Bermuda

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For other uses, see Bermuda (disambiguation).

{{Infobox_Country |native_name = Bermuda |conventional_long_name = |common_name =Bermuda |image_flag = Flag of Bermuda.svg |image_coat =Bermuda coa large.jpg |symbol_type =Coat of Arms |image_map =LocationBermuda.png |national_motto =Quo Fata Ferunt
(Latin: Whither the Fates carry [us]) |national_anthem =God Save the Queen |official_languages =English |capital =Hamilton |latd= |latm= |latNS= |longd= |longm= |longEW= |largest_city =Hamilton |government_type =Overseas territory of the UK |leader_titles =Queen
Governor
Premier |leader_names =HM Queen Elizabeth II
Sir John Vereker
Alex Scott |area_rank =~190th |area_magnitude = 1 E7 |area=53.3 |areami²=20.6 |percent_water = 0% |population_estimate =65,773 |population_estimate_rank = 204th 1 |population_estimate_year = July 2006 |population_census = |population_census_year = |population_density =1,234 |population_densitymi² = 3,196 |population_density_rank = ~4th |GDP_PPP = $4.5 billion |GDP_PPP_rank =164th |GDP_PPP_year= 2004 |GDP_PPP_per_capita = $69,900 |GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank =1st |sovereignty_type =Overseas territory of the UK |established_events = |established_dates = |HDI = n/a |HDI_rank =n/a |HDI_year = 2003 |HDI_category = unranked |currency =Bermuda dollar 2 |currency_code = BMD |country_code = |time_zone = |utc_offset =-4 |time_zone_DST = |utc_offset_DST = |cctld = .bm |calling_code =1-441 |footnotes = 1.) Rank based on 2005 figures.
2.) On par with US dollar }}

Bermuda (fully, The Bermuda Islands, alias The Somers Isles) is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom in the North Atlantic Ocean, situated around 600 miles (975 km) off the coast of the United States. It consists of around 138 islands, of total area 58.8 square kilometres (27.7 sq. mi). The largest island is where the capital, Hamilton, is located. Bermuda has a thriving economy, with a large financial sector and tourism industry.

Contents

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History

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Bermuda was discovered by the early 1500s, probably in 1503, according to some sources. It was certainly known by 1511, when Peter Martyr published his Legatio Babylonica, which mentioned Bermuda and the island was also included on Spanish charts of this year. The discovery is attributed to a Spanish explorer, Juan de Bermudez. Both Spanish and Portuguese ships used the islands as a replenishment spot for fresh meat and water, but legends of spirits and devils, now thought to have stemmed only from the callings of raucous birds (most likely the Bermuda Petrel) kept them from attempting any permanent settlement.

Bermudez and Gonzales Ferdinando d'Oviedo ventured to Bermuda in 1514 or 1515 with the intention to drop off a breeding stock of hogs on the island as a future stock of fresh meat for passing ships. The inclement weather prevented them landing however.

Some years later, a Portuguese ship on the way home from San Domingo wedged itself between two rocks on the reef. The crew tried to salvage as much as they could and spent the next four months building a new hull from Bermuda cedar to return back to their initial departure point. One of these stranded sailors is most likely the person who carved the intials "R" and "P", "1543" into Spanish Rock. The initials probably stood for "Rex Portugaline" and later were incorrectly attributed to the Spanish, leading to the misnaming of this rocky outcrop of Bermuda.

