"text":"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."
}
},
"Geography":{
"Location":{
"text":"North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US)"
},
"Geographic coordinates":{
"text":"32 20 N, 64 45 W"
},
"Map references":{
"text":"North America"
},
"Area":{
"total":{
"text":"54 sq km"
},
"land":{
"text":"54 sq km"
},
"water":{
"text":"0 sq km"
}
},
"Area - comparative":{
"text":"about one-third the size of Washington, DC"
},
"Land boundaries":{
"text":"0 km"
},
"Coastline":{
"text":"103 km"
},
"Maritime claims":{
"territorial sea":{
"text":"12 nm"
},
"exclusive fishing zone":{
"text":"200 nm"
}
},
"Climate":{
"text":"subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter"
},
"Terrain":{
"text":"low hills separated by fertile depressions"
"text":"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"
"text":"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.)"
"text":"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"
"text":"Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor George FERGUSSON (since 23 May 2012)"
},
"head of government":{
"text":"Premier Michael DUNKLEY (since 20 May 2014)"
},
"cabinet":{
"text":"Cabinet nominated by the premier, appointed by the governor"
},
"elections/appointments":{
"text":"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"
"text":"bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; members appointed - 3 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)"
"text":"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"
"text":"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"
"text":"commercial court (began in 2006); magistrates' courts"
}
},
"Political parties and leaders":{
"text":"One Bermuda Alliance or OBA [Thad HOLLIS] ++ Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Marc BEAN]"
},
"Political pressure groups and leaders":{
"text":"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]"
"text":"Consul General Robert SETTJE (since August 2012)"
},
"consulate(s) general":{
"text":"Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire DVO3"
},
"mailing address":{
"text":"P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX; American Consulate General Hamilton, US Department of State, 5300 Hamilton Place, Washington, DC 20520-5300"
},
"telephone":{
"text":"[1] (441) 295-1342"
},
"FAX":{
"text":"[1] (441) 295-1592, 296-9233"
}
},
"Flag description":{
"text":"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":{
"text":"the flag is unusual in that it is only British overseas territory that uses a red ensign, all others use blue"
}
},
"National symbol(s)":{
"text":"red lion"
},
"National anthem":{
"name":{
"text":"\"Hail to Bermuda\""
},
"lyrics/music":{
"text":"Bette JOHNS"
},
"note":{
"text":"serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the United Kingdom, \"God Save the Queen\" is official (see United Kingdom)"
"text":"Tourism accounts for about 5% of Bermuda's GDP, but a much larger share of employment. Over 80% of its visitors come from the US. The sector struggled in the wake of the global recession of 2008-09. 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 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 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 projects a 12% larger deficit than FY14/15. The government announced it would 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."
"text":"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":{
"text":"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)"
"text":"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)"
