Bermuda

Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is made up of 181 islands, though many of these islands are connected by bridges, making them appear as one landmass. The closest land to Bermuda is in the U.S. state of North Carolina, about 1,035 kilometers away.

Bermuda has a tropical climate with warm winters and hot summers, and it is often affected by tropical cyclones. However, its position and a coral reef help protect it from the worst storms.

The territory is a self-governing parliamentary democracy with a bicameral parliament in the capital city, Hamilton. It has its own government, but the United Kingdom handles foreign affairs and defense. Bermuda has a population of around 64,000 people, with many having mixed African, European, and Native American ancestry. The island group is known for its unique dialect of English and has strong historical ties with other English-speaking countries in the Americas, such as the United States, Canada, and the Commonwealth Caribbean. It is also an associate member of the Caribbean Community.

Human history

Main article: History of Bermuda

Discovery

Bermuda was found in the early 1500s by Spanish explorer Juan de Bermúdez and was named after him. There were no local people living there when it was discovered. It was written about in a book called Legatio Babylonica, published in 1511 by historian Pedro Mártir de Anglería, and appeared on Spanish maps that same year. Both Spanish and Portuguese ships used the islands as a place to restock food and water. Legends grew up about spirits and devils, which are now thought to have come from the sounds made by loud birds (most likely the Bermuda petrel, or cahow) and wild hogs that had been brought there. With its stormy weather and dangerous reefs, the islands were called the "Isle of Devils". Neither Spain nor Portugal tried to settle there.

Settlement by the English

For the next hundred years, the island was visited often but not settled. The English began to focus on the New World, starting British settlement in North America with a colony at Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. Two years later, a group of seven ships left England with settlers, food, and supplies to help the Jamestown colony. However, the ships were broken up by a storm, and the main ship, the Sea Venture, ran aground on Bermuda's reef to avoid sinking, saving all the people on board. The settlers decided not to continue on, having heard about the difficult conditions in Jamestown, and tried to stay in Bermuda. They argued they had the right to stay and set up their own government. The new settlement became a place for people who broke rules and built two ships, the Deliverance and the Patience.

In 1612 the English began to settle the islands, calling them Virgineola, with the arrival of the ship the Plough. New London (later named St George's Town) was settled that year and made the first capital. It is the oldest continuously lived-in English town in the New World. In 1616 and 1620 laws were passed to protect certain birds and young sea turtles. The small land and resources led to the Bermuda Assembly passing An Act Agaynst The Killing Of Ouer Young Tortoyses, which may be the earliest conservation law in the New World.

Slavery in Bermuda

Main article: Slavery in British America

In 1615 the colony, renamed the Somers Isles to honor Sir George Somers, was given to the Somers Isles Company. As people from Bermuda settled in the Carolina Colony and helped start other English colonies in the Americas, several places were named after the islands. During this time, the first enslaved people were brought to the islands. These included people from Africa who were forced to come to the Americas through the unfair treatment of Africans, and people from Native American groups who were taken from their homes. The first two enslaved people arrived in Bermuda in 1616, one from the West Indies who was Black and another who was Native American, after Bermuda's governor sent a ship to find workers to find pearls. There were no pearls, but more enslaved Black people were later brought in large numbers from America and the Caribbean.

As the number of Black people grew, the white settlers became afraid of uprisings. In 1623 a law was passed that did not allow Black people to buy, sell, or trade tobacco or other goods without their owner's permission. Unrest grew among the enslaved people, and several uprisings happened over the next decades. Major uprisings occurred in 1656, 1661, 1673, 1682, 1730 and 1761. In 1761 a plan was found that involved most of the Black people on the island. Six enslaved people were punished, and all celebrations by Black people were banned.

English Civil War

Main article: English overseas possessions in the Wars of the Three Kingdoms

In 1649 King Charles I was removed from power in Whitehall, London, during the English Civil War. The fighting also affected Bermuda, where most people felt strong loyalty to the king. The leaders who supported the king took control, and those who did not were sent to live in The Bahamas under William Sayle.

The colonies that supported the king, including Bermuda, were threatened. Bermuda eventually made an agreement with the government of England that let the islands keep their way of life. In 1655, fifty-four people from Bermuda were among the first English to live permanently on the island of Jamaica, and more followed in 1658 after an invasion of Jamaica.

Later 17th century

In the 1600s, the Somers Isles Company stopped people from building ships, wanting them to farm instead to make money from the land. The Virginia colony made much more tobacco than Bermuda, so people in Bermuda began to work in sea-related jobs. The company tried to stop this, but in 1684 the company lost its control, and many people turned to building ships and growing trees instead of farming. They began cutting down trees to trade salt from the Turks Islands, which became a big part of Bermuda's economy for the next hundred years. People also hunted whales, worked as privateers, and traded with other places.

