Legend:  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. |
|
Population:
|
64,482 (July 2003 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 19.2% (male 6,195; female 6,205)
15-64 years: 69.3% (male 22,110; female 22,574)
65 years and over: 11.5% (male 3,215; female 4,183) (2003
est.) |
|
Median age:
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total: 38.7 years
male: 37.8 years
female: 39.6 years (2002) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
0.72% (2003 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
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12.13 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Death rate:
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7.46 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
|
2.56 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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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 (2003 est.) |
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total: 9.05 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 10.77 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total population: 77.41 years
male: 75.38 years
female: 79.49 years (2003 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
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1.9 children born/woman (2003 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:
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black 58%, white 36%, other 6% |
|
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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Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 98%
female: 99% (1970 est.)
|
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bermuda
former: Somers Islands |
|
Dependency status:
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overseas territory of the UK |
|
Government type:
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parliamentary British overseas territory with internal self-government
|
|
Capital:
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Hamilton |
|
Administrative divisions:
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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:
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Bermuda Day, 24 May |
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Constitution:
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8 June 1968, amended 1989 |
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Legal system:
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English law |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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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)
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
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:
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Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts |
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
National Liberal Party or NLP [Dessaline WALDRON]; Progressive Labor
Party or PLP [Jennifer SMITH]; United Bermuda Party or UBP [Chairman
Wayne FURBERT] |
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
Bermuda Employer's Union [Eddie SAINTS]; Bermuda Industrial Union
or BIU [Derrick BURGESS]; Bermuda Public Services Association or
BPSA [leader NA]; Bermuda Union of Teachers [Michael CHARLES] |
|
International organization participation:
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Caricom (observer), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, WCO |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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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 |
|
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
|
|
Economy - overview:
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Bermuda enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the world,
with its economy 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 - has been severely hit as
American tourists have chosen not to travel. Tourism rebounded somewhat
in 2002, but remains below the pre-11 September level. Most capital
equipment and food must be imported. Bermuda's industrial sector
is small, although construction continues to be important. Agriculture
is limited, only 6% of the land being arable. |
|
GDP:
|
purchasing power parity - $2.25 billion (2002 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
|
0.5% (2002 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $35,200 (2002 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 1%
industry: 10%
services: 89% (2002 est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
NA% |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage
share:
|
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
2.3% (July 2002) |
|
Labor force:
|
37,472 (2000) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
clerical 22%, services 20%, laborers 17%, professional and technical
17%, administrative and managerial 13%, sales 8%, agriculture and
fishing 3% (2000 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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4.5% (1993) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $609.5 million
expenditures: $574.6 million, including capital expenditures
of $54.8 million (FY 00/01) |
|
Industries:
|
tourism, international business, light manufacturing |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
NA% |
|
Electricity - production:
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643.7 million kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
598.6 million kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
0 kWh (2001) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
0 kWh (2001) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
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4,000 bbl/day (2001 est.) |
|
Oil - exports:
|
NA (2001) |
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Oil - imports:
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NA (2001) |
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Agriculture - products:
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bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products |
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Exports:
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$51 million (2000) |
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Exports - commodities:
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reexports of pharmaceuticals |
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Exports - partners:
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France 77.4%, UK 2.8%, US 2.4% (2002) |
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Imports:
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$719 million (2000) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals,
food and live animals |
|
Imports - partners:
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Kazakhstan 30.9%, France 24.7%, Italy 10.5%, US 9.7%, South Korea
8.4%, Mexico 4.3% (2002) |
|
Debt - external:
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$145 million (FY 99/00) |
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$NA |
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Currency:
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Bermudian dollar (BMD) |
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Currency code:
|
BMD |
|
Exchange rates:
|
Bermudian dollar per US dollar - 1.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the
US dollar) |
|
Fiscal year:
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1 April - 31 March
|
|
Railways:
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0 km |
|
Highways:
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total: 450 km
paved: 450 km
note: public roads - 209 km; private roads - 241 km (2002)
unpaved: 0 km |
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Waterways:
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none |
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Ports and harbors:
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Hamilton, Saint George's, Dockyard |
|
Merchant marine:
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total: 93 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,993,227 GRT/7,089,760
DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as
a flag of convenience: Croatia 5, Denmark 2, Germany 1, Greece 1,
Hong Kong 9, Indonesia 1, Norway 2, Sweden 11, United Kingdom 52,
United States 13 (2002 est.)
ships by type: bulk 25, cargo 4, chemical tanker 1, container
14, liquefied gas 9, passenger 5, petroleum tanker 11, refrigerated
cargo 13, roll on/roll off 7, short-sea passenger 4 |
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Airports:
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1 (2002) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
|
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Disputes - international:
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none
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This page was last updated on 18 December,
2003
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