Bermuda :: North America
Introduction
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.
Geography
Location:
North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US)
Geographic coordinates:
32 20 N, 64 45 W
Map references:
North America
Area:
total:
54 sq km
land:
54 sq km
water:
0 sq km
country comparison to the world: 231
Area - 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:
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point:
Town Hill 79 m
Natural resources:
limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism
Land use:
agricultural land:
14.8%
(2011 est.)
arable land:
14.8%
(2011 est.)
/
permanent crops:
0%
(2011 est.)
/
permanent pasture:
0%
(2011 est.)
forest:
20%
(2011 est.)
other:
65.2%
(2011 est.)
Irrigated land:
NA
Population distribution:
relatively even population distribution throughout
Natural hazards:
hurricanes (June to November)
Environment - current issues:
dense population and heavy vehicle traffic create serious congestion and air pollution problems; water resources scarce (most obtained as rainwater or from wells); solid waste disposal; hazardous waste disposal; sewage disposal; overfishing; oil spills
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
People and Society
Population:
71,750
(July 2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202
Nationality:
noun:
Bermudian(s)
adjective:
Bermudian
Ethnic groups:
African descent 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%, 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.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
16.7%
(male 6,053/female 5,928)
15-24 years:
11.88%
(male 4,290/female 4,235)
25-54 years:
35.31%
(male 12,758/female 12,575)
55-64 years:
16.37%
(male 5,560/female 6,185)
65 years and over:
19.74%
(male 6,032/female 8,134)
(2020 est.)
Median age:
total:
43.6 years
male:
41.6 years
female:
45.7 years
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
Population growth rate:
0.39%
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
Birth rate:
11.2 births/1,000 population
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
Death rate:
9.1 deaths/1,000 population
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
Net migration rate:
1.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
Population distribution:
relatively even population distribution throughout
Urbanization:
urban population:
100% of total population
(2020)
rate of urbanization:
-0.44% annual rate of change
(2015-20 est.)
Major urban areas - population:
10,000 HAMILTON (capital)
(2018)
Sex ratio:
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:
1.01 male(s)/female
55-64 years:
0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.74 male(s)/female
total population:
0.94 male(s)/female
(2020 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total:
2.5 deaths/1,000 live births
male:
2.6 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
2.4 deaths/1,000 live births
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 220
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
81.7 years
male:
78.5 years
female:
84.9 years
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
Total fertility rate:
1.91 children born/woman
(2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
Drinking water source:
improved:
total:
100% of population
unimproved:
total:
0% of population
(2017 est.)
Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban:
100% of population
total:
100% of population
unimproved:
urban:
0% of population
total:
0% of population
(2017)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Education expenditures:
1.5% of GDP
(2017)
country comparison to the world: 165
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total:
13 years
male:
12 years
female:
14 years
(2015)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
total:
29.3%
male:
29.7%
female:
29%
(2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
Government
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, an early 16th century Spanish sea captain and the first European explorer of the archipelago
Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK
Government type:
parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK
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
etymology: named after Henry HAMILTON (ca. 1734-1796) who served as governor of Bermuda from 1788-1794
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; note - formerly known as Victoria Day, Empire Day, and Commonwealth Day
Constitution:
history:
several previous (dating to 1684); latest entered into force 8 June 1968 (Bermuda Constitution Order 1968)
amendments:
proposal procedure - NA; passage by an Order in Council in the UK; amended several times, last in 2012
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 (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Rena LALGIE (since 14 December 2020)
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
Legislative branch:
description:
bicameral Parliament consists of: 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) ++ House of Assembly (36 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve up to 5-year terms)
elections: Senate - last appointments in August 2017 (next appointments in 2022) ++ House of Assembly - last held on 1 October 2020 (next to be held not later than 2025)
election results:
Senate - composition - men 7, women 4, percent of women 36.4% ++ House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - PLP 62.1%, OBA 32.3%, other 5.4%, independent 0.2%; seats by party - PLP 30, OBA 6; composition - NA
Judicial branch:
highest courts:
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
Political parties and leaders:
Free Democratic Movement or FDM (Marc BEAN) ++ One Bermuda Alliance or OBA (Craig CANNONIER) ++ Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Edward D. BURT]
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)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission:
Consul General Mary Ellen KOENIG (since 28 November 2015)
telephone:
(441) 295-1342
embassy:
16 Middle Road Devonshire, DV 03
mailing address:
P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX; American Consulate General Hamilton, US Department of State, 5300 Hamilton Place, Washington, DC 20520-5300
FAX:
[1] (441) 295-1592, 296-9233
consulate(s) general:
Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire DVO3
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 symbol(s):
red lion
National anthem:
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
Economic overview:
International business, which consists primarily of insurance and other financial services, is the real bedrock of Bermuda's economy, consistently accounting for about 85% of the island's GDP. Tourism is the country's second largest industry, accounting for about 5% of Bermuda's GDP but a much larger share of employment. Over 80% of visitors come from the US and the sector struggled in the wake of the global recession of 2008-09. Even the financial sector 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 returned to negative growth in 2016, reporting a contraction of 0.1% GDP, after growing by 0.6% in 2015. Unemployment reached 7% in 2016 and 2017, public debt is growing and exceeds $2.4 billion, and the government continues to work on attracting foreign investment. Still, Bermuda enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.
