Arctic Ocean (2006) | Bermuda (2007) | |
Administrative divisions | - | 9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smith's, Southampton, Warwick |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 18.3% (male 6,094/female 6,014)
15-64 years: 69.2% (male 22,696/female 23,094) 65 years and over: 12.5% (male 3,597/female 4,668) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products, honey |
Airports | - | 1 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2007) |
Area | total: 14.056 million sq km
note: includes Baffin Bay, Barents Sea, Beaufort Sea, Chukchi Sea, East Siberian Sea, Greenland Sea, Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, Kara Sea, Laptev Sea, Northwest Passage, and other tributary water bodies |
total: 53.3 sq km
land: 53.3 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly less than 1.5 times the size of the US | about one-third the size of Washington, DC |
Background | The Arctic Ocean is the smallest of the world's five oceans (after the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and the recently delimited Southern Ocean). The Northwest Passage (US and Canada) and Northern Sea Route (Norway and Russia) are two important seasonal waterways. A sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes circumscribes the Arctic Ocean. | 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. |
Birth rate | - | 11.26 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $738 million
expenditures: $665 million (FY04/05) |
Capital | - | 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 |
Climate | polar climate characterized by persistent cold and relatively narrow annual temperature ranges; winters characterized by continuous darkness, cold and stable weather conditions, and clear skies; summers characterized by continuous daylight, damp and foggy weather, and weak cyclones with rain or snow | subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter |
Coastline | 45,389 km | 103 km |
Constitution | - | 8 June 1968; amended 1989 and 2003 |
Country name | - | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bermuda former: Somers Islands |
Death rate | - | 7.84 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $160 million (FY99/00) |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
Diplomatic representation from the US | - | 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 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | some maritime disputes (see littoral states) | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $NA (2004) |
Economy - overview | Economic activity is limited to the exploitation of natural resources, including petroleum, natural gas, fish, and seals. | Bermuda enjoys the 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. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 574.8 million kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | - | 618 million kWh (2005) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Fram Basin -4,665 m
highest point: sea level 0 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Town Hill 76 m |
Environment - current issues | endangered marine species include walruses and whales; fragile ecosystem slow to change and slow to recover from disruptions or damage; thinning polar icepack | sustainable development |
Ethnic groups | - | black 54.8%, white 34.1%, mixed 6.4%, other races 4.3%, unspecified 0.4% (2000 census) |
Exchange rates | - | Bermudian dollar per US dollar - 1.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar) |
Executive branch | - | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Acting Governor Mark CAPES (since 12 October 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: none; 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 |
Exports | - | 0 bbl/day (2005) |
Exports - commodities | - | reexports of pharmaceuticals |
Exports - partners | - | Spain 31.6%, UK 16.6%, Brazil 9.6%, Sweden 7.9% (2006) |
Fiscal year | - | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | - | 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 |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 1%
industry: 10% services: 89% (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | 4.6% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 90 00 N, 0 00 E | 32 20 N, 64 45 W |
Geography - note | major chokepoint is the southern Chukchi Sea (northern access to the Pacific Ocean via the Bering Strait); strategic location between North America and Russia; shortest marine link between the extremes of eastern and western Russia; floating research stations operated by the US and Russia; maximum snow cover in March or April about 20 to 50 centimeters over the frozen ocean; snow cover lasts about 10 months | 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 |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | - | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | - | clothing, fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals |
Imports - partners | - | US 71.8%, Venezuela 6.9%, Canada 6.6% (2006) |
Independence | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | - | international business, tourism, light manufacturing |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: 8.08 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.58 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 2.8% (November 2005) |
International organization participation | - | Caricom (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ITUC, UPU, WCO |
Irrigated land | - | NA |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts |
Labor force | - | 38,360 (2004) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture and fishing 3%, laborers 17%, clerical 19%, professional and technical 21%, administrative and managerial 15%, sales 7%, services 19% (2004 est.) |
Land boundaries | - | 0 km |
Land use | - | arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 0% other: 80% (55% developed, 45% rural/open space) (2005) |
Languages | - | English (official), Portuguese |
Legal system | - | English law |
Legislative branch | - | 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 24 July 2003 (next to be held not later than July 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 51.7%, UBP 48%; seats by party - PLP 22, UBP 14 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 78.13 years
male: 76 years female: 80.29 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: 98% female: 99% (2005 est.) |
Location | body of water between Europe, Asia, and North America, mostly north of the Arctic Circle | North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US) |
Map references | Arctic Region | North America |
Maritime claims | - | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | 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) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | - | no regular military forces; Bermuda Police Service, Bermuda Reserve Constabulary, Bermuda Regiment |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 0.11% (2005 est.) |
National holiday | - | Bermuda Day, 24 May |
Nationality | - | noun: Bermudian(s)
adjective: Bermudian |
Natural hazards | ice islands occasionally break away from northern Ellesmere Island; icebergs calved from glaciers in western Greenland and extreme northeastern Canada; permafrost in islands; virtually ice locked from October to June; ships subject to superstructure icing from October to May | hurricanes (June to November) |
Natural resources | sand and gravel aggregates, placer deposits, polymetallic nodules, oil and gas fields, fish, marine mammals (seals and whales) | limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism |
Net migration rate | - | 2.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Ewart BROWN]; United Bermuda Party or UBP [Wayne FURBERT] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | 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] |
Population | - | 66,163 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | 19% (2000) |
Population growth rate | - | 0.576% (2007 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 0 (2005) |
Religions | - | Anglican 23%, Roman Catholic 15%, African Methodist Episcopal 11%, other Protestant 18%, other 12%, unaffiliated 6%, unspecified 1%, none 14% (2000 census) |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.013 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.983 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.771 male(s)/female total population: 0.959 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | - | 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) |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 57,700 (2006) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 60,100 (2006) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 3 (2005) |
Terrain | central surface covered by a perennial drifting polar icepack that, on average, is about 3 meters thick, although pressure ridges may be three times that thickness; clockwise drift pattern in the Beaufort Gyral Stream, but nearly straight-line movement from the New Siberian Islands (Russia) to Denmark Strait (between Greenland and Iceland); the icepack is surrounded by open seas during the summer, but more than doubles in size during the winter and extends to the encircling landmasses; the ocean floor is about 50% continental shelf (highest percentage of any ocean) with the remainder a central basin interrupted by three submarine ridges (Alpha Cordillera, Nansen Cordillera, and Lomonosov Ridge) | low hills separated by fertile depressions |
Total fertility rate | - | 1.88 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Transportation - note | sparse network of air, ocean, river, and land routes; the Northwest Passage (North America) and Northern Sea Route (Eurasia) are important seasonal waterways | - |
Unemployment rate | - | 2.1% (2004 est.) |