Bermuda

Region: North America

Official language: English

Population: 72,800 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Bermudian(s) (noun), Bermudian (adjective)

Land area: 54 sq km (21 sq miles)

Capital: Hamilton

National anthem: "Hail to Bermuda", by Bette Johns

National holiday: Bermuda Day, May 24

Population growth: 0.3% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC –4

Flag: The Bermudian flag features a solid red background with the Union Jack forming the upper, hoist-side quarter. In the center of right-hand side of the flag is the Bermudian coat of arms, which features a red lion holding a shield depicting the shipwreck of the Sea Venture in 1609 that led to the first settlement on the islands.

Motto: “Quo fata ferunt” (Wither the Fates Carry Us)

Independence: Overseas territory of the UK

Government type: parliamentary; self-governing territory

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legal system: English common law

Bermuda is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, located in the Atlantic Ocean, approximately six-hundred miles east of North Carolina. Bermuda consists of 138 coral islands that were first settled in 1609 by English colonists. Bermuda’s pink-sand beaches attract more than a half-million tourists each year, and Bermuda is also known for its financial and reinsurance industries.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography

Principal Cities by Population (2018)

• Hamilton (10,000)

Topography

Bermuda is an archipelago made up of about 138 islands and islets. The seven main islands form a fishhook shape, with Grand Bermuda—also called Main Island—as the largest landmass, at about 19 kilometers (11 miles) in length. The total area of the islands is approximately 54 square kilometers (21 square miles).

The islands sit atop a 200-foot-thick limestone cap covering the remains of an extinct oceanic volcano. Because the islands’ limestone-laden soil readily absorbs water, Bermuda has no lakes or rivers and only occasional freshwater streams and ponds. Rugged limestone cliffs and pink-tinged beaches line Bermuda’s 102 kilometers (64 miles) of coastline. Bermuda’s interior is mostly covered by gently rolling hills. Town Hill is the nation’s highest point at 79 meters (259 feet).

Rim Reef, a barrier reef located to the southeast of Bermuda, is one of the world’s northernmost coral reefs. A smaller coral reef lies along the southern coast of Bermuda. These reefs protect Bermuda’s lagoons from strong ocean waves. Bermuda’s rock formations and limestone cave systems, such as the Crystal Caves, are well-known natural features.

Cultural Sites & Landmarks

Built in the early 1600s, the city of St. George—the oldest continuously inhabited English settlement in the Americas—is recognized for its historic and cultural value. In 2000, the historic town and its related fortifications were designated as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The town features architectural styles unique to Bermuda, with homes and businesses constructed from the islands’ indigenous coral limestone and topped with brilliant white roofs. There are numerous historical buildings, including the Old State House and Bridge House, the former homes of Bermuda’s Parliament and governors, respectively, and St. Peter’s Church. First constructed in 1612, the original structure of the church is still visible despite the devastating effects of a hurricane in 1712. The city is also home to the Unfinished Church, a cathedral begun in 1874 to replace St. Peter’s that was never finished due to financial problems.

Near the city of St. George, numerous fortifications display the evolving English military technology of the latter half of the second millennium. A reproduction of the first English settlers’ ship, Deliverance, can be seen at Ordinance Island. Other historic forts on the islands include Fort Hamilton, located near the capital. The fort is now the site of summertime performances by the Bermuda Isles Pipe Band. Hamilton is also the site of the Bermuda Cathedral, the seat of Bermuda’s Anglican diocese, and the Bermuda National Gallery, which displays both Bermudian and international art.

Despite having limited open space, Bermuda boasts many national parks, some on repurposed land. In 1931, Bermuda’s government began a small national railroad. With the end of a long-standing ban on motorized vehicles in 1946, buses overtook the rail system and the railway closed in 1948. After decades of neglect, this track became the Railway Trail in 1984, providing a route across most of the country for hikers and bicyclists. Since 2001, the Railway Trail has been a government-protected national site.

