Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists heading for Virginia. Self-governing since 1620, Bermuda is the oldest and most populous of the British overseas territories. Vacationing 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 also developed into a highly successful offshore financial center. A referendum on independence from the UK was soundly defeated in 1995.
North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US)
32 20 N, 64 45 W
North America
total: 54 sq km
land: 54 sq km
water: 0 sq km
country comparison to the world: 232
about one-third the size of Washington, DC
0 km
103 km
territorial sea: 12nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200nm
subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter
low hills separated by fertile depressions
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Town Hill 79 m
limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism
agricultural land: 14.8% (2011 est.)
arable land: 14.8% (2011 est.)/permanent crops: 0% (2011 est.)/permanent pasture: 0% (2011 est.)
forest: 20% (2011 est.)
other: 65.2% (2011 est.)
NA
relatively even population distribution throughout
hurricanes (June to November)
dense population and heavy vehicle traffic create serious congestion and air pollution problems; water resources scarce (most obtained as rainwater or from wells); solid waste disposal; hazardous waste disposal; sewage disposal; overfishing; oil spills
consists of about 138 coral islands and islets with ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land was leased by the US Government from 1941 to 1995
71,176 (July 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203
noun: Bermudian(s)
adjective: Bermudian
African descent 53.8%, white 31%, mixed 7.5%, other 7.1%, unspecified 0.6% (2010 est.)
English (official), Portuguese
Protestant 46.2% (includes Anglican 15.8%, African Methodist Episcopal 8.6%, Seventh Day Adventist 6.7, Pentecostal 3.5%, Methodist 2.7%, Presbyterian 2.0%, Church of God 1.6%, Baptist 1.2%, Salvation Army 1.1%, Brethren 1.0%, other Protestant 2.0%), Roman Catholic 14.5%, Jehovah's Witness 1.3%, other Christian 9.1%, Muslim 1%, other 3.9%, none 17.8%, unspecified 6.2% (2010 est.)
0-14 years: 16.92%(male 6,088 /female 5,957)
15-24 years: 11.95%(male 4,306 /female 4,197)
25-54 years: 36.56%(male 13,049 /female 12,972)
55-64 years: 16.04%(male 5,383 /female 6,034)
65 years and over: 18.53%(male 5,596 /female 7,594) (2018 est.)
population pyramid:
total: 43.5 years (2018 est.)
male: 41.5 years
female: 45.4 years
country comparison to the world: 18
0.43% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
11.3 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71
1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53
relatively even population distribution throughout
urban population: 100% of total population(2019)
rate of urbanization: -0.44% annual rate of change(2015-20 est.)
10,000 HAMILTON (capital) (2018)
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2018 est.)
total: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
male: 2.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.4 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 217
total population: 81.5 years (2018 est.)
male: 78.3 years
female: 84.7 years
country comparison to the world: 26
1.92 children born/woman (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128
NA
NA
NA
1.5% of GDP (2017)
country comparison to the world: 171
total: 12 years
male: 11 years
female: 12 years (2015)
total: 29.3%
male: 29.7%
female: 29% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bermuda
former: Somers Islands
etymology: the islands making up Bermuda are named after Juan de BERMUDEZ, an early 16th century Spanish sea captain and the first European explorer of the archipelago
overseas territory of the UK
parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK
name: Hamilton
geographic coordinates: 32 17 N, 64 47 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November
etymology: named after Henry HAMILTON (ca. 1734-1796) who served as governor of Bermuda from 1788-1794
9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smith's, Southampton, Warwick
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Bermuda Day, 24 May; note - formerly known as Victoria Day, Empire Day, and Commonwealth Day
history: several previous (dating to 1684); latest entered into force 8 June 1968 (Bermuda Constitution Order 1968)
amendments: proposal procedure - NA; passage by an Order in Council in the UK; amended several times, last in 2012 (2018)
English common law
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of the UK
dual citizenship recognized: yes
residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor John RANKIN (since 5 December 2016)
head of government: Premier David BURT (since 19 July 2017)
cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the premier, appointed by the governor
elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually appointed premier by the governor
description: bicameral Parliament consists of:
Senate (11 seats; 3 members appointed by the governor, 5 by the premier, and 3 by the opposition party; members serve 5-year terms) and the House of Assembly (36 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve up to 5-year terms)
House of Assembly (36 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve up to 5-year terms)
elections:
Senate - last appointments in August 2017 (next appointments in 2022)
House of Assembly - last held on 18 July 2017 (next to be held not later than 2022)
election results: Senate - composition - men 7, women 4, percent of women 36.4%
House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - PLP 58.9%, OBA 40.6%, other 0.5%; seats by party - PLP 24, OBA 12; composition - men 28, women 8, percent of women 22.2%; note - total Parliament percent of women 25.5%
highest courts: Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and at least 2 justices); Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice, 4 puisne judges, and 1 associate justice); note - the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) is the court of final appeal
judge selection and term of office: Court of Appeal justice appointed by the governor; justice tenure by individual appointment; Supreme Court judges nominated by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission and appointed by the governor; judge tenure based on terms of appointment
subordinate courts: commercial court (began in 2006); magistrates' courts
One Bermuda Alliance or OBA (vacant)
Progressive Labor Party or PLP [E. David BURT]
Caricom (associate), ICC (NGOs), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ITUC (NGOs), UPU, WCO
none (overseas territory of the UK)
chief of mission: Consul General Mary Ellen KOENIG (since 28 November 2015)
telephone: [1] (441) 295-1342
mailing address: P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX; American Consulate General Hamilton, US Department of State, 5300 Hamilton Place, Washington, DC 20520-5300
FAX: [1] (441) 295-1592, 296-9233
