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Introduction |
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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. A referendum
on independence was soundly defeated in 1995.
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Geography |
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Location: |
North America,
group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South
Carolina (US)
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Geographic
coordinates: |
32 20 N, 64 45 W
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Map references: |
North America
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Area: |
total: 53.3
sq km
land: 53.3 sq km
water: 0 sq km
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Area -
comparative: |
about one-third the
size of Washington, DC
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Land boundaries: |
0 km
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Coastline: |
103 km
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Maritime claims: |
territorial sea:
12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
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Climate: |
subtropical; mild,
humid; gales, strong winds common in winter
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Terrain: |
low hills separated
by fertile depressions
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Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Town Hill 76 m
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Natural
resources: |
limestone, pleasant
climate fostering tourism
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Land use: |
arable land:
20%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 80% (55% developed, 45% rural/open space) (2001)
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Irrigated land: |
NA
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Natural hazards: |
hurricanes (June to
November)
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Environment -
current issues: |
asbestos disposal;
water pollution; preservation of open space; sustainable
development
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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
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People |
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Population: |
65,365 (July 2005
est.)
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Age structure: |
0-14 years:
18.9% (male 6,177/female 6,154)
15-64 years: 69.2% (male 22,422/female 22,828)
65 years and over: 11.9% (male 3,378/female 4,406) (2005
est.)
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Median age: |
total: 39.76
years
male: 38.78 years
female: 40.58 years (2005 est.)
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Population
growth rate: |
0.64% (2005 est.)
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Birth rate: |
11.6 births/1,000
population (2005 est.)
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Death rate: |
7.63 deaths/1,000
population (2005 est.)
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Net migration
rate: |
2.45 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2005 est.)
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Sex ratio: |
at birth:
1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 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 (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality
rate: |
total: 8.53
deaths/1,000 live births
male: 10.14 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
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Life expectancy
at birth: |
total
population: 77.79 years
male: 75.7 years
female: 79.91 years (2005 est.)
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Total fertility
rate: |
1.89 children
born/woman (2005 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult
prevalence rate: |
NA
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HIV/AIDS -
people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA
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HIV/AIDS -
deaths: |
NA
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Nationality: |
noun:
Bermudian(s)
adjective: Bermudian
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Ethnic groups: |
black 54.8%, white
34.1%, mixed 6.4%, other races 4.3%, unspecified 0.4% (2000
census)
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Religions: |
Anglican 23%, Roman
Catholic 15%, African Methodist Episcopal 11%, other Protestant
18%, other 12%, unaffiliated 6%, unspecified 1%, none 14% (2000
census)
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Languages: |
English (official),
Portuguese
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Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 98%
female: 99% (1970 est.)
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Government |
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Country name: |
conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Bermuda
former: Somers Islands
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Government type: |
parliamentary
British overseas territory with internal self-government
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Capital: |
Hamilton
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Administrative
divisions: |
9 parishes and 2
municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget,
Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smith's,
Southampton, Warwick
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Independence: |
none (overseas
territory of the UK)
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National
holiday: |
Bermuda Day, 24 May
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Constitution: |
8 June 1968,
amended 1989 and 2003
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Legal system: |
English law
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Suffrage: |
18 years of age;
universal
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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
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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 July 2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 51.7%,
UBP 48%; seats by party - PLP 22, UBP 14
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Judicial branch: |
Supreme Court;
Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts
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Political
parties and leaders: |
Progressive Labor
Party or PLP [William Alexander SCOTT]; United Bermuda Party or
UBP [Grant GIBBONS]
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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]
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International
organization participation: |
Caricom
(associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU, WCO, Egmont
Group, Caribbean Financial Action Task Force
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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
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Economy |
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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. 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 tourism industry - which derives over 80% of its
visitors from the US - was severely hit as American tourists
chose not to travel. Tourism rebounded somewhat in 2002-04. 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, only 20% of the land being
arable.
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GDP: |
purchasing power
parity - $2.33 billion (2003 est.)
