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Background:
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Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked
English colonists headed for Virginia. Tourism to the island to escape
North American winters first developed in Victorian times. Tourism
continues to be important to the island's economy, although
international business has overtaken it in recent years. Bermuda has
developed into a highly successful offshore financial center. Although
a referendum on independence from the UK was soundly defeated in 1995,
the present government has reopened debate on the issue. |
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Location:
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North America, group of islands in the North
Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US) |
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Geographic
coordinates:
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32 20 N, 64 45 W |
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Map references:
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North America |
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Area:
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total: 53.3 sq km
land: 53.3 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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about one-third the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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103 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
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Climate:
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subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds
common in winter |
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Terrain:
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low hills separated by fertile depressions |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean
0 m
highest point: Town Hill 76 m |
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Natural resources:
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limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism |
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Land use:
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arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 80% (55% developed, 45%
rural/open space) (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA |
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Natural hazards:
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hurricanes (June to November) |
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Environment - current
issues:
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sustainable development |
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Geography - note:
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consists of about 138 coral islands and islets
with ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land was
leased by US Government from 1941 to 1995 |
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Population:
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66,536 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 18% (male
6,055/female 5,954)
15-64 years: 69.1% (male
22,795/female 23,189)
65 years and over: 12.8% (male
3,728/female 4,815) (2008 est.) |
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Median age:
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total: 41 years
male: 40.1 years
female: 41.8 years (2008 est.) |
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Population growth
rate:
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0.546% (2008 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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11.15 births/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
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Death rate:
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7.98 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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2.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02
male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.77
male(s)/female
total population: 0.96
male(s)/female (2008 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 7.87 deaths/1,000 live
births
male: 9.31 deaths/1,000 live
births
female: 6.4 deaths/1,000 live
births (2008 est.) |
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Life expectancy at
birth:
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total population: 78.3 years
male: 76.15 years
female: 80.48 years (2008 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.88 children born/woman (2008 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun: Bermudian(s)
adjective: Bermudian |
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Ethnic groups:
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black 54.8%, white 34.1%, mixed 6.4%, other
races 4.3%, unspecified 0.4% (2000 census) |
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Religions:
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Anglican 23%, Roman Catholic 15%, African
Methodist Episcopal 11%, other Protestant 18%, other 12%, unaffiliated
6%, unspecified 1%, none 14% (2000 census) |
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Languages:
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English (official), Portuguese |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over
can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 98%
female: 99% (2005 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bermuda
former: Somers Islands |
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Dependency status:
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overseas territory of the UK |
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Government type:
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parliamentary; self-governing territory |
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Capital:
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name: Hamilton
geographic coordinates: 32 17 N,
64 47 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour
ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins
second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November |
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Administrative
divisions:
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9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire,
Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's,
Sandys, Smith's, Southampton, Warwick |
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Independence:
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none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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National holiday:
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Bermuda Day, 24 May |
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Constitution:
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8 June 1968; amended 1989 and 2003 |
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Legal system:
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English law |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: Queen
ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Sir
Richard GOZNEY (since 12 December 2007)
head of government: Premier Ewart
BROWN (since 30 October 2006); Deputy Premier Paula COX
cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the
premier, appointed by the governor
elections: the monarch is
hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative
elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
majority coalition is usually appointed premier by the governor |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11
seats; members appointed by the governor, the premier, and the
opposition) and the House of Assembly (36 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve up to five-year terms)
elections: last general election
held 18 December 2007 (next to be held not later than 2012)
election results: percent of vote
by party - PLP 52.5%, UBP 47.3%; seats by party - PLP 22, UBP 14 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrate
Courts |
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Political parties and
leaders:
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Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Ewart BROWN];
United Bermuda Party or UBP [Kim SWAN] |
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Political pressure
groups and leaders:
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Bermuda Employer's Union [Eddie SAINTS]; Bermuda
Industrial Union or BIU [Derrick BURGESS]; Bermuda Public Services
Union or BPSU [Ed BALL]; Bermuda Union of Teachers [Michael CHARLES] |
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International
organization participation:
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Caricom (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC,
ITUC, UPU, WCO |
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Diplomatic
representation in the US:
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none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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Diplomatic
representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Consul
General Gregory W. SLAYTON
consulate(s) general: Crown Hill,
16 Middle Road, Devonshire DVO3
mailing address: P. O. Box HM325,
Hamilton HMBX; American Consulate General Hamilton, US Department of
State, 5300 Hamilton Place, Washington, DC 20520-5300
telephone: [1] (441) 295-1342
FAX: [1] (441) 295-1592, [1] (441)
296-9233 |
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Flag description:
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red, with the flag of the UK in the upper
hoist-side quadrant and the Bermudian coat of arms (white and green
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 |
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Economy - overview:
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Bermuda enjoys the third highest per capita
income in the world, more than 50% higher than that of the US. Its
economy is primarily based on providing financial services for
international business and luxury facilities for tourists. A number of
reinsurance companies relocated to the island following the 11
September 2001 attacks and again after Hurricane Katrina in August
2005, contributing to the expansion of an already robust international
business sector. Bermuda's tourism industry - which derives over 80% of
its visitors from the US - continues to struggle but remains the
island's number two industry. Most capital equipment and food must be
imported. Bermuda's industrial sector is small, although construction
continues to be important; the average cost of a house in June 2003 had
risen to $976,000. Agriculture is limited with only 20% of the land
being arable. |
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GDP (purchasing power
parity):