Some people living in Bermuda today can trace their family back to Native Americans, and some do not even know they have this history. Many Native Americans were sent to Bermuda. Well-known groups included the Algonquian peoples such as the Pequots, Wampanoags, and others who were forced to leave the New England colonies and sold into unfair treatment after wars like the Pequot War and King Philip's War; some may have come from as far away as Mexico.

American War of Independence

Bermuda was not sure about the American rebellion until 1774, when the group of American leaders said they would stop trading with Great Britain after September 10, 1775. This would have hurt Bermuda's trade and caused hunger and trouble. Without a way to talk to Britain, a family named Tucker met with others and decided to send leaders to the American group to ask for an exception. They said they could trade American goods for military supplies. This was agreed to by an American leader named Benjamin Franklin.

Three American boats took 100 barrels of gunpowder from Bermuda on August 14, 1775, while the governor slept. Because of this, America agreed not to stop Bermuda from trading. Later, Britain passed a law to stop trade with the American colonies and sent a ship to watch the islands. The islands lost many weapons, but trade continued in secret through family connections. By 1775, Bermuda had 120 boats and kept trading with places like St. Eustatius until 1781, and sold salt to North American ports.

In June 1776 a British ship arrived to protect the island, followed by another in September. The British leaders seemed more interested in taking prizes than helping, which caused food shortages until one ship left in October. After France joined the war in 1778, more British forces came, and many French and American ships were captured, bringing the island close to starvation again. Trade was badly hurt by the British navy, soldiers, and privateers, leading to hunger in 1779.

When the governor, George Bruere, died in 1780, his son George Jr. took over. Under his leadership, secret trade stopped, and the government was filled with people who supported Britain. Even one of the Tucker family stopped trading with the United States because of privateers.

The Bermuda Gazette, Bermuda's first newspaper, began in 1784. The writer, Joseph Stockdale, was paid to move to Bermuda and start the paper. He also provided printing services and ran the first local postal service. The Bermuda Gazette was sold to readers, and Stockdale's worker also delivered mail for a fee.

19th century

After the American Revolution, the Royal Navy started improving Bermuda's harbors. In 1811, work began on a big naval base on Ireland Island to protect shipping in the western Atlantic Ocean. To guard this base, the British Army built forts all over the islands.

During the War of 1812 between Britain and the United States, British leaders planned attacks on Washington, D.C., and the Chesapeake from Bermuda, where the Royal Navy's main base for North America was moved from Halifax, Nova Scotia.

In 1816, James Arnold, the son of Benedict Arnold, helped strengthen the naval base against possible attacks from the United States. Today, the National Museum of Bermuda, which includes Bermuda's Maritime Museum, is in the old naval base.

Because it is close to the southeastern coast of the United States, Bermuda was often used during the American Civil War as a place for ships from the Confederate States to stop on their way to and from Europe, avoiding ships from the Union that were watching for them. These ships could bring important supplies from Europe and take cotton back. The old Globe Hotel in St. George's, which was a meeting place for Confederate leaders, is now a public museum.

Anglo-Boer War

During the Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902), 5,000 people from Boer groups were kept on five islands of Bermuda. They were placed based on their views of the war. Those who would not promise to support the British were kept on Darrell's Island and watched closely. Other islands such as Morgan's Island held 884 people, including 27 officers; Tucker's Island held 809, Burt's Island 607, and Ports Island held 35. Hinson's Island held people who had not yet become adults. The cemetery for the camp is on Long Island.

The New York Times reported that there was an attempted escape by people from the Boer groups and that strict rules were put in place on Darrell's Island.

The most well-known person to escape was a leader named Fritz Joubert Duquesne, who was being kept for life for actions against the British government. On the night of June 25, 1902, Duquesne left his tent, climbed over a fence with sharp wires, and swam 1.5 miles (2.4 km) through rough waters, using a faraway lighthouse for direction, until he reached land on the main island. He later moved to the United States and became involved in spying for Germany during both World Wars. In 1942, he was arrested by the FBI for leading a group that spied for Germany, which is the largest spying case in U.S. history.

20th and 21st centuries

In the early 1900s Bermuda became a popular place for tourists from the United States, Canada, and Britain who arrived by ship. The US law of 1930, which put high taxes on goods coming into the US, ended Bermuda's trade in farm products to America and led to tourism becoming an important source of money. The islands were also a place where alcohol was traded illegally during the time when the United States did not allow alcohol (1920–1933).

