Bermuda

Introduction

Background

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.

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: 54 sq km
land: 54 sq km
water: 0 sq km
country comparison to the world: 232

Area - comparative

about one-third the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

103 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200nm

Climate

subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter

Terrain

low hills separated by fertile depressions

Elevation

lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Town Hill 79 m

Natural resources

limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism

Land use

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.)

Irrigated land

NA

Population distribution

relatively even population distribution throughout

Natural hazards

hurricanes (June to November)

Environment - current issues

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

Geography - note

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

People and Society

Population

71,176 (July 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203

Nationality

noun: Bermudian(s)
adjective: Bermudian

Ethnic groups

African descent 53.8%, white 31%, mixed 7.5%, other 7.1%, unspecified 0.6% (2010 est.)

Languages

English (official), Portuguese

Religions

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.)

Age structure

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:

Median age

total: 43.5 years (2018 est.)
male: 41.5 years
female: 45.4 years
country comparison to the world: 18

Population growth rate

0.43% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158

Birth rate

11.3 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172

Death rate

8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71

Net migration rate

1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53

Population distribution

relatively even population distribution throughout

Urbanization

urban population: 100% of total population(2019)
rate of urbanization: -0.44% annual rate of change(2015-20 est.)

Major urban areas - population

10,000 HAMILTON (capital) (2018)

Sex ratio

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.)

Infant mortality rate

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 81.5 years (2018 est.)
male: 78.3 years
female: 84.7 years
country comparison to the world: 26

Total fertility rate

1.92 children born/woman (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

Education expenditures

1.5% of GDP (2017)
country comparison to the world: 171

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 12 years
male: 11 years
female: 12 years (2015)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 29.3%
male: 29.7%
female: 29% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35

Government

Country name

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

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK

Government type

parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK

Capital

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

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; note - formerly known as Victoria Day, Empire Day, and Commonwealth Day

Constitution

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)

Legal system

English common law

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

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

Legislative branch

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%

Judicial branch

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

Political parties and leaders

One Bermuda Alliance or OBA (vacant)
Progressive Labor Party or PLP [E. David BURT]

International organization participation

Caricom (associate), ICC (NGOs), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ITUC (NGOs), UPU, WCO

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

Flag description

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

National symbol(s)

red lion

National anthem

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)

Economy

Economy - overview

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.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$6.127 billion (2016 est.)
$6.133 billion (2015 est.)
$6.097 billion (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172

GDP (official exchange rate)

$6.127 billion(2016 est.) (2016 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-0.1% (2016 est.)
0.6% (2015 est.)
-0.3% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$99,400 (2016 est.)
$95,500 (2015 est.)
$87,500 (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6

GDP - composition, by end use

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.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 0.9% (2017 est.)
industry: 5.3% (2017 est.)
services: 93.8% (2017 est.)

Agriculture - products

bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products, honey

Industries

international business, tourism, light manufacturing

Industrial production growth rate

2% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129

Labor force

33,480 (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 2%
industry: 13%
services: 85% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate

7% (2017 est.)
7% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106

Population below poverty line

11% (2008 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA

Budget

revenues: 999.2 million (2017 est.)
expenditures: 1.176 billion (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

16.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-2.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127

Public debt

43% of GDP (FY14/15)
country comparison to the world: 117

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.9% (2017 est.)
1.4% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 96

Stock of narrow money

$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

Stock of broad money

$22.1 billion (30 September 2014 est.)
$25.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67

Stock of domestic credit

NA

Market value of publicly traded shares

$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

Current account balance

$818.6 million (2017 est.)
$763 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53

Exports

$19 million (2017 est.)
$19 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 210

Exports - partners

Jamaica 49.1%, Luxembourg 36.1%, US 4.9% (2017)

Exports - commodities

reexports of pharmaceuticals

Imports

$1.094 billion (2017 est.)
$980 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184

Imports - commodities

clothing, fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals

Imports - partners

US 72.1%, South Korea 9.7%, Canada 4.2% (2017)

Debt - external

$2.515 billion (2017 est.)
$2.435 billion (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$2.641 billion (2014 est.)
$2.664 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$889 million (2014 est.)
$835 million (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90

Exchange rates

Bermudian dollars (BMD) per US dollar -
1 (2017 est.)
1 (2016 est.)
1 (2015 est.)
1 (2014 est.)
1 (2013 est.)

Energy

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

Electricity - production

650 million kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159

Electricity - consumption

604.5 million kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126

Electricity - installed generating capacity

171,000 kW (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158

Electricity - from other renewable sources

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

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119

Refined petroleum products - consumption

5,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131

Refined petroleum products - imports

3,939 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

793,700 Mt (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 21,883
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 31 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 64,997
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 92 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198

Telephone system

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)

Broadcast media

3 TV stations; cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; roughly 13 radio stations operating

Internet country code

.bm

Internet users

total: 69,126
percent of population: 98% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 180

Military and Security

Military and security forces

Royal Bermuda Regiment (2019)

Military service age and obligation

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)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transportation

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

VP-B (2016)

Airports

1 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 214

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 (2019)
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1

Roadways

total: 447 km (2010)
paved: 447 km (2010)
note: 225 km public roads; 222 km private roads
country comparison to the world: 191

Merchant marine

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

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Hamilton, Ireland Island, Saint George

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international

none

Flag of Bermuda