(dependent territory of the UK)

Location: North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of North Carolina (US)

Geographic coordinates: 32 20 N, 64 45 W

Map references: North America

Area:
total : 50 sq km
land: 50 sq km
water : 0 sq km

Area - comparative: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 103 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter

Terrain: low hills separated by fertile depressions

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Town Hill 76 m

Natural resources: limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism

Land use:
arable land: NA%
permanent crops : NA%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: 20%
other: 80% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: hurricanes (June to November)

Environment - current issues: asbestos disposal; water pollution

Environment - international agreements:
party to: NA
signed, but not ratified : NA

Geography - note: consists of about 360 small coral islands with ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some reclaimed land was leased by US Government from 1941 to 1995

Population: 63,503 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years : 19.4% (male 6,091; female 6,230)
15-64 years: 69.43% (male 21,783; female 22,309)
65 years and over: 11.17% (male 3,073; female 4,017) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.74% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 12.16 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 7.42 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 0.94 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over:0.76 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 9.55 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 77.12 years
male : 75.04 years
female: 79.06 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.81 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Nationality:
noun : Bermudian(s)
adjective: Bermudian

Ethnic groups:black 58%, white 36%, other 6%

Religions: Anglican 28%, Roman Catholic 15%, African Methodist Episcopal (Zion) 12%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Methodist 5%, other 34% (1991)

Languages: English

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male : 98%
female: 99% (1970 est.)

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form : Bermuda

Data code: BD

Dependency status: dependent territory of the UK

Government type: NA

National capital: Hamilton

Administrative divisions: 9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint Georges, Sandys, Smiths, Southampton, Warwick

Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)

National holiday: Bermuda Day, 24 May

Constitution: 8 June 1968

Legal system: English law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor John MASEFIELD (since June 1997)
head of government: Premier Jennifer SMITH (since 10 November 1998);
cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the premier, appointed by the governor
elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; governor appointed by the queen; premier appointed by the governor

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (an 11-member body appointed by the governor) and the House of Assembly (40 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 9 November 1998 (next to be held NA November 2003)
election results : percent of vote by party - PLP 54%, UBP 44%, NLP 1%, independents 1%; seats by party - PLP 26, UBP 14

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders: National Liberal Party or NLP [Dessaline WALDRON]; Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Jennifer SMITH]; United Bermuda Party or UBP [Pamela GORDON]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Bermuda Industrial Union or BIU [Derrick BURGESS]; Bermuda Public Services Association or BPSA [Betty CHRISTOPHER

International organization participation: Caricom (observer), CCC, ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), IOC

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (dependent territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Consul General Lawrence D. OWEN
consulate(s) general: Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire, Hamilton
mailing address: P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX; American Consulate General Hamilton, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5300
telephone: [1] (441) 295-1342
FAX: [1] (441) 295-1592

Flag description: red with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Bermudian coat of arms (white and blue shield with a red lion holding a scrolled shield showing the sinking of the ship Sea Venture off Bermuda in 1609) centered on the outer half of the flag

Economy - overview: Bermuda enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, having successfully exploited its location by providing financial services for international firms and luxury tourist facilities for 200,000 visitors annually. The tourist industry attracts 91% of its business from North America. The industrial sector is small, and agriculture is severely limited by a lack of suitable land. About 80% of food needs are imported. International business contributes over 60% of Bermuda's economic output; a failed independence vote in late 1995 can be partially attributed to Bermudian's fear of scaring away foreign firms.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $2.1 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 1.5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity -$33,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture:1%
industry: 10%
services:89% (1995 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 2.7% (2000 est.)

Labor force:
total: 34,133
by occupation: clerical 23%, services 23%, laborers 17%, professional and technical 16%, administrative and managerial 12%, sales 7%, agriculture and fishing 2% (1995)

Unemployment rate: NEGL% (1995)

Budget:
revenues: $504.6 million
expenditures : $537 million, including capital expenditures of $75 million (FY97/98)

Industries: tourism, finance, insurance, structural concrete products, paints, perfumes, pharmaceuticals, ship repairing

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - capacity: 145,000 kW (1996)

Electricity - production: 550 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 511.5 million kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products: bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products

Exports:
total value: $56 million (2000 est.)
commodities: semitropical produce, light manufactures, reexports of pharmaceuticals
partners : UK 29.5%, US 9.8% (1997)

Imports:
total value: $739 million (2000 est.)
commodities: miscellaneous manufactured articles, machinery and transport equipment, food and live animals, chemicals
partners: US 34%, UK 9%, Mexico 8% (1997)

Debt - external: $NA

Economic aid: $27.9 million (1995)

Currency: 1 Bermudian dollar (Bd$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: Bermudian dollar (Bd$) per US$1 - 1.0000 (February 1997; fixed rate)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Telephones: 52,000 (1997)

Telephone system:
domestic : modern, fully automatic telephone system
international: 3 submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 0

Radios: 82,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 3 (1997)

Televisions: 66,000 (1997)

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total : 225 km
paved: 225 km
unpaved : 0 km (1997 est.)
note: in addition, there are 232km of paved and unpaved roads that are privately owned

Ports and harbors: Hamilton, Saint George

Merchant marine:
total: 105 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,836,538 GRT/9,728,045 DWT
ships by type: bulk 27, cargo 4, container 15, liquefied gas 7, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 23, refrigerated cargo 16, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea passenger 3
note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 11 countries among which are UK 26, Canada 12, US 9, Norway 7, Hong Kong 4, Nigeria 4, Sweden 4, Switzerland 2, Mexico 1, and Romania 1; Bermuda owns 48 additional ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,911,678 DWT that operate under Australian, Bahamian, Hong Kong, Liberian, Panamanian and Singaporean registry (1996 est.)

Airports: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m : 1 (2000 est.)

Military branches: Bermuda Regiment, Bermuda Police Force, Bermuda Reserve Constabulary

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK

Disputes - international: none