For the next century the Island was probably visited frequently but not settled. The first two British colonies in Virginia had failed, and a more determined effort was initiated by King James I of England, who granted a Royal Charter to The Virginia Company. In 1609, a flotilla of ships, left England under the Company's Admiral, Sir George Somers, to relieve the colony of Jamestown, settled two years before. Somers had previous experience sailing with both Drake and Raleigh. The flotilla was broken up by a storm, and the flagship, the Sea Venture, was wrecked off Bermuda (as depicted on the territory's Coat of Arms), leaving the survivors in possession of a new territory. (William Shakespeare's play The Tempest may have been influenced by William Strachey's account of this shipwreck.) The Island was claimed for the English Crown, and the charter of the Virginia Company was extended to include it. In 1615, the Island was passed to a new Company, the Somers Isles Company (The Somers Isles remains an official name for the Colony), formed by the same shareholders. Most of the survivors of the Sea Venture had carried on to Jamestown in 1610 aboard two Bermuda-built ships. Among these was John Rolfe, who left a wife and child buried in Bermuda, but would marry a Powhatan princess, Pocahontas, in Jamestown. Rolfe was also single-handedly responsible for beginning Virginia's tobacco industry (the economic basis of the Colony had been intended to be lumber). Deliberate settlement of Bermuda began with the arrival of The Plough, in 1612. With it's limited land area, Bermuda has had difficulty ever since with population growth. In the first two centuries of settlement, it relied on a steady emigration to keep the population manageable. Before the American Revolution, more than 10,000 Bermudians emigrated, primarily to the American South, where England (later, Britain) was displacing Spain as the dominant European imperial power. A steady trickle of outward migration would continue, however, as, by the end of the 18th Century, with seafaring being the only real industry, at least a third of the Island's manpower was at sea at any one time.

In the 17th Century, however, the Somers Isles Company suppressed shipbuilding as it needed Bermudians to farm if it was to generate any income from the land. Bermuda was not a great success as an agricultural colony. The Bermuda cedar boxes it shipped tobacco to England in were reportedly worth more than their contents. The colony of Virginia far surpassed Bermuda in both quality and quantity of tobacco produced. After the dissolution of the Somers Isle Company, Bermudians rapidly abandoned agriculture for ship-building, replanting farmland with the native juniper (Juniperus Bermudiana, Bermuda cedar) trees that grew thickly over the whole island. Establishing effective control over the Turks Island's, Bermudians deforested their landscape to begin the salt trade that would become the World's largest, and remained the cornerstone of Bermuda's economy for the next century. Bermudian sailors would turn their hands to far more trades than supplying salt, however. Whaling, privateering, and the merchant trade were all pursued vigourously. The Bermuda sloop became highly regarded for its speed and manoverability. Indeed, at the end of the Battle of Trafalgar, the Bermuda sloop HMS Pickle, one of the fastest vessels in the Royal Navy, raced back to England with news of the victory and the death of Admiral Lord Nelson.

After the American Revolution, the British Royal Navy began improving the harbours and built a large dockyard on Ireland Island, in the west of the chain. Thereafter the navy used the bases as a strategic asset which later benefited the USA as well (see below).

In the early 20th century, as modern transport and communication systems developed, Bermuda became a popular destination for wealthy US, Canadian and British tourists. In addition, the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act enacted by the United States against its trading partners in 1930 cut off Bermuda's once-thriving agricultural export trade - primarily fresh vegetables to the US - spurring the overseas territory to develop its tourist industry, which is second behind international business in terms of economic importance to the island.

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Politics

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Executive authority in Bermuda is invested in The Queen and is exercised on her behalf by the Governor. The Governor is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the British Government. Defence and Foreign Affairs remain the responsibility of the United Kingdom.

The Constitution of Bermuda came into force on June 1, 1968, amended in 1989 and 2003. The Head of Government is the Premier. A cabinet is nominated by the Premier and appointed officially by the Governor. The legislative branch consists of a bicameral parliament. The Senate is the Upper House and consists of 11 members appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition. The House of Assembly is the Lower House and the 36 members are democratically elected to serve a 5 year term.

The current Governor Sir John Vereker, appointed on April 11, 2002. The Premier is currently Alex Scott following the election victory of the Progressive Labour Party in the July 2003 elections. The United Bermuda Party serves in Opposition.

The leadership of the Progressive Labour Party supports independence from the United Kingdom, although polls indicate that this is not supported by the population. A referendum in 1995 on independence, held by the UBP, was defeated.

