Map of Bermuda | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


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.


top of page


Location: North America group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean east of North Carolina (US)

Geographic coordinates: 32 20 N 64 45 W

Map reference: North America

Area
Total: 53.3 km²
Water: 0 km²
Land: 53.3 km²
Comparative: about one-third the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 103 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM
Territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: subtropical; mild humid; gales strong winds common in winter

Terrain: low hills separated by fertile depressions

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Town Hill 76 m

Natural resources: limestone pleasant climate fostering tourism

Land use
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 100% (55% developed, 45% rural/open space) (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: hurricanes (June to November)

Geography
Note: consists of about 138 coral islands and islets with ample rainfall but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land reclaimed and otherwise was leased by US Government from 1941 to 1995


top of page


Population: 63,960 (July 2002 est.)
Growth rate: 0.69% (2002 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Bermudian
Adjective: Bermudian

Ethnic groups: black 58% white 36% other 6%

Languages: English (official) Portuguese

Religions: non-Anglican Protestant 39% Anglican 27% Roman Catholic 15% other 19%

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 19.2% (male 6,058; female 6,225)
15-64 years: 69.4% (male 21,950; female 22,442)
65 years and over: 11.4% (male 3,163; female 4,122) (2002 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.69% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 11.82 births/1000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 7.49 deaths/1000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.61 migrant(s)/1000 population (2002 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: asbestos disposal; water pollution; preservation of open space; sustainable development

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 0.94 male/female
Under 15 years: 0.97 male/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male/female
65 years and over: 0.77 male/female
Total population: 0.95 male/female (2002 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 9.28 deaths/1000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.3 years
Female: 79.27 years (2002 est.)
Male: 75.21 years

Total fertility rate: 1.81 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 98%
Male: 98%
Female: 99% (1970 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Bermuda
Former: Somers Islands

Government type: parliamentary British overseas territory with internal self-government

Capital: Hamilton

Administrative divisions: 9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire Hamilton Hamilton* Paget Pembroke Saint George* Saint George's Sandys Smith's Southampton Warwick

Dependent areas

Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday: Bermuda Day 24 May

Constitution: 8 June 1968 amended 1989

Legal system: English law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Sir John VEREKER (since NA April 2002)
Head of government: Premier Jennifer SMITH (since 10 November 1998)
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

Legislative branch
Elections: last general election held 9 November 1998 (next to be held NA November 2003)
Election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 54%, UBP 44%, NLP 1%, independents 1%; seats by party - PLP 26, UBP 14

Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts

Political parties and leaders: National Liberal Party or NLP [Dessaline WALDRON]; Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Jennifer SMITH]; United Bermuda Party or UBP [Chairman Wayne FURBERT]

International organization participation: Caricom (observer) CCC ICFTU Interpol (subbureau) IOC

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas territory of the UK)
From the us chief of mission: Consul General Denis Patrick COLEMAN, Jr.
From the us consulates general: Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire DVQ3
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX; American Consulate General Hamilton, Department of State, 5,300 Hamilton Place, Washington, DC 20,520-5,300
From the us telephone: [1] (441) 295-1342
From the us fax: [1] (441) 295-1592, [1] (441) 296-9,233

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: Bermuda enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the world with its economy 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 already weakening tourism industry - which derives over 80% of its visitors from the US - has been further hit as American tourists have chosen not to travel. Most capital equipment and food must be imported with the US serving as the primary source of goods followed by the UK. Bermuda's industrial sector is small although construction continues to be important. Agriculture is limited only 6% of the land being arable.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2.9% (2001 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $34,800 (2001 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1%
Industry: 10%
Services: 89% (1995 est.)

Agriculture products: bananas vegetables citrus flowers; dairy products

Industries: tourism international business light manufacturing

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 37,472 (2000)
By occupation clerical: 22%
By occupation services: 20%
By occupation laborers: 17%
By occupation professional and technical: 17%
By occupation administrative and managerial: 13%
By occupation sales: 8%
By occupation agriculture and fishing: 3% (2000 est.)

Unemployment rate: 4.5% (1993)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $609.5 million
Expenditures: $574.6 million, including capital expenditures of $54.8 million (FY00/01)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3% (July 2001)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $51 million (2000)
Commodities: reexports of pharmaceuticals
Partners: EU excluding UK 77.9% US 9.8% UK 6.9% (1999)

Imports: $719 million (2000)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment construction materials chemicals food and live animals
Partners: EU excluding UK 35.4% US 17.8% UK 15.4% Russia 14.6% (1999)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $145 million (FY99/00)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Bermudian dollar per US dollar - 1.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar)


top of page


Electricity
Production: 595 million kWh (2000)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (2000)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 553.35 million kWh (2000)
Exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Imports: 0 kWh (2000)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Main lines in use: 52,000 (1997)
Mobile cellular: 7,980 (1996)

Telephone system
General assessment: NA
Domestic: modern, fully automatic telephone system
International: 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .bm
Service providers isps: 20 (2000)
Users: 25,000 (2000)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $4,027,970 (January 2002)
Percent of gdp: 0.11% (FY00/01)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 (2002)
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2002)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways: none

Merchant marine
Total: 102 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,485,450 GRT/8,782,869 DWT
Note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Croatia 5, Denmark 2, Germany 1, Greece 1, Hong Kong 9, Indonesia 1, Norway 2, Sweden 11, United Kingdom 52, United States 13 (2002 est.)
Ships by type: bulk 28, cargo 4, container 16, liquefied gas 6, passenger 3, petroleum tanker 17, refrigerated cargo 16, roll on/roll off 9, short-sea passenger 3

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs