No wonder this prosperous little island is a source of great pride to its residents. Life here is civilized and classy. Bermuda is a wealthy place with a distinct British style. Friendly residents offer warm greetings and the island moves at a relaxed pace. As a visitor, you'll get a remarkable sense of order here. Everything seems to work efficiently, no matter how hot the weather. And given the beauty of the place, and the climate, it’s easy to understand why people choose this as their favorite cruise destination.
Wow! In a changing world, Bermuda IS an astounding change!
GEOGRAPHY
This fish-hook-shaped island - a mere dot in the middle
of the ocean - is in reality, the second most remote island in the world. It
is located in the North Atlantic Ocean, with the nearest point of land being
to the west, at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, 650 miles away. New York City
is 750 miles to the northwest and London is 3,460 miles to the northeast. If
you are flying in: London (seven hours), Boston (under two hours), New York
(under two hours), Toronto (just over two hours), Chicago (three hours),
Philadelphia (two hours) and Baltimore, Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta,
Orlando and Fort Lauderdale in just over two hours.
Bermuda isn't one island, as is commonly thought, but a
string of seven main islands linked by causeways and bridges. The island
paradise is surrounded by a 200-square-mile coral reef. Bermuda
consists of approximately 140 islands and islets extending northwest to
southwest. At least 20 islets are inhabited. The other islands can be
reached by boat. Bermuda is one of the smallest territories in the world;
only Monaco and Gibraltar are tinier.
Bermuda’s landscape is curvaceous and hilly. The island
is 22.7 square miles and only 2 miles across at the widest point. Town Hill
is the highest point, rising 260 feet above sea level. There are no rivers
or freshwater lakes and the island depends solely on rainfall for its
drinking water. A "ribbon of green" traverses Bermuda from east to west,
with 79 national parks, nature reserves, and beaches covering more than 800
acres. Most notably is Bermuda's Railway Trail, an 18-mile nature reserve
which was once Bermuda's railway.
HISTORY
Over 100 million years ago a volcano erupted in the
Atlantic Ocean and islands were formed. Marine geologists say that this
hook-shaped chain of little islands was part of the lip of a huge volcano,
now long dormant. Historians believe Bermuda was first discovered in 1503 by
a Spanish explorer, Juan de Bermudez, who made no attempt to land because of
the treacherous reef surrounding the uninhabited islands. The wide platform
of underwater coral reefs were deadly to ships that ventured too close, and
the wreckage of scores of ships dot the outer reefs of Bermuda as a result.
So the island remained uninhabited, despite visits by Spanish and English
ships, until more than a century later.
In 1609, under the command of Admiral Sir George
Somers, a British ship named Sea Venture, set sail for the first new world
settlement in Jamestown, Virginia carrying supplies and settlers. But after
being hit by a hurricane, the 140 shipwrecked crew and passengers ended up
stranded on the islands lodged between two shoals what is now called Sea
Venture Flat in Bermuda. The men and women clambered ashore where they built
two ships using the islands' endemic cedar trees for shipbuilding, ("Patience"
and "Deliverance") over the period of 10 months and continued their journey to
the New World. Some of them fell in love with Bermuda and stayed behind. The
admiral eventually returned here with settlers where he died in 1610. His
heart is said to have been be interred in Somers Gardens, a park in
Bermuda’s first capital, also called St George’s.
Eventually the settlers' reports aroused great interest
about the islands in England, and in 1612 King James extended the Charter of
the Virginia Company to include them. Later that year, about 60 British
colonists arrived and founded the town of St. George, the oldest
continuously inhabited English-speaking settlement in the Western
Hemisphere. When representative government was introduced to Bermuda in
1620, it became a self-governing colony.
THE PARISHES OF BERMUDA
Bermuda is divided into nine specific geographic areas known as parishes. We
in the U.S. might equate them to our states, counties or subdivisions. And
just like our local governments, each is responsible for the collection and
disbursal of citizen taxes, levies and tolls collected for public utilities
and services which are provided the residents. Although all nine Parishes
are exactly equal in size (2.0355 square miles), each one is aesthetically
different, and each has unique and interesting attractions. In some cases
it's the beaches, in others it's the shopping, all of them have highlights
that you don't want to miss seeing.
