 4, container 15, liquefied
gas 7, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 23, refrigerated cargo 16, roll
on/roll off 8, short-sea passenger 3
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as
a flag of convenience: Canada 10, Hong Kong 10, Japan 1, Nigeria 4,
Saudi Arabia 1, Sweden 3, Switzerland 2, UK 10, US 7 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Bermuda Regiment, Bermuda
Police Force, Bermuda Reserve Constabulary |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$NA |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
NA% |
| Military
- note: |
defense is the responsibility
of the UK |
| Disputes
- international: |
none |
|