consulate(s) general: Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire DVO3
red, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Bermudian coat of arms (a white shield with a red lion standing on a green grassy field holding a scrolled shield showing the sinking of the ship Sea Venture off Bermuda in 1609) centered on the outer half of the flag; it was the shipwreck of the vessel, filled with English colonists originally bound for Virginia, that led to the settling of Bermuda
note: the flag is unusual in that it is only British overseas territory that uses a red ensign, all others use blue
red lion
name: Hail to Bermuda
lyrics/music: Bette JOHNS
note: serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the United Kingdom, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)
International business, which consists primarily of insurance and other financial services, is the real bedrock of Bermuda's economy, consistently accounting for about 85% of the island's GDP. Tourism is the country’s second largest industry, accounting for about 5% of Bermuda's GDP but a much larger share of employment. Over 80% of visitors come from the US and the sector struggled in the wake of the global recession of 2008-09. Even the financial sector has lost roughly 5,000 high-paying expatriate jobs since 2008, weighing heavily on household consumption and retail sales. Bermuda must import almost everything. Agriculture and industry are limited due to the small size of the island.Bermuda's economy returned to negative growth in 2016, reporting a contraction of 0.1% GDP, after growing by 0.6% in 2015. Unemployment reached 7% in 2016 and 2017, public debt is growing and exceeds $2.4 billion, and the government continues to work on attracting foreign investment. Still, Bermuda enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.
$6.127 billion (2016 est.)
$6.133 billion (2015 est.)
$6.097 billion (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172
$6.127 billion(2016 est.) (2016 est.)
-0.1% (2016 est.)
0.6% (2015 est.)
-0.3% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
$99,400 (2016 est.)
$95,500 (2015 est.)
$87,500 (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
household consumption: 51.3% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 15.7% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 13.7% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 49.8% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -30.4% (2017 est.)
agriculture: 0.9% (2017 est.)
industry: 5.3% (2017 est.)
services: 93.8% (2017 est.)
bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products, honey
international business, tourism, light manufacturing
2% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
33,480 (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
agriculture: 2%
industry: 13%
services: 85% (2016 est.)
7% (2017 est.)
7% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
11% (2008 est.)
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
revenues: 999.2 million (2017 est.)
expenditures: 1.176 billion (2017 est.)
16.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183
-2.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
43% of GDP (FY14/15)
country comparison to the world: 117
1 April - 31 March
1.9% (2017 est.)
1.4% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96
$3.374 billion (30 September 2014 est.)
$3.422 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
note: figures do not include US dollars, which also circulate freely
country comparison to the world: 118
$22.1 billion (30 September 2014 est.)
$25.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
NA
$1.85 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$1.601 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$1.467 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
$818.6 million (2017 est.)
$763 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53
$19 million (2017 est.)
$19 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 210
Jamaica 49.1%, Luxembourg 36.1%, US 4.9% (2017)
reexports of pharmaceuticals
$1.094 billion (2017 est.)
$980 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184
clothing, fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals
US 72.1%, South Korea 9.7%, Canada 4.2% (2017)
$2.515 billion (2017 est.)
$2.435 billion (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150
$2.641 billion (2014 est.)
$2.664 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
$889 million (2014 est.)
$835 million (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
Bermudian dollars (BMD) per US dollar -
1 (2017 est.)
1 (2016 est.)
1 (2015 est.)
1 (2014 est.)
1 (2013 est.)
electrification - total population: 100% (2016)
650 million kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
604.5 million kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
171,000 kW (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
100% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
note: the Tynes Bay Waste Treatment Facility turns waste to electric energy
country comparison to the world: 176
0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
5,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
3,939 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
793,700 Mt (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
total subscriptions: 21,883
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 31 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
total subscriptions: 64,997
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 92 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
general assessment: a good, fully automatic digital telephone system with fiber-optic trunk lines; telecom sector provides a relatively high contribution to overall GDP; numerous competitors licensed, but small and localized (2018)
domestic: the system has a high fixed-line teledensity 31 per 100, coupled with a mobile-cellular teledensity of roughly 92 per 100 persons (2018)
international: country code - 1-441; landing points for the GlobeNet, Gemini Bermuda, CBUS, and the CB-1 submarine cables to the Caribbean, South America and the US; satellite earth stations - 3 (2019)
3 TV stations; cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; roughly 13 radio stations operating
.bm
total: 69,126
percent of population: 98% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180
Royal Bermuda Regiment (2019)
18-45 years of age for voluntary male or female enlistment in the Bermuda Regiment; males must register at age 18 and may be subject to conscription; term of service is 38 months for volunteers or conscripts (2012)
defense is the responsibility of the UK
VP-B (2016)
1 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 214
total: 1 (2019)
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
total: 447 km (2010)
paved: 447 km (2010)
note: 225 km public roads; 222 km private roads
country comparison to the world: 191
total: 160
by type: bulk carrier 6, container ship 11, general cargo 1, oil tanker 19, other 123 (2018)
country comparison to the world: 68
major seaport(s): Hamilton, Ireland Island, Saint George
none