Introduction :: BERMUDA
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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 :: BERMUDA
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North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US)
32 20 N, 64 45 W
North America
total: 54 sq km
land: 54 sq km
water: 0 sq km
country comparison to the world: 233
about one-third the size of Washington, DC
0 km
103 km
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter
low hills separated by fertile depressions
mean elevation: NA
elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Town Hill 79 m
limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism
agricultural land: 14.8%
arable land 14.8%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 0%
forest: 20%
other: 65.2% (2011 est.)
NA
relatively even population distribution throughout
hurricanes (June to November)
dense population and heavy vehicle traffic create serious pollution problems; water resources scarce (most obtained as rainwater or from wells); there is no sewage treatment on the island
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 :: BERMUDA
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70,864 (July 2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203
noun: Bermudian(s)
adjective: Bermudian
black 53.8%, white 31%, mixed 7.5%, other 7.1%, unspecified 0.6% (2010 est.)
English (official), Portuguese
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.)
0-14 years: 17.04% (male 6,104/female 5,974)
15-24 years: 12% (male 4,300/female 4,207)
25-54 years: 37.24% (male 13,230/female 13,163)
55-64 years: 15.73% (male 5,244/female 5,902)
65 years and over: 17.98% (male 5,395/female 7,345) (2017 est.)
population pyramid:
North America
::BERMUDA
Population Pyramid
A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends.
For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.
total: 43.2 years
male: 41.4 years
female: 45.1 years (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 18
0.5% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155
11.3 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
8.6 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
1.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
relatively even population distribution throughout
urban population: 100% of total population (2017)
rate of urbanization: 0.16% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
HAMILTON (capital) 10,000 (2014)
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.89 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
total: 2.5 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 2.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 219
total population: 81.3 years
male: 78.1 years
female: 84.5 years (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 26
1.93 children born/woman (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
NA
NA
NA
1.7% of GDP (2015)
country comparison to the world: 151
total: 12 years
male: 11 years
female: 12 years (2015)
total: 35.7%
male: 34.8%
female: 36.5% (2012 est.)
Government :: BERMUDA
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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
overseas territory of the UK
parliamentary democracy (Parliament); self-governing overseas territory of the UK
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
9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smith's, Southampton, Warwick
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Bermuda Day, 24 May; note - formerly known as Victoria Day, Empire Day, and Commonwealth Day
several previous (dating to 1684); latest entered into force 8 June 1968; amended several times, last in 2012 (2017)
English common law
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
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
18 years of age; universal
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
description: bicameral Parliament consists of the 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)
elections: 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
highest resident court(s): 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
One Bermuda Alliance or OBA [interim leader, Patricia GORDON-PAMPLIN]
Progressive Labor Party or PLP [David BURT]
Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers or ABIR [Bradley KADING]
Association of Bermuda International Companies or ABIC [George HUTCHINGS]
Bermuda Employer's Council [Keith JENSEN]
Bermuda Industrial Union or BIU [Chris Furbert]
Bermuda Public Services Union or BPSU [Kevin GRANT and Ed BALL]
Bermuda Union of Teachers [Michael CHARLES]
Caricom (associate), ICC (NGOs), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ITUC (NGOs), UPU, WCO
none (overseas territory of the UK)
chief of mission: Consul General Mary Ellen KOENIG (since 27 November 2015)
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
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
red lion
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
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Tourism accounts for about 5% of Bermuda's GDP, but a much larger share of employment. Over 80% of its visitors come from the US. The sector struggled in the wake of the global recession of 2008-09. International business, which consists primarily of reinsurance and other financial services, is the real bedrock of Bermuda's economy, consistently accounting for about 85% of the island's GDP. Even this sector, however, 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 entered its seventh straight year of recession in 2015. Unemployment is 9%, public debt is growing and exceeds $2.3 billion, the government pension fund faces a $2.4 billion shortfall, and the economy has not attracted significant new foreign investment. Bermuda's FY15/16 budget projects a 12% larger deficit than FY14/15. The government announced it would borrow $125 million in 2015 to meet current operating expenses. Still, Bermuda enjoys the fourth highest per capita income in the world, about 70% higher than that of the US.