One of Bermuda’s most popular tourist attractions for many decades, the Crystal Caves are an underground world of lakes, rock formations, and limestone caves. First discovered in 1905 by two boys looking for a lost cricket ball, the caves are one of the islands’ best-known natural features. Bermuda’s pink-tinged beaches, including Horseshoe Bay and Elbow Beach, are renowned for both their natural beauty and unusual limestone arch rock formations.

At Bermuda’s 8,500-seat National Stadium, located near Hamilton, spectators can enjoy soccer games, cricket matches, and even an international annual rugby classic. Cricket clubs, golf courses, and tennis courts are scattered throughout the islands. Each spring, visitors flock to Bermuda’s harbors to watch sailing contests, including the popular yacht competitions that take place during International Race Week.

Government Structure

A self-governed overseas territory, Bermuda elects many of its own leaders and makes its own laws, but legally remains a part of the United Kingdom. This relationship is generally accepted, as citizens have voted down measures to officially declare independence from the United Kingdom, most recently in 1995.

The modern government of Bermuda is based on the 1968 constitution. This document establishes Bermuda as a parliamentary democracy containing three branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. Bermuda’s chief of state is the reigning British monarch, who is responsible for selecting Bermuda’s governor. The governor oversees the islands’ internal security and external affairs on behalf of the British crown, as well as appointing the judges who make up Bermuda’s judicial branch and some of the legislative branch’s senators. In 2001, Bermuda’s constitution was amended to add an ombudsman to the islands’ government. This person hears and objectively decides on public complaints about the government and its agencies.

Most government power rests with Bermuda’s premier, the leader of the party that holds the majority in Bermuda’s parliament. The parliament comprises the Senate and the House of Assembly. The Senate is made up of eleven members, who are chosen by the governor, premier, or opposition leader. The House of Assembly consists of thirty-six members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms. The House creates Bermuda’s laws, which are then reviewed by the Senate. Since the 1960s, Bermudian politics have been dominated by the prominent Progressive Labour Party (PLP) and the United Bermuda Party (UBP). From 1968 until 1998, the UBP controlled the parliament and, thus, the premiership, making it the leading force in Bermudian politics. Support for the PLP grew during the 1990s, and it won a majority of parliamentary seats for the first time in 1998. In 2011, the UBP merged with the Bermuda Democratic Alliance to form the One Bermuda Alliance (OBA); members of the OBA won nineteen of the thirty-six seats in the House of Assembly in the 2012 elections.

Fascinating Facts

• Bermuda is the birthplace of the knee-length Bermuda shorts. When accompanied by a dress shirt, suit jacket, necktie, and knee socks, these shorts are part of Bermudian conservative business attire.
• One point of the infamous Bermuda Triangle touches Bermuda. Numerous ships and airplanes are reported to have been mysteriously lost in this region, although little proof of these disappearances or their possible causes exists.
• Bermuda has only one foreign fast-food franchise—a Kentucky Fried Chicken—because of planning laws passed in 1997 banning the establishment of fast-food chains on the islands.
• Bermuda qualified for their first major football competition, the CONCACAF Gold Cup, in 2019.

Bibliography

"Bermuda." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 15 Jan. 2025 www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bd.html. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.

Crooker, Richard A. Bermuda. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2002. Print.

Heaton, Patricia, and George J. Rushe. “Bermuda.” Encyclopedia Britannica.Encyclopedia Britannica Online, n.d. Web. 8 Mar. 2013.

Orr, Tamra B. Bermuda. New York: Marshall Cavendish, 2009. Print.

Porter, Darwin, and Danforth Prince. Frommer’s Bermuda 2012. Hoboken: Wiley’s, 2011. Print.

Sterrer, Wolfgang, and Christine Schoepfer-Sterrer, eds. Marine Fauna and Flora of Bermuda. New York: Wiley, 1986. Print.

Tucker, Terry. Bermuda: Today and Yesterday, 1503–1973.New York: St. Martin’s, 1975. Print.