Bermuda

parliamentaryIndependence none (overseas territory of the UK)

Bermuda as the 2011 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 126 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalHamilton, UTC-4
Position32 20 N, 64 45 W
Area54 sq km
LocationNorth America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US)
Populationas each edition published it
68,679 people July 2011 est. · 58,337 in 1990
Population growth% a year
0.594% 2011 est. · 0.78% in 1993
Median ageyears
42 years 2011 est. · 38.7 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
80.71 years 2011 est. · 75.03 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.97 children per woman 2011 est. · 1.7 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
2.47 deaths per 1,000 live births 2011 est. · 12 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$69,900 2004 est. · $22,000 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
4.6% 2004 est. · -1.5% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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.

Geography

North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US)

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Land useshare of 54 sq km

arable land 20%permanent crops 0%other 80% (55% developed, 45% rural/open space) (2005)
Area
54sq km
country comparison to the world: 231land: 54 sq kmwater: 0 sq kmabout one-third the size of Washington, DC
Coastline
103km
land boundaries: 0 kmterritorial sea: 12 nmexclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Highest point
76m
Town Hilllowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m

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

Climate

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

Terrain

low hills separated by fertile depressions

Natural resources

limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism

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 the US Government from 1941 to 1995

People and Society

23 fields

Age structuremale left, female right · (2011 est.)

4,304
65 and over15.1%
6,040
22,701
15-6467%
23,293
6,212
0-1418%
6,129
MaleFemale
Population
68,679
(July 2011 est.)country comparison to the world: 201growth rate: 0.594% (2011 est.)country comparison to the world: 144

Per 1,000 population

Birth
11.42 (2011 est.)Death
7.57 (July 2011 est.)Net migration
2.1 (2011 est.)

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2011 est.)80.71
77.49 · 83.99Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)2.47
2.57 · 2.36Literacy (2005 est.)98%
98% · 99%
TotalMale · femaleMedian age years (2011 est.)42
40.4 · 43.5School life expectancy years (2006)12
12 · 12
MaleFemaleLife expectancy country comparison to the world: 20 · Infant mortality country comparison to the world: 220 · Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups(2000 census)

black 54.8%white 34.1%mixed 6.4%other races 4.3%unspecified 0.4% (2000 census)

Religions(2000 census)

Protestant 52% (Anglican 23%, African Methodist Episcopal 11%, other Protestant 18%)Roman Catholic 15%other 12%unaffiliated 6%unspecified 1%none 14% (2000 census)
Urban population
100%of total population
(2010)rate of urbanization: 0.2% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)Major cities - population: HAMILTON (capital) 12,000 (2009)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
0.3%
(2005)country comparison to the world: 88

Nationality

noun:
Bermudian(s)
adjective:
Bermudian

Languages

English (official), Portuguese

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.015 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.71 male(s)/female
total population:
0.94 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.97 children born/woman (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 129

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

163 (2005) country comparison to the world: 160

HIV/AIDS - deaths

392 (2005) country comparison to the world: 99

Education expenditures

2.6% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 146

Government

Parliamentary; Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Premier Paula COX (since 29 October 2010)

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Presidential electionpercent of vote

52.5%
PLP 52.5%UBP 47.3%last general election held on 18 December 2007 (next to be held not later than 2012)

Legislature, 36 seatsone dot, one seat

PLP 22UBP 14

Percent of vote

PLP 52.5%UBP 47.3%

Country name

conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Bermuda
former:
Somers Islands

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK

Government type

parliamentary; self-governing territory

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

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

International law organization participation

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Sir Richard GOZNEY (since 12 December 2007)
head of government:
Premier Paula COX (since 29 October 2010); Deputy Premier Derrick BURGESS
cabinet:
Cabinet nominated by the premier, appointed by the governor; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
elections:
  • the monarchy is hereditary;
  • governor appointed by the monarch;
  • following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed premier by the governor

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; members appointed by the governor, the premier, and the opposition to serve a five-year term) 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 on 18 December 2007 (next to be held not later than 2012)
election results:
percent of vote by party - PLP 52.5%, UBP 47.3%; seats by party - PLP 22, UBP 14

Judicial branch

  • Supreme Court (Chief Justice and other justices appointed by the governor; remain in office until they reach 65 years of age);
  • Court of Appeal (President of the Court of Appeal and other justices appointed by the governor for a specific period laid out in their respective instruments of appointment);
  • Magistrate Courts

Political parties and leaders

Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Ewart BROWN]; United Bermuda Party or UBP [Kim SWAN]

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), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ITUC, UPU, WCO

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Consul General Grace W. SHELTON
consulate(s) general:
Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire DVO3
mailing address:
P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX; American Consulate General Hamilton, US Department of State, 5300 Hamilton Place, Washington, DC 20520-5300
telephone:
[1] (441) 295-1342
FAX:
[1] (441) 295-1592, 296-9233

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 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 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

Bermuda enjoys the third highest per capita income in the world, more than 50% higher than that of the US; the average cost of a house by the mid-2000s exceeded $1,000,000.

