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.

Geographic coordinates: 32 20 N 64 45 W

Map reference: North America

Area
Total: 54 km²
Rank: 231
Land: 54 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: about one-third the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 103 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 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: 20%
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 80% (55% developed 45% rural/open space) (2005)

Irrigated land: NA

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 was leased by the US Government from 1941 to 1995

Population: 68,265 (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 201
Growth rate: 0.62% (2010 est.)
Growth rate rank: 147
Below poverty line: 19% (2000)

Nationality
Noun: Bermudian
Adjective: Bermudian

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

Languages: English (official) Portuguese

Religions: Anglican 23% Roman Catholic 15% African Methodist Episcopal 11% other Protestant 18% other 12% unaffiliated 6% unspecified 1% none 14% (2000 census)

Age structure
0-14 years: 18.3%
15-64 years: 67.5% (male 22,555/female 23,215)
65 years and over: 14.2% (male 3,979/female 5,654) (2010 est.)

Median age
Total: 41.6 years
Male: 40.2 years
Female: 43.1 years (2010 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.62% (2010 est.)
Rank: 147

Birth rate: 11.47 births/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 171

Death rate: 7.43 deaths/1000 population (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 120

Net migration rate: 2.15 migrant(s)/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 40

Urbanization
Urban population: 100% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0.3% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Environment
Current issues: sustainable development

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.018 male/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 (2010 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 2.46 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 221
Male: 2.57 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 2.36 deaths/1000 live births (2010 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 80.6 years
Rank: 19
Male: 77.37 years
Female: 83.88 years (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.98 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Rank: 130

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2005)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 90
People living with hivaids: 163 (2005)
People living with hivaids rank: 161
Deaths: 392 (2005)
Deaths rank: 100

Education expenditures: 1.2% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 180

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 98%
Male: 98%
Female: 99% (2005 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 13 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 14 years (2005)

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

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

Legal system: English law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II ; 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
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) 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; Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts

Political parties and leaders: Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Ewart BROWN]; United Bermuda Party or UBP [Kim SWAN]

International organization participation: Caricom (associate) Interpol (subbureau) IOC ITUC UPU WCO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas territory of the UK)
From the us chief of mission: Consul General Grace W. SHELTON
From the us consulate general: Crown Hill 16 Middle Road Devonshire DVO3
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box HM325 Hamilton HMBX; American Consulate General Hamilton US 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 296-9,233

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'
Lyricsmusic: 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 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $4.5 billion (2004 est.)
Rank: 164

Real gdp growth rate: 4.6% (2004 est.)
Rank: 67

Real gdp per capita: $69,900 (2004 est.)
Rank: 4

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1%
Industry: 10%
Services: 89% (2002 est.)

Agriculture products: bananas vegetables citrus flowers; dairy products honey

Industries: international business tourism light manufacturing

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 38,360 (2004)
Rank: 200
By occupation agriculture and fishing: 3%
By occupation laborers: 17%
By occupation clerical: 19%
By occupation professional and technical: 21%
By occupation administrative and managerial: 15%
By occupation sales: 7%
By occupation services: 19% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate: 2.1% (2004 est.)
Rank: 15

Population below poverty line: 19% (2000)

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

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.8% (November 2005)
Rank: 86

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 95

Exports: $763 million (2006)
Rank: 160
Commodities: reexports of pharmaceuticals
Partners: Spain 16.91% India 10.15% Brazil 9.55% Germany 7.4% (2009)

Imports: $1.162 billion (2006)
Rank: 168
Commodities: clothing fuels machinery and transport equipment construction materials chemicals food and live animals
Partners: US 31.2% South Korea 26.71% Brazil 6.77% Ireland 6.11% Singapore 5.35% (2009)

Debt external: $160 million (FY99/00)
Rank: 177

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $NA

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

Electricity
Production: 675.6 million kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 152
Consumption: 628.3 million kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 154
Exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 97
Consumption: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 205
Exports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Exports rank: 54
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 81
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2010 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 105

Telephones
Main lines in use: 57,700 (2009)
Main lines in use rank: 157
Mobile cellular: 85,000 (2009)
Mobile cellular rank: 187

Telephone system
General assessment: good
Domestic: fully automatic digital telephone system; fiber optic trunk lines
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 (2007)

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

Internet
Country code: .bm
Hosts: 19,855 (2010)
Hosts rank: 112
Users: 54,000 (2009)
Users rank: 172

Military expenditures: 0.11% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 172

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)

Airports: 1 (2010)
Rank: 236
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2010)

Roadways
Total: 447 km
Rank: 196
Paved: 447 km
Note: public roads - 225 km; private roads - 222 km (2007)

Merchant marine
Total: 139
Rank: 43
By type: bulk carrier 22 chemical tanker 3 container 15 liquefied gas 38 passenger 26 passenger/cargo 6 petroleum tanker 20 refrigerated cargo 9
Foreign 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)

Ports and terminals: Hamilton Ireland Island Saint George

Disputes international: none