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Bermuda
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Bermuda is a British overseas territory
in the North Atlantic, situated around 600
miles off the coast of the United States. It
consists of around 138 islands, of total area
53.3 sq km. The largest island is where the
capital, Hamilton is located. Bermuda has one of
the most advanced economies in the world, with a
large financial sector. It was once a popular
tourist destination as well.
History
Main articles: History of
Bermuda,
Bermuda was discovered by the early 1500s,
probably in 1505, although the evidence for the
exact year, and the identity of the discoverer,
is sketchy. It was certainly known by 1511, when
Peter Martyr published his Legatio Babylonica,
which mentioned Bermuda. The discovery is
attributed to a Spanish explorer, Juan de
Bermudez. Both Spanish and Portuguese ships used
the islands as a replenishment spot for fresh
meat and water, but legends of spirits, now
thought to have stemmed only from the callings
of raucous birds, kept them from attempting any
permanent settlement.
The island became permanently inhabited when the
Sea Venture, on its way to the new colony in
America, was wrecked off Bermuda in 1609 (as
depicted on the territory's Coat of Arms), and
left the first colonists in possession of a new
territory. (William Shakespeare's play The
Tempest may have been influenced by William
Strachey's account of this shipwreck.) The land
was claimed by the British Crown and control was
granted to a company in order to produce tobacco
for the markets in London. The islands gained
the name the Somers Isles, named after Sir
George Somers, the captain of the Sea Venture.
Soon the colony of Virginia far surpassed
Bermuda in both quality and quantity of tobacco
produced. After the decline of the Somers Isle
Company, life petered along until a period of
boat building became prevalent on the island due
to the large amounts of good juniper (Juniperus
bermudiana, Bermuda cedar) woods that grew
thickly over the whole island. The Bermuda sloop
became highly regarded for its speed and
manoverability. Indeed, at the end of the Battle
of Trafalgar, the Bermuda sloop HMS Pickle one
of the fastest vessels in the Royal Navy, raced
back to England with news of the victory and the
death of Admiral Lord Nelson.
After the American Revolution, the British Royal
Navy began improving the harbours and built a
large dockyard on Ireland Island, in the west of
the chain. Thereafter the navy used the bases as
a strategic asset which later benefited the USA
as well (see below).
In the early 20th century, as modern transport
and communication systems developed, Bermuda
became a popular destination for wealthy US,
Canadian and British tourists. In addition, the
tariff Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act enacted by the
United States against its trading partners in
1930 cut off Bermuda's once-thriving
agricultural export trade - primarily fresh
vegetables to the US - spurring the overseas
territory to develop its tourist industry, which
is second behind international business in terms
of economic importance to the island.
Bermuda had been a strategically important
military base since the war of 1812, but it
became particularly important during World War
II, because of its central location in the north
Atlantic Ocean. In 1941, the United States
signed a lend-lease agreement with the United
Kingdom giving the British surplus US Navy
destroyers in exchange for 99-year lease rights
to establish naval and air bases in Bermuda. The
bases consisted of 5.8km ² (2.25 mi²) of land
largely reclaimed from the sea. The US Naval Air
Station (Kindley Air Force Base) was on St.
David's Island, while the US Naval Air Station
Annex was at the western end of the main island
in the Great Sound.
Both bases were closed on 1 September 1995, as
were British and Canadian bases on the island.
Unresolved issues concerning the 1995 withdrawal
of US forces - primarily related to
environmental factors - delayed the formal
return of the base lands to the Government of
Bermuda, which finally happened in 2002.
Geography
Main articles: Geography of Bermuda,
Map of BermudaBermuda is located roughly 580
miles (933 kilometers) off the coast of North
Carolina, U.S.A., in the North Atlantic Ocean.
(See map.) There are two incorporated
municipalities in Bermuda; the City of Hamilton,
and the Town of St George. There are also a
number of localities which are sometimes termed
villages, among them Flatts Village, Tucker's
Town and Somerset. Contrary to common
misperception, Bermuda is not located within the
tropics. The subtropical climate is obviously
influenced by trade winds as any island
geography would entail. Winter evenings can get
decidely cool, however summer days are rarely
very hot.
Subdivisions of Bermuda
Islands of Bermuda
Flora and fauna in Bermuda |
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Background:
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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 |
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Location:
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North
America, group of islands in the North Atlantic
Ocean, east of North Carolina (US) |
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Geographic coordinates:
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32 20
N, 64 45 W
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Map references:
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North
America
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Area:
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total: 53.3 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 53.3 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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about
one-third the size of Washington, DC |
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Nationality:
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noun: Bermudian(s)
adjective: Bermudian |
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Ethnic groups:
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black
58%, white 36%, other 6% |
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Religions:
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non-Anglican Protestant 39%, Anglican 27%, Roman
Catholic 15%, other 19% |
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Languages:
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English (official), Portuguese |
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Currency:
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Bermudian dollar (BMD) |
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Currency code:
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BMD
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Exchange rates:
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Bermudian dollar per US dollar - 1.0000 (fixed rate
pegged to the US dollar) |
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