43 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$4.5billion
(2004 est.)country comparison to the world: 166official exchange rate: $NA
GDP per capita, PPP
$69,900
(2004 est.)country comparison to the world: 4
Real growth rate
4.6%
(2004 est.)country comparison to the world: 78industrial production growth: NA%
Inflation, consumer prices
2.4%
(2010 est.)country comparison to the world: 791.8% (2009 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2010 est.)

agriculture 0.7%industry 8.4%services 90.8% (2010 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

88.4%
India
4.5%
13.2%
Germany
36.2%
South Korea
22.2%
4.4%
US
15.9%
14.6%
France
China
8.4%
7.2%
Norway
6.7%
Bangladesh
6.5%
Indonesia
1.8%
Nepal
Exports $27 million (2010 est.)Imports $966 million (2010 est.)(2010)

Budget

Revenues
$738 millionExpenditures
$665 million (FY04/05)

Electricity

Electricity production
693.7 million (2009 est.)Electricity consumption
636.4 million (2008 est.)

Economy - overview

Bermuda enjoys the third highest per capita income in the world, more than 50% higher than that of the US; the average cost of a house by the mid-2000s exceeded $1,000,000. 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 the 11 September 2001 attacks and again after Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 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 largely focused on construction and agriculture is limited, with only 20% of the land being arable.

Labor force

38,360 (2004) country comparison to the world: 198

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.) country comparison to the world: 15

Investment (gross fixed)

24.3% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 66

Market value of publicly traded shares

$1.535 billion (31 December 2010) · $1.36 billion (31 December 2009) · $1.912 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 101

Agriculture - products

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

Industries

international business, tourism, light manufacturing

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 154

Oil - consumption

5,000 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 168

Oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 138

Oil - imports

4,804 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 158

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 106

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 153

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 153

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 57

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 85

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 110

Current account balance

$660 million (2010 est.) · $548 million (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 52

Exports

$27 million (2010 est.) · $29 million (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 203

Exports - commodities

reexports of pharmaceuticals

Imports

$966 million (2010 est.) · $1.065 billion (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 173

Imports - commodities

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

Debt - external

$160 million (FY99/00) country comparison to the world: 181

Exchange rates

Bermudian dollars (BMD) per US dollar - 1.000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar)

Communications

7 fields
Mobile cellular
88,200
(2010)
Internet users
19,855
(2010)
Fixed lines
57,800
(2010) · country code .bm

Telephone system

general assessment:
a good, fully automatic digital telephone system with fiber-optic trunk lines
domestic:
the system has a high fixed-line teledensity coupled with a mobile-cellular teledensity of roughly 125 per 100 persons
international:
  • country code - 1-441;
  • landing points for the GlobeNet, Gemini Bermuda, and the Challenger Bermuda-1 (CB-1)submarine cables;
  • satellite earth stations - 3 (2009)

Broadcast media

  • 3 television stations;
  • cable and satellite TV subscription services are available;
  • roughly 10 radio stations operating (2007)

Internet users

54,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 172

Transportation

5 fields

Merchant marine, 139 ships by type

bulk carrier 22chemical tanker 3container 15liquefied gas 38passenger 26passenger/cargo 6petroleum tanker 20refrigerated cargo 9foreign-owned: 114 (China 13, France 1, Germany 15, Greece 2, Hong Kong 5, Ireland 2, Israel 3, Japan 2, Monaco 2, Nigeria 11, Norway 5, Sweden 17, UK 11, US 25) · registered in other countries: 180 (Bahamas 12, Cyprus 1, Greece 3, Hong Kong 12, Isle of Man 7, Liberia 4, Malta 8, Marshall Islands 34, Norway 5, Panama 15, Philippines 43, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Singapore 21, UK 9, US 5) (2010)

Airports

1 (2010) country comparison to the world: 213

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1; 2,438 to 3,047 m:; 1 (2010)

Roadways

total:
447 km

country comparison to the world: 196

paved:
447 km

note: public roads - 225 km; private roads - 222 km (2007)

Ports and terminals

Hamilton, Ireland Island, Saint George

Military

Bermuda Regiment (2009)

7 fields
Military expenditures
0.11%of GDP
(2005 est.)country comparison to the world: 170

Military branches

Bermuda Regiment (2009)

Military service age and obligation

  • 18-30 years of age for voluntary or compulsory enlistment in the Bermuda Regiment;
  • males must register at age 18;
  • term of service is 38 months (2009)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 15,081 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49:
12,323
females age 16-49:
12,174 (2010 est.)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transnational Issues

1 field

Cite this entry

Central Intelligence Agency. “Bermuda.” The World Factbook 2011. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/bermuda/2011.