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  Bermuda  
Flag of Bermuda
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  Introduction
  Geography
  People
  Government
  Economy
  Communications
  Transportation
  Military
  Transnational Issues

In general, information available as of 1 January 2002
was used in the preparation of The World Factbook 2002.


This page was last updated on 19 March 2003


Map of Bermuda

Legend: Definition Definition Field Listing Field Listing
   Introduction    Bermuda
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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    Bermuda
Location:
Definition Field Listing
North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of North Carolina (US)
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
32 20 N, 64 45 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
North America
Area:
Definition Field Listing
total: 53.3 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 53.3 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
about one-third the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
103 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
low hills separated by fertile depressions
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Town Hill 76 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (55% developed, 45% rural/open space) (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
hurricanes (June to November)
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
asbestos disposal; water pollution; preservation of open space; sustainable development
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
consists of about 138 coral islands and islets with ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land, reclaimed and otherwise, was leased by US Government from 1941 to 1995
   People    Bermuda
Population:
Definition Field Listing
63,960 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 19.2% (male 6,058; female 6,225)
15-64 years: 69.4% (male 21,950; female 22,442)
65 years and over: 11.4% (male 3,163; female 4,122) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
0.69% (2002 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing
11.82 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing
7.49 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
2.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 0.94 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing
9.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing
total population: 77.3 years
female: 79.27 years (2002 est.)
male: 75.21 years
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing
1.81 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Bermudian(s)
adjective: Bermudian
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
black 58%, white 36%, other 6%
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
non-Anglican Protestant 39%, Anglican 27%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 19%
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
English (official), Portuguese
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 98%
female: 99% (1970 est.)
   Government    Bermuda
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bermuda
former: Somers Islands
Dependency status:
Definition Field Listing
overseas territory of the UK
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
parliamentary British overseas territory with internal self-government
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
Hamilton
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smith's, Southampton, Warwick
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Bermuda Day, 24 May
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
8 June 1968, amended 1989
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
English law
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Sir John VEREKER (since NA April 2002)
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; 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:
Definition Field Listing
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (an 11-member body appointed by the governor, the premier, and the opposition) and the House of Assembly (40 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last general election 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:
Definition Field Listing
Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
National Liberal Party or NLP [Dessaline WALDRON]; Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Jennifer SMITH]; United Bermuda Party or UBP [Chairman Wayne FURBERT]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Bermuda Employer's Union [Eddie SAINTS]; Bermuda Industrial Union or BIU [Derrick BURGESS]; Bermuda Public Services Association or BPSA [leader NA]; Bermuda Union of Teachers [Michael CHARLES]
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
Caricom (observer), CCC, ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Consul General Denis Patrick COLEMAN, Jr.
consulate(s) general: Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire DVQ3
mailing address: P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX; American Consulate General Hamilton, Department of State, 5300 Hamilton Place, Washington, DC 20520-5300
telephone: [1] (441) 295-1342
FAX: [1] (441) 295-1592, [1] (441) 296-9233
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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    Bermuda
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
Bermuda enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, with its economy 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 already weakening tourism industry - which derives over 80% of its visitors from the US - has been further hit as American tourists have chosen not to travel. Most capital equipment and food must be imported, with the US serving as the primary source of goods, followed by the UK. Bermuda's industrial sector is small, although construction continues to be important. Agriculture is limited, only 6% of the land being arable.
GDP:
Definition Field Listing
purchasing power parity - $2.2 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
2.9% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita:
Definition Field Listing
purchasing power parity - $34,800 (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 1%
industry: 10%
services: 89% (1995 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing
3% (July 2001)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing
37,472 (2000)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
clerical 22%, services 20%, laborers 17%, professional and technical 17%, administrative and managerial 13%, sales 8%, agriculture and fishing 3% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing
4.5% (1993)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $609.5 million
expenditures: $574.6 million, including capital expenditures of $54.8 million (FY00/01)
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
tourism, international business, light manufacturing
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
NA%
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing
595 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source:
Definition Field Listing
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing
553.35 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products
Exports:
Definition Field Listing
$51 million (2000)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
reexports of pharmaceuticals
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
EU excluding UK 77.9%, US 9.8%, UK 6.9% (1999)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing
$719 million (2000)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
EU excluding UK 35.4%, US 17.8%, UK 15.4%, Russia 14.6% (1999)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing
$145 million (FY99/00)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$NA
Currency:
Definition Field Listing
Bermudian dollar (BMD)
Currency code:
Definition Field Listing
BMD
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
Bermudian dollar per US dollar - 1.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
1 April - 31 March
   Communications    Bermuda
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing
52,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing
7,980 (1996)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: NA
domestic: modern, fully automatic telephone system
international: 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
Definition Field Listing
82,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
3 (1997)
Televisions:
Definition Field Listing
66,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.bm
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
Definition Field Listing
20 (2000)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing
25,000 (2000)
   Transportation    Bermuda
Railways:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Highways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 450 km
paved: 450 km
note: public roads - 209 km; private roads - 241 km (2002)
unpaved: 0 km
Waterways:
Definition Field Listing
none
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
Hamilton, Saint George's, Dockyard
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing
total: 102 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,485,450 GRT/8,782,869 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Croatia 5, Denmark 2, Germany 1, Greece 1, Hong Kong 9, Indonesia 1, Norway 2, Sweden 11, United Kingdom 52, United States 13 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 28, cargo 4, container 16, liquefied gas 6, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 16, roll on/roll off 9, short-sea passenger 3
Airports:
Definition Field Listing
1 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
   Military    Bermuda
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
no regular indigenous military forces; Bermuda Regiment, Bermuda Police Force, Bermuda Reserve Constabulary
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
Definition Field Listing
$4,027,970 (January 2002)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing
0.11% (FY00/01)
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
defense is the responsibility of the UK
   Transnational Issues    Bermuda
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
none

This page was last updated on 19 March 2003


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