Shawn Pol O'Crechmhaoil was one of close freinds with John Vereker right hand man in the progressive labour party and working in the (RHL) division of labour

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Military

Image:Rembrance Day Parade Bermuda.jpg Template:Main

The defence of Bermuda remains the responsibility of the National (British) Government, rather than of the Bermudian Government, which is effectively a local authority. Despite this, the Bermuda Government was historically responsible for maintaining Militia for the defence of the Colony. As Bermuda became the primary Royal Navy headquarters and dockyard in the Western Atlantic, following American independence, there was a parallel build-up of military defences to protect the naval base. Seeing the militia as having become superfluous, with the large number of regular soldiers present, the Colonial Government allowed it to lapse after the American War of 1812, however, it did raise volunteer units at the end of the Century to form a reserve for the military garrison.

The Colony was an increasingly prominent Naval station after that war ended in 1815, but achieved a particular importantance during the Second World War, because of its central location in the North Atlantic Ocean. The US began building bases in 1941, under a 99-year lease, and operated these until the end of the Cold War. The bases consisted of 5.8km ² (2.25 mi²) of land, largely reclaimed from the sea.

The Royal Naval dockyard and the military garrison were closed during the 1950s. A small supply base continued to operate within the Dockyard until it, too, was closed, along with the American and Canadian bases, in 1995. The US bases closed on 1 September, but unresolved issues concerning the withdrawal of the American forces - primarily related to environmental factors - delayed the formal return of the base lands to the Government of Bermuda, which finally happened in 2002. The only military unit remaining in Bermuda, today, is the Bermuda Regiment, an amalgam of the voluntary units formed in the 19th Century.

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Geography

Template:Main Image:Bermuda-map.png Bermuda is located in the North Atlantic Ocean roughly 580 nautical miles (1074 kilometers) east-southeast of Cape Hatteras on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and roughly 590 nautical miles (1093 kilometers) southeast of Martha's Vinyard. (See map.) There are two incorporated municipalities in Bermuda; the City of Hamilton, and the Town of St. George. There are also a number of localities which are sometimes termed villages, among them Flatts Village, Tucker's Town and Somerset Village. Contrary to common misconception, Bermuda is not located within the tropics. The subtropical, or warm temperate, climate is influenced by the gulf stream. Bermuda has a very humid climate and, as a result, the summer-time heat index can be very high, even when the actual temperature seems moderate. Winters can get decidedly chilly, and the powerful winds and heavy rain mean that the felt temperature can fall below freezing, even though the actual temperature may rarely drop much below 50° F.


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Economy

Image:Bermudian Banknotes.jpg Template:Main

Bermuda, as offshore domicile of many foreign companies, has a highly developed economy focused on international business and tourism. Its per capita income is approximately equivalent to the United States. CIA data shows a GDP of $2.33 billion in 2003, per capita, $36,000.

Bermuda is regarded as a premier offshore business jurisdiction, with no direct taxes on personal or corporate income. The local tax system is based upon import duties, and payroll and consumption taxes. Many leading international insurance companies are based in Bermuda and the Island is considered the world's re-insurance centre. Bermuda is a financial exporter both in insurance and other financial services.

Tourism is the second largest industry, with the island attracting most of its visitors from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

The currency used is the Bermuda dollar which is pegged to the US dollar. Bermudian notes carry the image of the British Queen. US Dollars and coins are used interchangeably with Bermudian notes and coins within the islands.

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Demographics

Template:Main 54.8% of the population is listed as black and 34.1% as white. The Island has a growing Asian community. A significant segment of the population is of Portuguese heritage, having emigrated from Portuguese islands, especially the Azores, over the past century.

