Background: 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.

Geographic coordinates: 32 20 N 64 45 W

Map reference: North America

Area
Total: 54 km²
Land: 54 km²
Water: 0 km²
Rank: 232
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
Agricultural land: 14.8%
Forest: 20%
Other: 65.2%

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: 70,196 (July 2015 est.)
Rank: 204
Growth rate: 0.5% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 159
Below poverty line: 11% (2008 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Bermudian
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 46.2% (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% 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
0-14 years: 17.31%
15-24 years: 12.21%
25-54 years: 38.56%
55-64 years: 15%
65 years and over: 16.92% (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 43.1 years
Male: 41.2 years
Female: 44.9 years

Population growth rate: 0.5% (2015 est.)
Rank: 159

Birth rate: 11.33 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 174

Death rate: 8.23 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 85

Net migration rate: 1.88 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 53

Urbanization
Urban population: 100% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0.19% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: HAMILTON (capital) 10,000 (2014)

Environment
Current issues: sustainable development

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.02 male/female
0-14 years: 1.02 male/female
15-24 years: 1.01 male/female
25-54 years: 1 male/female
55-64 years: 0.89 male/female
65 years and over: 0.73 male/female
Total population: 0.94 male/female

Infant mortality rate
Total: 2.48 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 2.58 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 2.37 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 219

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 81.15 years
Male: 77.94 years
Female: 84.42 years
Rank: 25

Total fertility rate: 1.95 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 130

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 12 years
Male: 11 years
Female: 13 years

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 a Spanish sea captain and the first European explorer of the archipelago in the early 16th century

Government type: parliamentary; self-governing territory

Capital
Name: Hamilton
Geographic coordinates: 32 17 N 64 47 W
Time difference: UTC-4
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 (2015)

Legal system: English common law

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II ; represented by Governor George FERGUSSON (since 23 May 2012)
Head of government: Premier Michael DUNKLEY
Cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the premier appointed by the governor
Electionsappointments: 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 the Senate 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 17 December 2012
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
Highest resident court: Court of Appeal ; 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 NA
Subordinate courts: commercial court ; magistrates' courts

Political parties and leaders:

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 chief of mission: Consul General Robert SETTJE
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] 295-1342
From the us FAX: [1] 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 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 symbols: red lion

National anthem
Name: 'Hail to Bermuda'
Lyrics and music: Bette JOHNS
Note: serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the United Kingdom 'God Save the Queen' is official

Economy overview: 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 amounts of new foreign investment. Bermuda's FY 2015-16 budget proposal projects a 12% larger deficit than FY14/15. The government announced it would have to 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. Tourism which derives over 80% of its visitors from the US accounts for 5.2% of GDP but a much larger share of employment. Tourism has struggled in the wake of the global recession of 2008. 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 174

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 218

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 5

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 53.1%
Government consumption: 17.3%
Investment in fixed capital: 10.6%
Investment in inventories: 0.9%
Exports of goods and services: 51.3%
Imports of goods and services: -33.3%: (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.8%
Industry: 5.8%
Services: 93.4%

Agriculture products: bananas vegetables citrus flowers; dairy products honey

Industries: international business tourism light manufacturing

Industrial production growth rate: 0.7% (2014 est.)
Rank: 144

Labor force: 33,490 (2014 est.)
Rank: 204
By occupation agriculture: 2%
By occupation industry: 15%
By occupation services: 83%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 105

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

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

Budget
Revenues: $867.8 million
Expenditures: $1.104 billion
Surplus or deficit: -4.5% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 165

Taxes and other revenues: 16.7% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 181

Public debt: 43% of GDP (FY14/15)
Rank: 94

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 104

Stock of narrow money:
Note: figures do not include US dollars which also circulate freely
Rank: 113

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 86

Stock of domestic credit: $N/A

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 103

Exports:
Rank: 215
Commodities: reexports of pharmaceuticals
Partners: Indonesia 8.5% US 8.1% (2014)

Imports:
Rank: 181
Commodities: clothing fuels machinery and transport equipment construction materials chemicals food and live animals
Partners: South Korea 56.5% US 17.9% Singapore 9% Turkmenistan 5.5% China 5.2% (2014)

Debt external:
Rank: 147

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 105

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 83

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 648.9 million kWh (2014 est.)
Production rank: 159
Consumption: 664.2 million kWh (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 166
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 105
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 120
Installed generating capacity: 167,400 kW (2014 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 163
Generation sources fossil fuels: 98.2% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 54
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 49
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 161
Generation sources other renewable sources: 1.8% of total installed capacity
Generation sources other renewable sources note: the Tynes Bay Waste Treatment Facility turns waste to electric energy
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 84

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 108
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 99
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 160
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 107

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products production rank: 157
Products consumption: 4,600 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 174
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products exports rank: 153
Products imports: 889.3 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 200

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2014 est.)
Production rank: 157
Consumption: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 118
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 61
Imports: 0 m³ (2014 est.)
Imports rank: 161
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 112

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 614,200 Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 175

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 29,200
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 42
Fixed lines rank: 173
Mobile cellular total: 59,500
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 85
Mobile cellular rank: 201

Telephone system
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 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
Users total: 68,300
Users percent of population: 97.8%
Users rank: 179

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 total: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1

Roadways
Total: 447 km
Paved: 447 km
Note: 225 km public roads; 222 km private roads
Rank: 198

Merchant marine
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
Registered in other countries: 241 (2010)
Rank: 41

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Hamilton Ireland Island Saint George

Disputes international: none