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GDP - real
growth rate: |
2% (2003 est.)
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GDP - per
capita: |
purchasing power
parity - $36,000 (2003 est.)
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GDP -
composition by sector: |
agriculture:
1%
industry: 10%
services: 89% (2002 est.)
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Labor force: |
37,470 (2000)
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Labor force - by
occupation: |
agriculture and
fishing 3%, laborers 17%, clerical 22%, professional and
technical 17%, administrative and managerial 13%, sales 8%,
services 20% (2000 est.)
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Unemployment
rate: |
5% (2002 est.)
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Population below
poverty line: |
19% (2000)
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Household income
or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
NA
highest 10%: NA
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Inflation rate
(consumer prices): |
3.3% (mid-2003
est.)
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Budget: |
revenues:
$671.1 million
expenditures: $594.6 million, including capital
expenditures of $55 million (FY03/04)
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Agriculture -
products: |
bananas,
vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products
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Industries: |
tourism,
international business, light manufacturing
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Industrial
production growth rate: |
NA%
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Electricity -
production: |
643 million kWh
(2002)
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Electricity -
production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
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Electricity -
consumption: |
598 million kWh
(2002)
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Electricity -
exports: |
0 kWh (2002)
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Electricity -
imports: |
0 kWh (2002)
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Oil -
production: |
0 bbl/day (2001
est.)
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Oil -
consumption: |
4,000 bbl/day (2001
est.)
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Oil - exports: |
NA
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Oil - imports: |
NA
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Exports: |
$879 million (2002)
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Exports -
commodities: |
reexports of
pharmaceuticals
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Exports -
partners: |
France 73.8%, UK
6.2%, Sweden 2.6% (2004)
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Imports: |
$5.523 billion
(2002)
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Imports -
commodities: |
machinery and
transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and
live animals
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Imports -
partners: |
Kazakhstan 36.6%,
France 19.1%, Japan 15.1%, Italy 10.6%, US 8.2% (2004)
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Debt - external: |
$160 million
(FY99/00)
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Currency (code): |
Bermudian dollar (BMD)
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Currency code: |
BMD
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Exchange rates: |
Bermudian dollar
per US dollar - 1.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar)
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Fiscal year: |
1 April - 31 March
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Communications |
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Telephones -
main lines in use: |
56,000 (2002)
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Telephones -
mobile cellular: |
37,873 (2003)
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Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: good
domestic: fully automatic digital telephone system; fiber
optic trunk lines
international: country code - 1-441; 3 fiber optic
submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat
(Atlantic Ocean)
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Radio broadcast
stations: |
AM 5, FM 3,
shortwave 0 (2004)
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Radios: |
82,000 (1997)
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Television
broadcast stations: |
4 (2004)
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Televisions: |
66,000 (1997)
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Internet country
code: |
.bm
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Internet hosts: |
5,161 (2001)
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Internet Service
Providers (ISPs): |
20 (2000)
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Internet users: |
34,500 (2003)
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Transportation |
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Highways: |
total: 450
km
paved: 450 km
unpaved: 0 km
note: public roads - 209 km; private roads - 241 km
(2002)
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Ports and
harbors: |
Hamilton, Saint
George
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Merchant marine: |
total: 108
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,845,326 GRT/6,501,782 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 22, cargo 6, container 22,
liquefied gas 13, passenger 13, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum
tanker 8, refrigerated cargo 11, roll on/roll off 7
foreign-owned: 103 (Australia 2, Canada 20, Finland 2,
Germany 1, Greece 1, Hong Kong 5, Indonesia 1, Nigeria 8, Norway
5, Sweden 9, Switzerland 2, United Kingdom 27, United States 20)
registered in other countries: 1 (2005)
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Airports: |
1 (2004 est.)
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Airports - with
paved runways: |
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)
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Military |
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Military
branches: |
Bermuda Regiment
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Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$4.03 million
(2001)
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Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
0.11% (FY00/01)
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Military note: |
defense is the
responsibility of the UK
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Transnational Issues |
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Disputes -
international: |
none
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