A railroad was built in Bermuda in the 1920s, opening in 1931 as the Bermuda Railway and stopping in 1948. The old railroad path is now a trail called the Bermuda Railway Trail.

In 1930, after many tries, a plane flew to Bermuda from New York City. It was the first airplane to reach the islands. In 1936, a German airline started testing plane trips from Berlin through the Azores to New York City.

In 1937, two airlines began regular flights with seaplanes from New York and Baltimore to Darrell's Island, Bermuda. During World War II the Hamilton Princess Hotel was used to check messages. All messages by mail, radio, and telegraph to Europe, the US, and faraway places were looked at by 1,200 workers from British security before being sent on. Working with American security, these workers helped find and arrest some spies from countries fighting Britain in the US, including a group called the Joe K ring.

In 1948 regular airline trips with planes that land on the ground began at Kindley Field (now L.F. Wade International Airport), helping tourism grow to its highest point in the 1960s and 1970s. By the late 1970s, business more than tourism became the main part of Bermuda's economy.

The old naval base and army camp were important to Bermuda's economy until the middle of the 1900s. Starting in World War II, the United States also had military bases in Bermuda, like a place for navy planes and submarines. The American military left in 1995.

Everyone could vote and political parties began in the 1960s. In 1967 everyone could vote as part of Bermuda's laws; before that only people who owned land could vote.

On March 10, 1973 the leader of Bermuda, Richard Sharples, was killed during a time of unrest. Some steps were taken toward the islands becoming independent but this was rejected by voters in a vote in 1995.

At the 2020 Summer Olympics Bermuda made history as the smallest place outside the main countries to win a gold medal when Flora Duffy won the country's first gold medal in the women's triathlon.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Bermuda

Bermuda is a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean, part of the Sargasso Sea. It is about 1,070 km east-southeast of Cape Hatteras in the United States and closest to North Carolina. The territory has 181 islands, with the largest called Main Island or Bermuda. Some smaller islands are connected by bridges.

Bermuda is known for its pink sand beaches and clear blue water. Popular spots include the historic Town of St George, a World Heritage Site, and many places for scuba diving and snorkeling. The Royal Naval Dockyard is a top attraction, along with museums, gardens, and beautiful beaches like Horseshoe Bay.

Main sights

Bermuda's pink sand beaches and clear, cerulean blue ocean waters are popular with tourists. A number of Bermuda's hotels are located along the south shore of the island. In addition to its beaches, there are a number of sightseeing attractions. The historic Town of St George is a designated World Heritage Site. Scuba divers can explore a number of wrecks and coral reefs in relatively shallow water (typically 30–40 ft or 9–12 m in depth), with virtually unlimited visibility. A number of nearby reefs are readily accessible from shore by snorkellers, especially at Church Bay.

Bermuda's most popular visitor attraction is the Royal Naval Dockyard, which includes the National Museum of Bermuda. Other attractions include the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo, Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, the Botanical Gardens and Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art, lighthouses, and the Crystal Caves with stalactites and underground saltwater pools. Somerset Bridge is the world's smallest drawbridge, and Horseshoe Bay and Warwick Long Bay are among the beautiful beaches in Bermuda.

Non-residents have traditionally been prohibited from driving cars on the island. Public transport and taxis are available and visitors can rent scooters (and more latterly small cars) for use as private transport.

Geology

Main article: Geology of Bermuda

Bermuda is made up of limestone islands sitting on a underwater mountain range. The islands formed from sand and dirt that piled up over time, creating a special landscape with caves and hills. The main island, Bermuda, has its highest point at Town Hill, which stands at 79 meters tall.

Climate

Main articles: Climate of Bermuda, List of Bermuda hurricanes, and Tornadoes in Bermuda

Bermuda has a warm climate, with mild winters and summers that are not too hot. The ocean helps keep the temperature comfortable, and the island often gets warm winds from the Gulf Stream. Rain is most common in October, and the island sometimes sees hurricanes, though they usually weaken before reaching Bermuda.

Flora and fauna

Main article: Wildlife of Bermuda

Bermuda was once covered in forests of a special type of tree called Bermuda cedar. Today, the island has many different plants, including palms and fruit trees. Bermuda is home to several kinds of bats and birds, like the Bermuda petrel, which was thought to be lost but was found again in 1951. The island also has unique lizards and turtles that live nowhere else in the world.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Bermuda

Bermuda is a small group of islands with a population of around 71,000 people. It is very crowded, with about 1,200 people living in each square kilometer. Most people in Bermuda are of mixed races, and many families have lived there for many generations. Over time, people from many places, like Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Canada, have moved to Bermuda and made it their home.