Bermuda's nine Parishes, originally called "Tribes," were named after the
largest shareholder in that particular 'share' of the Bermuda Company. In
90% of the cases it was Elizabethan aristocrats, many of whom considered
themselves "Gentlemen Adventurers." Some never even visited Bermuda.
The great news is that all are easily accessible via public transport -
buses and ferries - or by bicycle or moped.
The following is a list of the Bermuda Parishes (from east to west) and what
they are most noted for :
*
St. George's Parish - Town of St. George and the island of St. David's
across its harbor.
*
Hamilton Parish - Crystal Caves and Bermuda Aquarium and Zoo.
*
Smith's Parish - Flatts Village, Spittle Pond Nature Preserve and Devil's
Hole Aquarium.
*
Devonshire Parish - The quiet parish.
*
Pembroke Parish - City of Hamilton
*
Paget Parish - Numerous resorts, Elbow Beach, Bermuda Botanical Gardens and
Paget Marsh for bird watching.
*
Warwick Parish - Golf, horseback riding and the island's best cliffs.
*
Southampton Parish - The best beaches and Gibbs Hill Lighthouse.
*
Sandys (pronounced: Sands) Parish - The Royal Naval Dockyard fortress and
shops, Somerset Village, Fort Scaur, Gilbert Nature Reserve and some fine
beaches.
Pink and Blue Bermuda
GOVERNMENT
Bermuda has had the distinction of having the oldest
Parliament in the Commonwealth outside the British Isles. It met first in
St. Peter’s Church in the then-capital of St. George’s on August 1, 1620 .
When the capital was moved to Hamilton, the Assembly met for some time in
the Town Hall, in what is now known as the Old Fire Station on Front Street.
It was later moved to its present location on the hill behind, in 1826. The
Sessions Building in which it meets today was not completed until 1893.
Bermuda is not an independent country--it is a British overseas territory
and is largely self-governing, modeled on that of the British government.
There are two houses of parliament, the House of Assembly, and the upper
house, the Senate. The Governor is appointed by Her Majesty the Queen.
THE PEOPLE
Approximately 64,009 (2007 est.) residents live on 20 of
the inhabited islands. Ethnic groups: Black 54.8%, white 34%, mixed and
other 11.1%. Language: English. The unemployment rate is about 6%.
Some critics claim that Bermuda has become too much like the U.S. That's
true of southern islands such as The Bahamas, but not of Bermuda. The
Bermudians steadfastly adhere to British customs, even if, at times, that
mechanical devotion borders on absurdity; the afternoon tea ritual; the knee
socks and shorts; the lawyers' and judges' powdered wigs ( in a semitropical
climate!) But many others find the stalwart commitment to British tradition
colorful and quaint, enhancing the unique charm of the lovely, wonderful
place that is Bermuda.
ECONOMY
Bermuda's cost of living is the highest in the world.
The World Bank economists claim the Bermuda costs of living are about 380%
more than the USA, 280% more than in Canada and 200% more than in
UK. Bermuda's real cost of living rose by 11.9% in 2008. In conjunction with
Bermuda's cost of living it should be noted that the World Bank also rates
Bermuda as the most affluent country in the world, by far. It’s economy is based on tourism and
international business and it has been highly successful in both ventures.
It now boasts one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.
Today, financial services account for 60% of Bermuda’s Gross National
Product. Tourism,
although less important to the economy than it was a generation ago, is
still a substantial contributor. Some 400,000 people holiday in
Bermuda, most of them from the east coast of the U.S. The Bermuda
dollar is at par with the American dollar, making life as simple as possible
for visitors. Bermuda is
a stable, intelligently-run island with a highly sophisticated
infrastructure. It continues to have the confidence of the economic world,
with both Moody’s and Standard & Poor's giving it very high ratings.
HOLIDAYS: Bermuda Day is on Monday, May 25, 2009 (Usually May 24, however it
lands on a Sunday in 2009)
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