2019 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

Highest Point

Town Hill 79 m

Lowest Point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

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

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

Land Boundaries

0 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

14.8% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

14.8% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

0% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

0% (2011 est.)

Forest

20% (2011 est.)

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

Population Distribution

relatively even population distribution throughout

Terrain

low hills separated by fertile depressions

Age Structure

0 14 Years

16.92% (male 6,088 /female 5,957)

15 24 Years

11.95% (male 4,306 /female 4,197)

25 54 Years

36.56% (male 13,049 /female 12,972)

55 64 Years

16.04% (male 5,383 /female 6,034)

65 Years And Over

18.53% (male 5,596 /female 7,594) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

11.3 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Death Rate

8.7 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Education Expenditures

1.5% of GDP (2017)

Ethnic Groups

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

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

2.4 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

2.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

2.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

English (official), Portuguese

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

84.7 years

Male

78.3 years

Total Population

81.5 years (2018 est.)

Major Urban Areas Population

10,000 HAMILTON (capital) (2018)

Median Age

Female

45.4 years

Male

41.5 years

Total

43.5 years (2018 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Bermudian

Noun

Bermudian(s)

Net Migration Rate

1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Population

71,176 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.43% (2018 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%, 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.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

Female

12 years (2015)

Male

11 years

Total

12 years

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1.02 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

1.03 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

1.01 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

0.89 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.74 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.02 male(s)/female

Total Population

0.94 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.92 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female

29% (2014 est.)

Male

29.7%

Total

29.3%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

-0.44% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Urban Population

100% of total population (2019)

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

Amendments

proposal procedure - NA; passage by an Order in Council in the UK; amended several times, last in 2012 (2018)

History

several previous (dating to 1684); latest entered into force 8 June 1968 (Bermuda Constitution Order 1968)

Country Name

Conventional Long Form

none

Conventional Short Form

Bermuda

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

Former

Somers Islands

Dependency Status

overseas territory of the UK

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

Chief Of Mission

Consul General Mary Ellen KOENIG (since 28 November 2015)

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 John RANKIN (since 5 December 2016)

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 David BURT (since 19 July 2017)

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

Government Type

parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK

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 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

Legal System

English common law

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)

Election Results

Senate - composition - men 7, women 4, percent of women 36.4% House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - PLP 58.9%, OBA 40.6%, other 0.5%; seats by party - PLP 24, OBA 12; composition - men 28, women 8, percent of women 22.2%; note - total Parliament percent of women 25.5%

Elections

Senate - last appointments in August 2017 (next appointments in 2022) House of Assembly - last held on 18 July 2017 (next to be held not later than 2022)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Bette JOHNS

Name

Hail to Bermuda

National Holiday

Bermuda Day, 24 May; note - formerly known as Victoria Day, Empire Day, and Commonwealth Day

National Symbol S

red lion

Political Parties And Leaders

One Bermuda Alliance or OBA (vacant) Progressive Labor Party or PLP [E. David BURT]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

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

Budget

Expenditures

1.176 billion (2017 est.)

Revenues

999.2 million (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-2.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Current Account Balance

2016

$763 million

2017

$818.6 million

Debt External

2015

$2.435 billion

2017

$2.515 billion

Economy 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.

Exchange Rates

2013

1

2014

1

2015

1

2016

1

2017

1

Currency

Bermudian dollars (BMD) per US dollar -

Exports

2016

$19 million

2017

$19 million

Exports Commodities

reexports of pharmaceuticals

Exports Partners

Jamaica 49.1%, Luxembourg 36.1%, US 4.9% (2017)

Fiscal Year

1 April - 31 March

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services

49.8% (2017 est.)

Government Consumption

15.7% (2017 est.)

Household Consumption

51.3% (2017 est.)

Imports Of Goods And Services

-30.4% (2017 est.)

Investment In Fixed Capital

13.7% (2017 est.)

Investment In Inventories

0% (2017 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture

0.9% (2017 est.)

Industry

5.3% (2017 est.)

Services

93.8% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$6.127 billion (2016 est.) (2016 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2014

$87,500

2015

$95,500

2016

$99,400

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2014

$6.097 billion

2015

$6.133 billion

2016

$6.127 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2014

-0.3%

2015

0.6%

2016

-0.1%

Imports

2016

$980 million

2017

$1.094 billion

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)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

2% (2017 est.)

Industries

international business, tourism, light manufacturing

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016

1.4%

2017

1.9%

Labor Force

33,480 (2016 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture

2%

Industry

13%

Services

85% (2016 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

31 December 2013

$1.467 billion

31 December 2014

$1.601 billion

31 December 2015

$1.85 billion

Population Below Poverty Line

11% (2008 est.)

Public Debt

FY14/15

43% of GDP

Stock Of Broad Money

30 September 2014

$22.1 billion

31 December 2013

$25.1 billion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

2013

$835 million

2014

$889 million

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment at Home

2013

$2.664 billion

2014

$2.641 billion

Stock Of Domestic Credit

NA

Stock Of Narrow Money

30 September 2014

$3.374 billion

31 December 2013

$3.422 billion

Taxes And Other Revenues

16.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2016

7%

2017

7%

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

793,700 Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

100% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

604.5 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

171,000 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

650 million kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

5,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

3,939 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadcast Media

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

Internet Country Code

.bm

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

98% (July 2016 est.)

Total

69,126

Telephone System

Domestic

the system has a high fixed-line teledensity 31 per 100, coupled with a mobile-cellular teledensity of roughly 92 per 100 persons (2018)

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 (2018)

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)

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

31 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

21,883

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

92 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

64,997

Airports

1 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

2 438 To 3 047 M

1

Total

1 (2019)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

VP-B (2016)

Merchant Marine

By Type

bulk carrier 6, container ship 11, general cargo 1, oil tanker 19, other 123 (2018)

Total

160

Ports And Terminals

Hamilton, Ireland Island, Saint George

Roadways

Paved

447 km (2010)

Total

447 km (2010)

Military And Security Forces

Royal Bermuda Regiment (2019)

Military Note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

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