$5.198 billion (2013 est.)
$5.331 billion (2012 est.)
$5.6 billion (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
$5.198 billion (2013 est.)
-2.5% (2013 est.)
-4.8% (2012)
-3.5% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 210
$85,700 (2013 est.)
$85,400 (2012 est.)
$86,000 (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 8
household consumption: 53.4%
government consumption: 15.3%
investment in fixed capital: 10.9%
investment in inventories: -0.1%
exports of goods and services: 41.8%
imports of goods and services: -21.3% (2016 est.)
agriculture: 0.7%
industry: 5.8%
services: 93.4% (2016 est.)
bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products, honey
international business, tourism, light manufacturing
2% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
33,490 (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
agriculture: 2%
industry: 15%
services: 83% (2013 est.)
9% (2014 est.)
7% (2013)
country comparison to the world: 111
11% (2008 est.)
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
revenues: $960.1 million
expenditures: $1.154 billion (2016 est.)
18.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
-3.7% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
43% of GDP (FY14/15)
country comparison to the world: 115
1 April - 31 March
1.2% (2016 est.)
1.4% (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 77
$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: 112
$22.1 billion (30 September 2014 est.)
$25.1 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
$NA
$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: 102
$19 million (2016 est.)
$19 million (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 213
reexports of pharmaceuticals
US 14.4%, Iceland 13.7%, Spain 6.8%, UK 5.8%, Mauritius 5.6% (2015)
$887.3 million (2016 est.)
$934 million (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183
clothing, fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals
South Korea 49.5%, US 14.6%, Germany 11.4%, China 9%, Turkmenistan 5.2% (2015)
$2.435 billion (2015 est.)
$1.4 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
$2.641 billion (2014 est.)
$2.664 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
$889 million (2014 est.)
$NA (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
Bermudian dollars (BMD) per US dollar -
1 (2016 est.)
1 (2015 est.)
1 (2014 est.)
1 (2013 est.)
1 (2012 est.)
Energy :: BERMUDA
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electrification - total population: 100% (2016)
600 million kWh (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
600 million kWh (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168
0 kWh (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
0 kWh (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 124
167,400 kW (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
98.2% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 54
0% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 49
0% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
1.8% of total installed capacity
note: the Tynes Bay Waste Treatment Facility turns waste to electric energy (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163
0 bbl (1 January 2016 es)
country comparison to the world: 108
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
3,300 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185
0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
889 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 205
0 cu m (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120
0 cu m (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 64
0 cu m (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
0 cu m (1 January 2014 es)
country comparison to the world: 113
600,000 Mt (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
Communications :: BERMUDA
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total subscriptions: 29,200
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 42 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
total: 59,500
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 85 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 201
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, CBUS, and the Challenger Bermuda-1 (CB-1) submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 (2015)
3 TV stations; cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; roughly 13 radio stations operating (2012)
.bm
total: 69,126
percent of population: 98.0% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 179
Transportation :: BERMUDA
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VP-B (2016)
1 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 212
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2013)
total: 447 km
paved: 447 km
note: 225 km public roads; 222 km private roads (2010)
country comparison to the world: 198
total: 139
by type: bulk carrier 22, chemical tanker 3, container 14, liquefied gas 43, passenger 27, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 19, refrigerated cargo 9
foreign-owned: 105 (France 1, Germany 14, Greece 8, Hong Kong 4, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Japan 2, Monaco 2, Nigeria 11, Norway 5, Sweden 14, UK 14, US 26)
registered in other countries: 241 (Bahamas 15, Cyprus 1, France 5, Greece 3, Hong Kong 20, Isle of Man 7, Liberia 4, Malta 15, Marshall Islands 35, Netherlands 1, Norway 24, Panama 27, Philippines 47, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Singapore 25, UK 6, US 5) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 41
major seaport(s): Hamilton, Ireland Island, Saint George
Military and Security :: BERMUDA
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Bermuda Regiment (2012)
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)
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues :: BERMUDA
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none