Bermuda’s most common language is Bermudian English, with British English used in writing. Many people also speak Portuguese because of families who came from places like Madeira and the Azores. The most common religion is Christianity, with many different church groups. There are also people who follow other religions or none at all.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Bermuda

Bermuda is a territory of the United Kingdom, and the UK government is the main authority. The British monarch, currently Charles III, has executive power in Bermuda, exercised by the governor of Bermuda. The governor is appointed by the king on advice of the British Government. Since January 2025, the governor has been Andrew Murdoch.

Defence, trade, and foreign affairs are handled by the United Kingdom, which also ensures good government and must approve any changes to Bermuda's Constitution. Bermuda has had limited self-governance since 1620, when a Royal Proclamation gave the House of Assembly of the Parliament of Bermuda power over internal laws. The Parliament of Bermuda is one of the oldest legislatures in the world.

The Constitution of Bermuda came into force in 1968 and has been updated several times. The head of government is the premier of Bermuda, with a cabinet nominated by the premier and appointed by the governor. The legislative branch has two parts: the Senate and the House of Assembly. The Senate has 11 members appointed by the governor, while the House of Assembly has 36 members elected by voters.

Elections for the Parliament of Bermuda must happen at least every five years. The most recent election was on 1 October 2020, and the Progressive Labour Party stayed in power, with Edward David Burt becoming Premier again.

Bermuda has few accredited diplomats. The United States has the largest diplomatic presence, including the United States Consulate and US Customs and Border Protection Services at the L.F. Wade International Airport. The US is Bermuda's largest trading partner.

Nationality and citizenship

Main article: British nationality law

Citizenship rights were granted by Royal Charters when the colony was founded. Bermuda was settled in 1612 by the London Company, which had occupied the archipelago since the 1609 wreck of the Sea Venture. The rights guaranteed to settlers by King James I in 1606 applied to Bermudians, confirming their rights as British subjects.

In 1968, before this, British colonials shared the same citizenship, Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies, and rights in that part of the British Realm within the British Isles. A racist backlash against ethnic-Indian migration from British African colonies that had chosen independence led the British Government to modify the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962 via the Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1968, imposing the first immigration barriers against British nationals, including Bermudians. This was followed by the Immigration Act 1971, and the British Nationality Act 1981, under which Bermudians and other British nationals from British Colonies (excepting Falkland Islanders and Gibraltarians, and also the Crown Dependencies) became nominally citizens of the collective British Dependent Territories, effectively a Bantustan within the British realm. In 2002, British Dependent Territories Citizenship was renamed British Overseas Territories citizenship, the default citizenship for British nationals of the overseas territories (excepting Falkland Islanders and Gibraltarians, and also the Crown Dependencies), including Bermudians, though restrictions against their immigration into, and residence in, the UK-proper were lifted at the same time, permitting them to also obtain British Citizenship, rights they had previously been stripped of without their consent.

In March 2021, the government introduced a new visa policy for foreigners, allowing residency through investments of at least $2.5 million in real estate, government bonds, debt relief funds, or charities.

Administrative divisions

Main article: Administrative divisions of Bermuda

Bermuda is divided into nine parishes and two incorporated municipalities.

Bermuda's nine parishes are:

• Devonshire
• Hamilton
• Paget
• Pembroke
• Sandys
• Smith's
• Southampton
• St George's
• Warwick

Bermuda's two incorporated municipalities are:

• Hamilton (city)
• St George's (town)

Bermuda also has two informal villages:

• Flatts Village
• Somerset Village

International relations

As a British Overseas Territory, Bermuda is represented by the UK in international matters. Bermuda has offices in London and Washington, D.C., and the United States and Portugal have diplomatic presence there.

Bermuda has hosted meetings between British and US leaders. The first was in 1953, discussing relations with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. More meetings followed in 1957, 1961, and 1990.

Bermuda joined the Caribbean Community in 2003 to strengthen cultural ties, despite some debate and opposition from residents.

Police

Law enforcement in Bermuda is mainly handled by the Bermuda Police Service, supported by the Customs Department and Immigration Department. The Royal Bermuda Regiment can also help with law enforcement when needed.

Military and defence

Main article: Military of Bermuda

Defence of Bermuda is the responsibility of the UK government. Historically, Bermuda had a strong military presence, including a Royal Navy base and militia.

