2015 Edition

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.

Area

land

54 sq km

total

54 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about one-third the size of Washington, DC

Climate

subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter

Coastline

103 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Town Hill 76 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

sustainable development

Geographic coordinates

32 20 N, 64 45 W

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

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land 14.8%; permanent crops 0%; permanent pasture 0%

agricultural land

14.8%

forest

20%

other

65.2% (2011 est.)

Location

North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US)

Map references

North America

Maritime claims

exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

hurricanes (June to November)

Natural resources

limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism

Terrain

low hills separated by fertile depressions

Age structure

0-14 years

17.31% (male 6,144/female 6,009)

15-24 years

12.21% (male 4,302/female 4,269)

25-54 years

38.56% (male 13,541/female 13,526)

55-64 years

15% (male 4,963/female 5,568)

65 years and over

16.92% (male 5,002/female 6,872) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

11.33 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Death rate

8.23 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

2.6% of GDP (2010)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

2.37 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.)

male

2.58 deaths/1,000 live births

total

2.48 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English (official), Portuguese

Life expectancy at birth

female

84.42 years (2015 est.)

male

77.94 years

total population

81.15 years

Major urban areas - population

HAMILTON (capital) 10,000 (2014)

Median age

female

44.9 years (2015 est.)

male

41.2 years

total

43.1 years

Nationality

adjective

Bermudian

noun

Bermudian(s)

Net migration rate

1.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)

Population

70,196 (July 2015 est.)

Population growth rate

0.5% (2015 est.)

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.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

13 years (2012)

male

11 years

total

12 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.01 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.89 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.73 male(s)/female

at birth

1.02 male(s)/female

total population

0.94 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.95 children born/woman (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

36.5% (2012 est.)

male

34.8%

total

35.7%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.19% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

urban population

100% of total population (2015)

Administrative divisions

9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smith's, Southampton, Warwick

Capital

daylight saving time

+1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November

geographic coordinates

32 17 N, 64 47 W

name

Hamilton

time difference

UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

Constitution

several previous (dating to 1684); latest entered into force 8 June 1968; amended several times, last in 2003 (2015)

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Bermuda

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

former

Somers Islands

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Consul General Robert SETTJE (since August 2012)

consulate(s) general

Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire DVO3

FAX

[1] (441) 295-1592, 296-9233

mailing address

P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX; American Consulate General Hamilton, US Department of State, 5300 Hamilton Place, Washington, DC 20520-5300

telephone

[1] (441) 295-1342

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet nominated by the premier, appointed by the governor

chief of state

Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor George FERGUSSON (since 23 May 2012)

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

head of government

Premier Michael DUNKLEY (since 20 May 2014)

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

Government type

parliamentary; self-governing territory

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

Caricom (associate), ICC (NGOs), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ITUC (NGOs), UPU, WCO

Judicial branch

highest resident court(s)

Court of Appeal (consists of the court president and 4 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 NA

subordinate courts

commercial court (began in 2006); magistrates' courts

Legal system

English common law

Legislative branch

description

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; members appointed by the governor, the premier, and the opposition party to 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)

election results

percent of vote by party - OBA 51.7%, PLP 46.1%, other 2.2%; seats by party - OBA 19, PLP 17

elections

last held on 17 December 2012 (next to be held not later than 2017)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Bette JOHNS

name

"Hail to Bermuda"

note

serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the United Kingdom, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)

National holiday

Bermuda Day, 24 May

National symbol(s)

red lion

Political parties and leaders

One Bermuda Alliance or OBA [Thad HOLLIS]

Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Marc BEAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers or ABIR [Bradley KADING]

Association of Bermuda International Companies or ABIC [George HUTCHINGS]

Bermuda Employer's Council [Keith JENSEN]

Bermuda Industrial Union or BIU [Chris Furbert]

Bermuda Public Services Union or BPSU [Kevin GRANT and Ed BALL]

Bermuda Union of Teachers [Michael CHARLES]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products, honey

Budget

expenditures

$1.104 billion (2014 est.)

revenues

$867.8 million

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-4.5% of GDP (2014 est.)

Debt - external

$2.435 billion (2015 est.)

$1.4 billion (2012 est.)

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 5000 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.

Exchange rates

Bermudian dollars (BMD) per US dollar -

1 (2014 est.)

1 (2013 est.)

1 (2012 est.)

Exports

$11 million (2014 est.)

$13 million (2013 est.)

Exports - commodities

reexports of pharmaceuticals

Exports - partners

Indonesia 8.5%, US 8.1% (2014)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP - composition, by end use

(2014 est.)

exports of goods and services

51.3%

government consumption

17.3%

household consumption

53.1%

imports of goods and services

-33.3%

investment in fixed capital

10.6%

investment in inventories

0.9%

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

0.8%

industry

5.8%

services

93.4% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$85,700 (2013 est.)

$85,400 (2012)

$86,000 (2011 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-2.5% (2013 est.)

-4.8% (2012)

-3.5% (2011 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$5.198 billion (2013 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$5.198 billion (2013 est.)

$5.331 billion (2012 est.)

$5.6 billion (2011 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA%

lowest 10%

NA%

Imports

$968 million (2014 est.)

$1.012 billion (2013 est.)

Imports - commodities

clothing, fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals

Imports - partners

South Korea 56.5%, US 17.9%, Singapore 9%, Turkmenistan 5.5%, China 5.2% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

0.7% (2014 est.)

Industries

international business, tourism, light manufacturing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2% (2014 est.)

1.8% (2013 est.)

Labor force

33,490 (2014 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

2%

industry

15%

services

83% (2013 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$1.487 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$1.436 billion (31 December 2011)

$1.535 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

11% (2008 est.)

Public debt

43% of GDP (FY14/15)

Stock of broad money

$22.1 billion (30 September 2014)

$25.1 billion (31 December 2013)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$889 million (2014 est.)

$NA (2013 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$2.641 billion (2014 est.)

$2.664 billion (2013 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$NA

Stock of narrow money

$3.374 billion (30 September 2014)

$3.422 billion (31 December 2013)

note

figures do not include US dollars, which also circulate freely

Taxes and other revenues

16.7% of GDP (2014 est.)

Unemployment rate

9% (2014 est.)

7% (2013)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

614,200 Mt (2012 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2015 est.)

Electricity - consumption

664.2 million kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

98.2% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2014 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

1.8% of total installed capacity

note

the Tynes Bay Waste Treatment Facility turns waste to electric energy (2014 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2013 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

167,400 kW (2014 est.)

Electricity - production

648.9 million kWh (2014 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2014 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

4,600 bbl/day (2013 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

889.3 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2012 est.)

Broadcast media

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

Internet country code

.bm

Internet users

percent of population

97.8% (2014 est.)

total

68,300

Radio broadcast stations

AM 5, FM 4, shortwave 1 (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

the system has a high fixed-line teledensity coupled with a mobile-cellular teledensity of roughly 125 per 100 persons

general assessment

a good, fully automatic digital telephone system with fiber-optic trunk lines

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)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

42 (2014 est.)

total subscriptions

29,200

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

85 (2014 est.)

total

59,500

Television broadcast stations

3 (2005)

Airports

1 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

2,438 to 3,047 m

1 (2013)

total

1

Merchant marine

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)

total

139

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Hamilton, Ireland Island, Saint George

Roadways

note

225 km public roads; 222 km private roads (2010)

paved

447 km

total

447 km

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49

15,081 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

females age 16-49

12,174 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49

12,323

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

410 (2010 est.)

male

433

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Military branches

Bermuda Regiment (2012)

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)

Disputes - international

none