 Definition  Field Listing  Rank
Order
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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.
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Population: |
64,935 (July
2004 est.) |
|
Age structure: |
0-14
years: 19.1% (male 6,192; female 6,186)
15-64 years:
69.3% (male 22,268; female 22,703)
65 years and over:
11.7% (male 3,295; female 4,291) (2004 est.) |
|
Median age: |
total: 39.2 years
male: 38.3 years
female: 40.1 years (2004 est.) |
|
Population growth rate: |
0.68% (2004
est.) |
|
Birth rate: |
11.83
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Death rate: |
7.55
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Net migration rate: |
2.49
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
|
Sex ratio: |
at
birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1
male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65
years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female
total population:
0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate: |
total:
8.79 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 10.45 deaths/1,000
live births
female: 7.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2004
est.) |
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 77.6 years
male: 75.54 years
female: 79.7 years (2004 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate: |
1.9 children
born/woman (2004 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
NA |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
NA |
|
Nationality: |
noun:
Bermudian(s)
adjective: Bermudian |
|
Ethnic groups: |
black 58%,
white 36%, other 6% |
|
Religions: |
non-Anglican
Protestant 39%, Anglican 27%, Roman Catholic 15%, other 19% |
|
Languages: |
English
(official), Portuguese |
|
Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 98%
female: 99% (1970 est.) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
|
Country name: |
conventional long form: none
conventional short
form: Bermuda
former: Somers Islands |
|
Dependency status: |
overseas
territory of the UK |
|
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 |
|
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 (since 6 February 1952), represented
by Governor Sir John VEREKER (since NA April 2002)
head of
government: Premier Alex SCOTT (since 24 July 2003); Deputy
Premier Ewart BROWN
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: |
bicameral
Parliament consists of the Senate (an 11-member body 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
24 July 2003 (next to be held NA July 2008)
election
results: percent of vote by party - PLP 51.7%, UBP 48%; seats by
party - PLP 22, UBP 14 |
|
Judicial branch: |
Supreme
Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts |
|
Political parties and leaders: |
Gombey
Liberation Party or GLP [Gavin Sundjata SMITH]; National Liberal
Party or NLP [Dessaline WALDRON]; Progressive Labor Party or PLP
[William Alexander SCOTT]; United Bermuda Party or UBP [Grant
GIBBONS]; |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders: |
Bermuda
Employer's Union [Eddie SAINTS]; Bermuda Industrial Union or BIU
[Derrick BURGESS]; Bermuda Public Services Union or BPSU [Ed BALL];
Bermuda Union of Teachers [Michael CHARLES] |
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International organization participation: |
Caricom
(associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, WCO, Egmont Group,
Caribbean Financial Action Task Force |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US: |
none
(overseas territory of the UK) |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Consul General Denis Patrick COLEMAN, Jr.
consulate(s) general: Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road,
Devonshire DVO3
mailing address: P. O. Box HM325,
Hamilton HMBX; American Consulate General Hamilton, Department of
State, 5300 Hamilton Place, Washington, DC 20520-5300
telephone: [1] (441) 295-1342
FAX: [1] (441)
295-1592, [1] (441) 296-9233 |
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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
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Economy - overview: |
Bermuda
enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, equal to
that of the US. Its economy is 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
tourism industry - which derives over 80% of its visitors from the
US - was severely hit as American tourists chose not to travel.
Tourism rebounded somewhat in 2002-03. Most capital equipment and
food must be imported. Bermuda's industrial sector is small,
although construction continues to be important; the average cost of
a house in June 2003 had risen to $976,000. Agriculture is limited,
only 6% of the land being arable. |
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GDP: |
purchasing
power parity - $2.33 billion (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate: |
2% (2003
est.) |
|
GDP - per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $36,000 (2003 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 1%
industry: 10%
services: 89% (2002 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line: |
19% (2000)
|
|
Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest
10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
3.3%
(mid-2003 est.) |
|
Labor force: |
37,470 (2000)
|
|
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture
and fishing 3%, laborers 17%, clerical 22%, professional and
technical 17%, administrative and managerial 13%, sales 8%, services
20% (2000 est.) |
|
Unemployment rate: |
5% (2002
est.) |
|
Budget: |
revenues: $671.1 million
expenditures: $594.6
million, including capital expenditures of $55 million (FY03/04)
|
|
Agriculture - products: |
bananas,
vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products |
|
Industries: |
tourism,
international business, light manufacturing |
|
Industrial production growth rate: |
NA |
|
Electricity - production: |
643.7 million
kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - consumption: |
598.6 million
kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2001)
|
|
Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2001)
|
|
Oil - production: |
0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption: |
4,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
|
Oil - exports: |
NA (2001)
|
|
Oil - imports: |
NA (2001)
|
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Exports: |
$879 million
(2002) |
|
Exports - commodities: |
reexports of
pharmaceuticals |
|
Exports - partners: |
France
72.3%, UK 8.7%, Sweden 3% (2003 est.) |
|
Imports: |
$5.523
billion (2002) |
|
Imports - commodities: |
machinery
and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and
live animals |
|
Imports - partners: |
Kazakhstan
45.9%, France 28.8%, South Korea 8.3%, US 7.6% (2003 est.) |
|
Debt - external: |
$160 million
(FY99/00) |
|
Economic aid - recipient: |
NA |
|
Currency: |
Bermudian
dollar (BMD) |
|
Currency code: |
BMD |
|
Exchange rates: |
Bermudian
dollar per US dollar - 1.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar)
|
|
Fiscal year: |
1 April - 31
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Highways: |
total:
450 km
paved: 450 km
unpaved: 0 km
note: public roads - 209 km; private roads - 241 km
(2002) |
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Ports and harbors: |
Hamilton,
Saint George's, Dockyard |
|
Merchant marine: |
total: 94 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,845,326
GRT/6,501,782 DWT
by type: bulk 25, cargo 4, container
17, liquefied gas 9, passenger 6, petroleum tanker 9, refrigerated
cargo 11, roll on/roll off 10, short-sea/passenger 3
foreign-owned: Croatia 5, Germany 2, Greece 21, Hong Kong
9, Indonesia 1, Sweden 6, Switzerland 1, United Kingdom 33, United
States 12
registered in other countries: 2 (2003 est.)
|
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Airports: |
1 (2003
est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways: |
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2003 est.)
Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
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Disputes - international: |
none
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Large portions of this information is from the US government open source publication "The World Factbook", other content copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. You may use this information without permission for educational or other non-profit purposes if you refer to us as the source, contact us if you want to use this commercially.
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