During the world wars, Bermuda was important for the Allies, serving as a base for naval and air operations. The US and Canada also had bases there during these times.

After World War II, most military bases closed, but the Royal Bermuda Regiment remains. In 2020, it formed the Bermuda Coast Guard for maritime duties like search and rescue and border control.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Bermuda

Bermuda's economy is mostly based on banking and financial services, which make up about 85% of its total wealth. Tourism is the second biggest part of the economy, bringing in over half a million visitors each year, mostly from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

The island also has some industry and farming, but it needs to import many things. Bermuda uses the Bermudian dollar, which is equal in value to the US dollar. People can use both types of money on the island, but banks charge a fee to exchange Bermudian dollars for US dollars when people leave the island. The island has strict rules for opening bank accounts or getting phone and internet services for foreign individuals.

Bermuda is a popular place for big companies to manage their money because it has few taxes and simple rules. Many large insurance companies have offices there. The island also has its own stock exchange where companies can sell shares and other financial products. There are four main banks on the island with total assets of $24.3 billion.

Education

See also: List of schools in Bermuda

Bermuda has three types of schools allowed by law: schools partly supported by the government, schools fully supported by the government, and private schools not supported by the government. Before 1965, schools in Bermuda were separated by race, but this changed, and some schools became private.

Today, Bermuda has 38 schools, including preschools, primary schools, middle schools, and senior schools. There is also a school for students with special needs. Bermuda College offers programs for students after high school, but there are no universities in Bermuda. Students usually go to universities in the United States, Canada, or the United Kingdom to continue their studies.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Bermuda

See also: Holidays in Bermuda

Bermuda's culture comes from many places, including Native American, Spanish-Caribbean, English, Irish, and Scots people. English is the main language, and some people also speak Portuguese because of immigrants from the Azores, Madeira, and Cape Verde Islands. British and Afro-Caribbean influences are strong here.

One important book from Bermuda is The History of Mary Prince, written by Mary Prince. It was published in 1831 and told the story of a slave's life. Other writers from Bermuda have also shared their stories and ideas with the world.

Arts

Main articles: Music of Bermuda and Architecture of Bermuda

West Indian musicians brought calypso music to Bermuda when tourism grew after World War II. Local musicians like the Talbot Brothers performed calypso music for many years. Reggae became popular in Bermuda in the 1970s, especially after Jamaican immigrants arrived.

Famous musicians from Bermuda include operatic tenor Gary Burgess, jazz pianist Lance Hayward, singer-songwriter Heather Nova, and reggae musician Mishka. The dances of the Gombey dancers mix African, Caribbean, and British traditions.

Alfred Birdsey was a well-known watercolour artist who painted scenes of Bermuda. In 2010, his sculpture We Arrive was placed in Barr's Bay Park to remember the freedom of slaves in 1835. Tom Butterfield started the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art in 1986, which shows art about Bermuda by artists from around the world. Bermuda also holds an annual film festival.

Sport

Main article: Sports and recreation in Bermuda

Many popular sports today were started by British schools and universities. These schools helped create teams and sports clubs. Bermuda, being an important Royal Navy base, quickly adopted these sports, including cricket, football, rugby, tennis, and rowing.

Bermuda's cricket team played in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. The national football team qualified for the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup, their first big football competition. In 2007, Bermuda hosted the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, a tournament for the best golfers from major tournaments.

Sailing, fishing, and equestrian sports are enjoyed by many. The Newport–Bermuda Yacht Race is a famous event that has been happening for over 100 years. Bermuda also has its own special boat race called the Bermuda Fitted Dinghy race. At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Bermuda competed in several sports and had its first black female diver and two Olympic medallists. Bermuda also joins in the Island Games every two years.

In 1998, Bermuda started its own basketball association.

Healthcare

The Bermuda Hospitals Board runs two main hospitals: the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in Paget Parish and the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute in Devonshire Parish. Special doctors from Boston’s Lahey Medical Center also visit regularly to help patients.

Bermuda does not have free government healthcare like some other British territories. Employers must help pay for health insurance for their workers, but healthcare can still be costly. There are only a few places where people can get insurance, including the government’s Health Insurance Department and a few private companies.

There are no emergency medical drivers called paramedics on the island. Because Bermuda is very small, leaders decided they were not needed. Some nurses on the island can write medical prescriptions with approval from a doctor.

COVID-19 pandemic

Main article: COVID-19 pandemic in Bermuda

Kim Wilson was the Minister for Health during the COVID-19 pandemic. She guided Bermuda’s response carefully to keep people safe.