Bermuda
parliamentary democracy (Parliament)Independence none (overseas territory of the UK)
Bermuda as the 2018 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 141 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.
No fields match. Try a shorter word.
Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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
North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US)
18 fieldsLand useshare of 54 sq km
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
24 fieldsPer 1,000 population
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2010 est.)
Religions(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.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
- 0-14 years:
- 1.02 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
- 15-24 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
- 25-54 years:
- 1 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
- 55-64 years:
- 0.89 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
- 65 years and over:
- 0.73 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
- total population:
- 0.94 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Government
Parliamentary democracy (Parliament); Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Premier David BURT (since 19 July 2017)
22 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislature, 36 seatsone dot, one seat
Percent of vote
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
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
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) (2018)
- amendments:
- proposal procedure - NA;
- passage by an Order in Council in the UK;
- amended several times, last in 2012 (2018)
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
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
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:
- House of Assembly - last held on 18 July 2017 (next to be held not later than 2022)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - PLP 58.9%, OBA 40.6%, other 0.5%; seats by party - PLP 24, OBA 12
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 from the US
- chief of mission:
- Consul General Mary Ellen KOENIG (since 28 November 2015)
- 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
- 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 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
36 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2017 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP · (2017 est.)
Budget(2017 est.)
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.
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
Imports - commodities
clothing, fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals
Exchange rates
Bermudian dollars (BMD) per US dollar - 1 (2017 est.) · 1 (2016 est.) · 1 (2015 est.) · 1 (2014 est.) · 1 (2013 est.)
Energy
24 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2016)
Installed generating capacity, 171,000 kW(2016 est.)
Communications
6 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2016–17 est.)
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 (2017)
- domestic:
- the system has a high fixed-line teledensity 31 per 100, coupled with a mobile-cellular teledensity of roughly 92 per 100 persons (2017)
- international:
- country code - 1-441;
- landing points for the GlobeNet, Gemini Bermuda, CBUS, and the Challenger Bermuda-1 (CB-1) submarine cables;
- satellite earth stations - 3 (2015)
Broadcast media
- 3 TV stations;
- cable and satellite TV subscription services are available;
- roughly 13 radio stations operating (2012)
Transportation
6 fieldsMerchant marine, 160 ships by type(2017)
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Military and Security
Bermuda Regiment (2012)
3 fieldsMilitary 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)
Transnational Issues
1 fieldCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Bermuda.” The World Factbook 2018. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/bermuda/2018.