Destination Guide To Bermuda

GEOGRAPHY & BACKGROUND

Bermuda (fully, The Bermuda Islands, alias The Somers Isles) is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom in the North Atlantic Ocean, situated around 640 miles (975 km) off the coast of the United States. The oldest remaining British overseas territory, it was settled by England a century before the creation of the British state, and two centuries before the United Kingdom. Although commonly referred to in the singular, it consists of around 138 islands, of total area 58.8 square kilometres (27.7 sq. mi). Compiling a list of these islands is often complicated, as many have more than one name (as does the entire archipelago, which, in addition to its two official names, has historically been known as La Garza, Virgineola, and the Isle of Devils). Despite the limited land mass, there has also been a tendency for place names to be repeated (there are two Long Islands, for instance, and two Long Bays, and the town of St. George is located on the island and within the parish of St. George's). The largest island, Main Island (also called Bermuda, or Great Bermuda), is the location of the capital, the City of Hamilton (which is in Pembroke Parish, and is often confused with Hamilton Parish). Bermuda has a thriving economy, with a large financial sector and tourism industry.

Bermuda is located in the North Atlantic Ocean roughly 580 nautical miles (1074 kilometers) east-southeast of Cape Hatteras on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and roughly 590 nautical miles (1093 kilometers) southeast of Martha's Vineyard. (See map.) There are two incorporated municipalities in Bermuda; the City of Hamilton, and the Town of St. George. There are also a number of localities which are sometimes termed villages, among them Flatts Village, Tucker's Town and Somerset Village.

Contrary to common misconception, Bermuda is not located within the tropics. The subtropical climate is influenced by the Gulf Stream. Bermuda has a very humid climate and, as a result, the summer-time heat index can be very high, even when the actual temperature seems moderate. Winters are mild with average daytime temperatures in January and February around 20 degrees celsius. The only source of fresh water in Bermuda is rainfall, which is collected on roofs and catchments, or drawn from underground 'lenses', and stored in tanks (of which, each dwelling usually has at least one forming part of its foundation).

* Subdivisions of Bermuda
* Islands of Bermuda
* Flora and fauna in Bermuda

54.8% of the population is listed as black, 34.1% as white and 6.4% as Mixed Race . The island has a growing Asian community. A significant segment of the population is of Portuguese heritage, the result of immigration from Portuguese islands, especially the Azores, over the past century.

In addition to large-scale Portuguese immigration, which began with several families from Madeira in the 1840s, there has been sustained immigration from the West Indies over the past century. English is the official language. Portuguese is also spoken by a minority of the population, mostly Azorean immigrants.

For more information please visit http://www.fco.gov.uk/

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