It should be noted that these racial demographic terms are misleading. Most of the Island's Black population has a diverse ancestry, including significant European and Native American bloodlines. Portuguese Bermudians are often though of as constituting a separate racial group, as with White (Hispanic) in the USA. Immigrants from Portuguese islands included Blacks from the Cape Verde Islands, and many Portuguese intermarried with Black and 'White' Bermudians. Consequently, there are many islanders with Portuguese ancestry, heritage, and names who are not considered among the 10% of the population typically listed as 'Portuguese'. Racial identity and labelling became a hot topic with the last census, which offered greater flexibility in how respondents could identify themselves racially. Resurgent interest in the Island's Native American past, especially in St. David's, is leading many to identify themselves with the various Algonquian peoples sold into slavery on the Island during its first century of settlement. In addition to large-scale Portuguese immigration, which began with several families from Madeira in the 1840s, there has been sustained immigration from the West Indies throughout the 20th Century.

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Holidays

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Date Holiday Remarks
24 May Bermuda Day
Last Thursday in July if it's the 31st

or First Thursday in August

Emancipation Day First day of Cup Match
First Friday in August Somer's Day Second day of Cup Match

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Famous Bermudians

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Famous Residents

Past and present

As a sidenote, most famous people live on Tucker's Peninsula, part of Tucker's Town, an exclusive residential neighbourhood. Michael Bloomberg, Silvio Berlusconi, and Ross Perot are among homeowners there.

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References

| url = http://www.un.org/Depts/dpi/decolonization/trust3.htm
| title = Non-Self-Governing Territories listed by General Assembly in 2002
| work = United Nations Special Committee of 24 on Decolonization
| accessyear = 2005 | accessdate = March 10
}}
  • {{cite book 
| title = The New American Desk Encyclopedia
| edition = edition 3
| year = 1993
| chapter = Bermuda
| id = ISBN 0-451-17566-2
}}
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External links

| url = http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029394365&a=KCountryProfile&aid=1032111344299
| publisher = Foreign and Commonwealth Office
| title = Bermuda

}}
Countries and North America as a continent
Antigua and Barbuda | Bahamas | Barbados | Belize | Canada | Costa Rica | Cuba | Dominica | Dominican Republic | El Salvador | Grenada | Guatemala | Haiti | Honduras | Jamaica | Mexico | Nicaragua | Panama | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Lucia | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Trinidad and Tobago | United States
Dependencies: Denmark: Greenland | France: Guadeloupe · Martinique · Saint-Pierre and Miquelon | Netherlands: Aruba · Netherlands Antilles | UK: Anguilla · Bermuda · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Montserrat · Turks and Caicos Islands | U.S.: Navassa Island · Puerto Rico · U.S. Virgin Islands


 
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) 		Image:Caricom-Flag.png
Antigua and Barbuda | Bahamas¹ | Barbados | Belize | Dominica | Grenada | Guyana | Haiti² | Jamaica | Montserrat | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Lucia | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Suriname | Trinidad and Tobago
Associate members: Anguilla | Bermuda | Cayman Islands | British Virgin Islands | Turks and Caicos Islands
Observer status: Aruba | Colombia | Dominican Republic | Mexico | Netherlands Antilles | Puerto Rico | Venezuela
¹ member of the community but not the CARICOM (Caribbean) Single Market and Economy.
² membership temporarly suspended.

Template:British dependencieszh-min-nan:Bermuda ca:Bermudes cs:Bermudy da:Bermuda de:Bermuda et:Bermuda el:Βερμούδες es:Bermudas eo:Bermudo fr:Bermudes gl:Bermuda ko:버뮤다 id:Bermuda is:Bermúda it:Bermuda he:ברמודה kw:Bermuda lv:Bermudu salas lt:Bermuda hu:Bermuda-szigetek nl:Bermuda ja:バミューダ諸島 no:Bermuda nn:Bermuda pl:Bermudy pt:Bermudas ro:Insulele Bermude ru:Бермуды simple:Bermuda sk:Bermudy sl:Bermuda sr:Бермуди sh:Bermudi fi:Bermuda sv:Bermuda tr:Bermuda uk:Бермудські острови zh:百慕大

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