Bermuda

§1. Bermuda 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. Although a referendum on independence from the UK was
  soundly defeated in 1995, the present government has reopened debate on the
  issue.

§2. Bermuda 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 km²
  land: 53.3 km²
  water: 0 km²

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) (2005)

Irrigated land:
  NA

Natural hazards:
  hurricanes (June to November)

Environment - current issues:
  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

§3. Bermuda People

Population:
  65,773 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 18.6% (male 6,146/female 6,098)
  15-64 years: 69.2% (male 22,562/female 22,954)
  65 years and over: 12.2% (male 3,479/female 4,534) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 40.2 years
  male: 39.3 years
  female: 41 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  0.61% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  11.4 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  7.74 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  2.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 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 (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 8.3 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 9.85 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 6.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 77.96 years
  male: 75.85 years
  female: 80.1 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  1.89 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  0.297% (2005)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  163 (2005)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  392 (2005)

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% (2005 est.)

§4. Bermuda 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 not
    later than 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

Political parties and leaders:
  Progressive Labor Party or PLP [William Alexander SCOTT]; United Bermuda
  Party or UBP [Wayne FURBERT]

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]

International organization participation:
  Caricom (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WCO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  none (overseas territory of the UK)

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, 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:
  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

§5. Bermuda 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. A number of reinsurance companies relocated to the island
  following 11 September 2001 and again after Hurricane Katrina, 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.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $4.5 billion (2004 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  NA

GDP - real growth rate:
  4.6% (2004 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $69,900 (2004 est.)

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

Labor force:
  38,360 (2004)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture and fishing 3%, laborers 17%, clerical 19%, professional and
  technical 21%, administrative and managerial 15%, sales 7%, services 19%
  (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate:
  2.1% (2004 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  19% (2000)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  2.8% (November 2005)

Budget:
  revenues: $738 million
  expenditures: $665 million (FY04/05)

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

Industries:
  international business, tourism, light manufacturing

Industrial production growth rate:
  NA%

Electricity - production:
  682.5 million kWh (2005)

Electricity - consumption:
  616.7 million kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2005)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2005)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003)

Oil - consumption:
  4.658 million bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Exports:
  $1.469 billion (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  reexports of pharmaceuticals

Exports - partners:
  France 73.2%, UK 6.2%, Spain 2.4% (2004)

Imports:
  $982 million (2004 est.)

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

Imports - partners:
  Kazakhstan 39.2%, France 16.2%, Japan 13.1%, Italy 9.2%, South Korea 8.8%,
  US 6.4% (2004)

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

Economic aid - recipient:
  $NA

Currency (code):
  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

§6. Bermuda Communications

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

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  49,000 (2004)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: good
  domestic: fully automatic digital telephone system; fiber optic trunk lines
  international: country code - 1-441; submarine cables - 3 (fiber optic);
    satellite earth stations - 3 (2005)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005)

Television broadcast stations:
  3 (2005)

Internet country code:
  .bm

Internet hosts:
  12,286 (2005)

Internet users:
  39,000 (2005)

§7. Bermuda Transportation

Airports:
  1 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 447 km
  paved: 447 km
  note: public roads - 225 km; private roads - 222 km (2002)

Merchant marine:
  total: 118 ships (1000 GRT or over) 6,752,122 GRT/7,464,181 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 25, cargo 2, container 25, liquefied gas 17,
    passenger 16, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 10, refrigerated cargo
    11, roll on/roll off 6
  foreign-owned: 101 (Australia 2, Canada 21, Finland 2, France 1, Germany 1,
    Greece 1, Hong Kong 6, Indonesia 1, Ireland 1, Israel 1, Netherlands 1,
    Nigeria 10, Norway 6, Sweden 12, Switzerland 1, UK 8, US 26)
  registered in other countries: 9 (Cayman Islands 2, Liberia 1, Marshall
    Islands 4, Panama 2) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Hamilton, Saint George

§8. Bermuda Military

Military branches:
  Bermuda Regiment

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $4.03 million (2001)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  0.11% (FY00/01)

Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of the UK

§9. Bermuda Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none


<Factbook 2006>