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$4.5 billion (2004 est.) |
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GDP (official
exchange rate):
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$NA |
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GDP - real growth
rate:
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4.6% (2004 est.) |
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GDP - per capita
(PPP):
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$69,900 (2004 est.) |
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GDP - composition by
sector:
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agriculture: 1%
industry: 10%
services: 89% (2002 est.) |
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Labor force:
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38,360 (2004) |
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Labor force - by
occupation:
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agriculture and fishing 3%, laborers 17%,
clerical 19%, professional and technical 21%, administrative and
managerial 15%, sales 7%, services 19% (2004 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
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2.1% (2004 est.) |
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Population below
poverty line:
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19% (2000) |
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Household income or
consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Inflation rate
(consumer prices):
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2.8% (November 2005) |
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Budget:
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revenues: $738 million
expenditures: $665 million
(FY04/05) |
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Agriculture -
products:
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bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy
products, honey |
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Industries:
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international business, tourism, light
manufacturing |
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Industrial production
growth rate:
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NA% |
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Electricity -
production:
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618 million kWh (2005) |
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Electricity -
production by source:
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fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity -
consumption:
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574.8 million kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2005) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2005) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2005) |
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Oil - consumption:
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4,400 bbl/day (2005 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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0 bbl/day (2005) |
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Oil - imports:
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4,250 bbl/day (2004) |
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Oil - proved reserves:
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0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.) |
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Natural gas -
production:
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0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas -
consumption:
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0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2005 est.) |
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m (2005) |
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Natural gas - proved
reserves:
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0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
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Exports:
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$763 million (2006) |
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Exports - commodities:
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reexports of pharmaceuticals |
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Exports - partners:
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Spain 35.6%, UK 15.9%, Brazil 9.2%, Sweden 7.5%
(2006) |
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Imports:
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$1.162 billion (2006) |
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Imports - commodities:
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clothing, fuels, machinery and transport
equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals |
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Imports - partners:
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US 71.8%, Venezuela 6.9%, Canada 6.6% (2006) |
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Economic aid -
recipient:
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$90,000 (2004) |
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Debt - external:
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$160 million (FY99/00) |
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Stock of direct
foreign investment - at home:
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$NA |
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Stock of direct
foreign investment - abroad:
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$NA |
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Market value of
publicly traded shares:
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$2.125 billion (2005) |
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Currency (code):
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Bermudian dollar (BMD) |
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Currency code:
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BMD |
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Exchange rates:
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Bermudian dollar per US dollar - 1.0000 (fixed
rate pegged to the US dollar) |
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Fiscal year:
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1 April - 31 March |
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Telephones - main
lines in use:
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57,700 (2006) |
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Telephones - mobile
cellular:
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60,100 (2006) |
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: good
domestic: fully automatic digital
telephone system; fiber optic trunk lines
international: country code -
1-441; landing point for the Atlantica-1 telecommunications submarine
cable that extends from the US to Brazil; satellite earth stations - 3
(2007) |
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Radio broadcast
stations:
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AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005) |
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Radios:
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82,000 (1997) |
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Television broadcast
stations:
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3 (2005) |
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Televisions:
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66,000 (1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.bm |
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Internet hosts:
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2,949 (2007) |
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Internet Service
Providers (ISPs):
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20 (2000) |
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Internet users:
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42,000 (2005) |
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Airports:
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1 (2007) |
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Airports - with paved
runways:
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total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2007) |
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Roadways:
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total: 447 km
paved: 447 km
note: public roads - 225 km;
private roads - 222 km (2002) |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 133 ships (1000 GRT or
over) 8,366,999 GRT/8,615,385 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 24,
container 22, liquefied gas 30, passenger 23, passenger/cargo 5,
petroleum tanker 15, refrigerated cargo 10, roll on/roll off 4
foreign-owned: 126 (Australia 4,
Belgium 3, China 10, France 1, Germany 21, Greece 3, Hong Kong 4,
Ireland 1, Israel 3, Japan 1, Nigeria 11, Norway 5, Singapore 1, Sweden
15, UK 20, US 23)
registered in other countries: 50
(Bahamas 12, Croatia 2, Marshall Islands 5, Philippines 31) (2007) |
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Ports and terminals:
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Hamilton, Saint George |
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Military branches:
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Bermuda Regiment (2008) |
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Military service age
and obligation:
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18-23 years of age; eligible men required to
register for conscription as needed into the Bermuda Regiment, which is
largely voluntary; term of service 39 months (2007) |
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Manpower available
for military service:
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males age 16-49: 15,623 (2008
est.) |
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Manpower fit for
military service:
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males age 16-49: 12,682 (2008
est.) |
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Manpower reaching
militarily significant age annually:
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males age 16-49: 426 (2008
est.) |
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Military expenditures
- percent of GDP:
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0.11% (2005 est.) |
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Military - note:
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defense is the responsibility of the UK |
| Transnational Issues |
Bermuda |
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Disputes -
international:
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none |
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This page was
last updated on 10 June, 2008
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