Bermuda

Lore & Background

Bermuda's name is derived from Spanish explorer Juan de Bermúdez, who discovered the islands in 1505. The archipelago remained uninhabited until 1609, when the English ship Sea Venture was wrecked off its reefs during a storm, leading to the first permanent settlement. This event inspired William Shakespeare's play 'The Tempest,' and the islands became a strategic British naval outpost.

Reader's Guide

Divided into nine parishes, Bermuda is a self-governing parliamentary democracy with a bicameral parliament located in the capital Hamilton. The House of Assembly, which is the lower house of the Parliament, dates from 1620, making it one of the world's oldest legislatures. The premier is the head of government and is formally appointed by the governor, who is nominated by the British government as the representative of the King. The United Kingdom is responsible for foreign affairs and defence. An independence referendum was held in 1995 with a large majority voting against independence. As of 2019, Bermuda had a population of around 64,000 people, making it the second-most populous of the British Overseas Territories. Black Bermudians, a diverse population primarily of any mixture of African, European, and Native American ancestry, make up around 50% of the population, while White Bermudians, primarily of British, Irish and Portuguese descent, make up 30% of the population. There are smaller groups from other races or identifying as mixed race and about 30% of the population is not Bermudian by birth. The last remaining territory in the former British North America (following the 1867 Confederation of Canada and the Colony of Newfoundland becoming the Dominion of Newfoundland in 1907), Bermuda has a distinct dialect of English and historically had strong ties with other English-speaking countries in the Americas, including the United States, Canada, and the Commonwealth Caribbean. It is an associate member of the Caribbean Community.

Did You Know?

• Bermuda's climate is officially classified as subtropical, not tropical, due to its latitude and cool ocean currents.
• Bermuda is home to the world's northernmost coral reef system.
• The Bermuda Triangle, a region of alleged maritime mysteries, is named after these islands.