Background: Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists headed 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.

Geographic coordinates: 32 20 N 64 45 W

Area
Rank: 232
Land: 54 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: about one-third the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 103 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

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

Terrain: low hills separated by fertile depressions

Elevation
Extremes highest point: Town Hill 76 m

Natural resources: limestone pleasant climate fostering tourism

Land use
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 85.2% (55% developed 45% rural/open space) (2011)

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: 69,839 (July 2014 est.)
Rank: 204
Growth rate: 0.52% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 154
Below poverty line: 11% (2008 est.)

Nationality
Adjective: Bermudian

Ethnic groups: black 53.8% white 31% mixed 7.5% other 7.1% unspecified 0.6% (2010 est.)

Languages: English (official) Portuguese

Religions: Protestant 46.1% (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% Bretheren 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.)

Age structure
15-24 years: 12.2% (male 4,275/female 4,267)
25-54 years: 39.3% (male 13,706/female 13,741)
55-64 years: 14.6% (male 4,813/female 5,368)
65 years and over: 16.4% (male 4,821/female 6,652) (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 41.1 years
Female: 44.6 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.52% (2014 est.)
Rank: 154

Birth rate: 11.35 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 173

Death rate: 8.06 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 97

Net migration rate: 1.92 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 49

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 0.19% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: HAMILTON (capital) 11,000 (2011)

Environment
Current issues: sustainable development

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 222
Male: 2.58 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 2.37 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 23
Male: 77.83 years
Female: 84.31 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.95 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 133

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.3% (2005 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 89
People living with hivaids: 163 (2005 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 165
Deaths: 392 (2005 est.)
Deaths rank: 99

Education expenditures: 2.6% of GDP (2010)
Rank: 151

Literacy
Total population: 98%
Male: 98%
Female: 99% (2005 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 11 years
Female: 13 years (2011)

Country name
Conventional short form: Bermuda
Former: Somers Islands

Government type: parliamentary; self-governing territory

Capital
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: several previous (dating to 1684); latest entered into force 8 June 1968; amended several times last in 2003 (2013)

Legal system: English common law

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
Head of government: Premier Michael DUNKLEY (since 20 May 2014)
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 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 held on 17 December 2012 (next to be held not later than 2017)
Election results: percent of vote by party - OBA 51.7% PLP 46.1% other 2.2%; seats by party - OBA 19 PLP 17

Judicial branch: note - the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London is the court of last resort
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 NA
Subordinate courts: commercial court (began in 2006); magistrates' courts

Political parties and leaders: Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Marc BEAN]; One Bermuda Alliance or OBA [Thad HOLLIS]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas territory of the UK)
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

National symbols: red lion

National anthem
Lyrics and music: Bette JOHNS

Economy overview: Despite four years of recession and a public debt of $1.4 billion Bermuda enjoys the fourth highest per capita income in the world about 70% higher than that of the US. The average cost of a single-family home in 2012 was $1.1 million. Its economy is primarily based on international business and the provision of financial services to that sector and to a lesser extent tourism. A number of reinsurance companies relocated to the island following the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US and again after Hurricanes Katrina Rita and Wilma in 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 and has dropped in its relevant importance to the economy although it is still important as a job creator. Bermuda must import almost everything. Agriculture is limited due to the small size of the island and Bermuda's industrial sector is small.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $5.803 billion (2010 est.)
Rank: 169

Real gdp growth rate: -3.5% (2011)
Rank: 214

Real gdp per capita: $86,000 (2011 est.)
Rank: 4

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 15%
Investment in fixed capital: 23.3%
Investment in inventories: 0%
Exports of goods and services: 64.8%
Imports of goods and services: -32.5%: (2013 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 5.7%
Services: 93.5% (2013 est.)

Agriculture products: bananas vegetables citrus flowers; dairy products honey

Industries: international business tourism light manufacturing

Industrial production growth rate: 1% (2013 est.)
Rank: 149

Labor force: 37,400 (2011)
Rank: 200
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: 8% (2012 est.)
Rank: 87

Population below poverty line: 11% (2008 est.)

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

Budget
Expenditures: $1.115 billion (FY11/12)
Surplus or deficit: -2.5% of GDP (FY11/12 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 101

Taxes and other revenues: 17.4% of GDP (FY11/12 est.)
Rank: 178

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.4% (2012 est.)
Rank: 56

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 95

Exports: $12 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 209
Commodities: reexports of pharmaceuticals
Partners: Australia 17% US 14.8% Indonesia 12.6% (2012)

Imports: $900 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 179
Commodities: clothing fuels machinery and transport equipment construction materials chemicals food and live animals
Partners: South Korea 46.2% US 21% Singapore 9.9% China 7% Turkmenistan 4.8% (2012)

Debt external: $1.4 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 151

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $N/A

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $N/A

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 675 million kWh (2011 est.)
Production rank: 156
Consumption: 638.4 million kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 163
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 103
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 118
Installed generating capacity: 165,000 kW (2011 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 162
Generation sources fossil fuels: 98.2% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 56
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 46
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 158
Generation sources other renewable sources: 1.8% of total installed capacity
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 74

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 152
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 82
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 158
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 106

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products production rank: 121
Products consumption: 2,747 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products consumption rank: 185
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products exports rank: 152
Products imports: 2,747 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products imports rank: 173

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 101
Consumption: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 120
Exports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 63
Imports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 158
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 112

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 776,900 Mt (2011 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 69,000 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 156
Mobile cellular: 91,000 (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 195

Telephone system
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 (2010)

Broadcast media: 3 TV stations; cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; roughly 13 radio stations operating (2012)

Internet
Country code: .bm
Hosts: 20,040 (2012)
Hosts rank: 119
Users: 54,000 (2009)
Users rank: 173

Military 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)

Airports: 1 (2013)
Rank: 212
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2013)

Roadways
Rank: 197
Paved: 447 km

Merchant marine
Rank: 41
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)

Disputes international: none