bûrmyooˈdə, British dependency (1995 est. pop. 62,000), 21 sq mi (53 sq km), comprising some 150 coral rocks, islets, and islands (of which some 20 are inhabited), in the Atlantic Ocean, c.570 mi (920 km) SE of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The capital is Hamilton, on Bermuda (or Great Bermuda), the largest island. Smaller islands are Somerset, Ireland, and St. George. Bermuda's coral reefs are the northernmost in the world.

Economy, Government, and People

The colony's economic mainstays are international financial services, especially insurance, and tourism. Fine beaches, an excellent climate, and picturesque sites, have made Bermuda a fashionable and popular year-round resort. Semitropical produce, sales of fuel to aircraft and ships, and pharmaceuticals are among Bermuda's exports, though all are relatively minor in the overall economic picture. The British monarch, represented by a governor, is titular head of state. Bermuda is led by a prime minister and has a bicameral parliament with an appointed senate and an elected 40-member house of assembly.

Over 60% of Bermuda's inhabitants are of African ancestry, descended from slaves brought to the islands during the 18th cent.; there is also a sizable population of British descent. English is spoken. The main religions are the Anglican, Roman Catholic, and African Methodist Episcopal churches.

History

Reputedly the first person to set foot on the islands was the Spanish navigator Juan de Bermúdez (1503–11), but they remained uninhabited, despite visits by the Spanish and English, until Sir George Somers and a group of colonists on their way to Virginia were shipwrecked there in 1609. This incident was known to Shakespeare when he wrote The Tempest. Long called Somers Islands, the Bermudas were first governed by chartered companies but were acquired by the crown in 1684. The harbor of St. George was a base for privateers during the War of 1812, and the island was a center for Confederate blockade runners during the American Civil War.

During World War II the islands played an important strategic role as the site of a U.S. naval and air force base. Internal self-government was granted in 1968, and the United Bermuda party was in power for the next 30 years. Sir John Swan was prime minister from 1982 to 1995, when he resigned after voters rejected independence (which he had supported); David Saul succeeded him. Saul resigned in 1997 and was succeeded by Pamela Gordon, the first woman prime minister. In 1998 the Progressive Labor party came to power, with Jennifer Smith as prime minister. Although Smith led her party to victory again in 2003, a party revolt led to her resignation and Alex Scott became prime minister.

Bibliography

See R. Joseph, Bermuda (1967); H. C. Wilkinson, Bermuda from Sail to Steam (2 vol., 1973); T. Tucker, Bermuda (1975); J. C. W. Ahiakpor, The Economic Consequences of Political Independence: The Case of Bermuda (1990).

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright© 2004, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V. All rights reserved.

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