GDP real growth rate:
-0.1%
(2016 est.)
0.6%
(2015 est.)
-0.3%
(2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.9%
(2017 est.)
1.4%
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
Credit ratings:
Fitch rating:
N/A
(2015)
Moody's rating:
A2
(2016)
Standard & Poors rating:
A+
(2015)
GDP (purchasing power parity) - real:
$6.127 billion
(2016 est.)
$6.133 billion
(2015 est.)
$6.097 billion
(2014 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$6.127 billion
(2016 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$99,400
(2016 est.)
$95,500
(2015 est.)
$87,500
(2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 5
GDP - composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture:
0.9%
(2017 est.)
industry:
5.3%
(2017 est.)
services:
93.8%
(2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption:
51.3%
(2017 est.)
government consumption:
15.7%
(2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital:
13.7%
(2017 est.)
investment in inventories:
0%
(2017 est.)
exports of goods and services:
49.8%
(2017 est.)
imports of goods and services:
-30.4%
(2017 est.)
Ease of Doing Business Index scores:
Agriculture - products:
bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products, honey
Industries:
international business, tourism, light manufacturing
Industrial production growth rate:
2%
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
Labor force:
33,480
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 201
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture:
2%
industry:
13%
services:
85%
(2016 est.)
Unemployment rate:
7%
(2017 est.)
7%
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 113
Population below poverty line:
11%
(2008 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%:
NA
highest 10%:
NA
Budget:
revenues:
999.2 million
(2017 est.)
expenditures:
1.176 billion
(2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues:
16.3% (of GDP)
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-2.9% (of GDP)
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
Public debt:
43% of GDP
(FY14/15)
country comparison to the world: 117
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Current account balance:
$818.6 million
(2017 est.)
$763 million
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
Exports:
$19 million
(2017 est.)
$19 million
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 211
Exports - partners:
Jamaica 49.1%, Luxembourg 36.1%, US 4.9%
(2017)
Exports - commodities:
reexports of pharmaceuticals
Imports:
$1.094 billion
(2017 est.)
$980 million
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184
Imports - commodities:
clothing, fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals
Imports - partners:
US 72.1%, South Korea 9.7%, Canada 4.2%
(2017)
Debt - external:
$2.515 billion
(2017 est.)
$2.435 billion
(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
Exchange rates:
Bermudian dollars (BMD) per US dollar -
1
(2020 est.)
1
(2019 est.)
1
(2018 est.)
1
(2014 est.)
1
(2013 est.)
Energy
Electricity access:
electrification - total population:
100%
(2020)
Electricity - production:
650 million kWh
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
Electricity - consumption:
604.5 million kWh
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
Electricity - imports:
0 kWh
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
Electricity - installed generating capacity:
171,000 kW
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
Electricity - from fossil fuels:
100% of total installed capacity
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
0% of total installed capacity
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 50
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
0% of total installed capacity
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
Electricity - from other renewable sources:
0% of total installed capacity
(2017 est.)
note: the Tynes Bay Waste Treatment Facility turns waste to electric energy
country comparison to the world: 176
Crude oil - production:
0 bbl/day
(2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
Crude oil - exports:
0 bbl/day
(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94
Crude oil - imports:
0 bbl/day
(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
Crude oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl
(1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 107
Refined petroleum products - production:
0 bbl/day
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
Refined petroleum products - consumption:
5,000 bbl/day
(2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
Refined petroleum products - exports:
0 bbl/day
(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 131
Refined petroleum products - imports:
3,939 bbl/day
(2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
Natural gas - proved reserves:
0 cu m
(1 January 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
793,700 Mt
(2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines:
total subscriptions:
24,808
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:
34.71
(2019 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
Telephones - mobile cellular:
total subscriptions:
73,680
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:
103.09
(2019 est.)
country comparison to the world: 199
Telecommunication systems:
general assessment:
a good, fully automatic digital telephone system with fiber-optic trunk lines; telecom sector provides a relatively high contribution to overall GDP; numerous competitors licensed, but small and localized; telecom sector a growth area across the Caribbean
(2020)
domestic:
the system has a high fixed-line teledensity 35 per 100, coupled with a mobile-cellular teledensity of roughly 103 per 100 persons
(2019)
international:
country code - 1-441; landing points for the GlobeNet, Gemini Bermuda, CBUS, and the CB-1 submarine cables to the Caribbean, South America and the US; satellite earth stations - 3
(2019)
note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated
Broadcast media:
3 TV stations; cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; roughly 13 radio stations operating
Internet country code:
.bm
Internet users:
total:
70,016
percent of population:
98.37%
(July 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
Transportation
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
VP-B
(2016)
Airports:
1
(2020)
country comparison to the world: 213
Airports - with paved runways:
total:
1
(2019)
2,438 to 3,047 m:
1
Roadways:
total:
447 km
(2010)
paved:
447 km
(2010)
note: 225 km public roads; 222 km private roads
country comparison to the world: 197
Merchant marine:
total:
148
by type:
bulk carrier 2, container ship 11, oil tanker 18, other 117
(2019)
country comparison to the world: 72
Ports and terminals:
major seaport(s):
Hamilton, Ireland Island, Saint George
Military and Security
Military and security forces:
Royal Bermuda Regiment
(2019)
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)
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international:
none
