Bermuda (/bɜrˈmjuːdə/ "Ber-myu-dah"; officially, the Bermudas or Somers Islands) is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. The land has one main island and 180 smaller islands. Bermuda is a popular tourist place, with mild weather during the winter months.
Bermuda was discovered in 1505 by Spanish navigator Juan de Bermúdez (who said it to be inhabited only with pigs), after whom the islands are named. Bermúdez claimed it for the Spanish Empire. Unoccupied, the island was settled by England in 1609, making it the oldest and most populous remaining British overseas territory. Its first capital, St George's, was founded in 1612 and is the oldest continuously inhabited English town in the Americas.[4]
The territory has 181 islands. The total area is 53.3 square kilometres (20.6 sq mi). The largest island is Main Island, sometimes itself called Bermuda.
Climate
Bermuda has a subtropical climate.[5] The weather is humid and, as a result, the summertime heat index can be high, even though mid-August temperatures rarely exceed 30 °C(86 °F). Winters are mild, with average daytime temperatures in January and February around 20 °C (68 °F). The temperature rarely drops below 10 °C (50 °F).
Bermuda is very likely to be affected by hurricanes. The island's small size means that direct landfalls are rare. The last hurricane to cause significant damage to Bermuda was category 3Hurricane Fabian on 5 September 2003.
The only source of fresh water in Bermuda is rainfall. It is collected on roofs and catchments and stored in tanks. Each home usually has at least one of these tanks forming part of its foundation.
Flora and fauna
When discovered, Bermuda had no people. It was mostly covered by forests of Bermuda cedar, with mangrovemarshes along its shores. Only 165 of the island's current 1000 vascular plantspecies are considered native. Of those 15, including the cedar, are endemic.
Many species of palm trees have been introduced to Bermuda. Coconut palms grow there, making it the furthest north place for the natural growth of this species. While coconuts grow on Bermuda, the lack of heat does not usually let them properly set fruit.
Despite their names, Jones Village (in Warwick), Cashew City (St. George's), Claytown (Hamilton), Middle Town (Pembroke) and Tucker's Town (St. George's) are merely neighborhoods. Dandy Town and North Village are sports clubs and Harbour View Village is a small public housing development.
Economy
Bermuda has a wealthyeconomy, with finance as its largest sector, followed by tourism.[4][7] In 2005, Bermuda was even claimed to have the world's highest GDPper capita, yet these statistics are hard to verify as Bermuda is not classified as a country but rather as a territory of the U.K.
Map of Bermuda, showing many of the islands (right-click map to enlarge).
Main sights
One of Bermuda's pink sand beaches, at Astwood Park
Bermuda's pink sand beaches and clear, cerulean blue ocean waters are popular with tourists. Many of Bermuda's hotels are along the south shore of the island. In addition to its beaches, there are a number of sightseeing attractions. Historic St George's is a World Heritage Site. Scuba divers can explore many wrecks and coral reefs in shallow water (typically 30–40 feet (9.1–12.2 m) in depth) with nearly unlimited visibility. Many nearby reefs are easy to access from shore by snorkellers, especially at Church Bay.
Bermuda's most popular visitor attraction is the Royal Naval Dockyard. It includes the Bermuda Maritime Museum. Other attractions include the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo,[8] Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, the Botanical Gardens, lighthouses, and the Crystal Caves with its impressive stalactites and underground saltwater pools.
It is not possible to rent a car on the island. However, visitors can hire motor scooters for use as private transport, or use public transport.
Music and dance are important in Bermuda. Noted musicians have included local icons The Talbot Brothers, who performed for many decades both in Bermuda and the United States, and were on Ed Sullivan's televised variety show. Other musicians are jazz pianist Lance Hayward, singer-songwriter Heather Nova and her brother, Mishka, tenorGary Burgess, classical musician and conductor Kenneth Amis, and more recently, dancehall artist Collie Buddz.
Bermuda's national cricket team was in the Cricket World Cup 2007 in the West Indies. Their most famous player is Dwayne Leverock. Also very well known is David Hemp. The yearly "Cup Match" cricket tournament between rival parishes St George's in the east and Somerset in the west is the time for a popular national holiday.
In 2007 Bermuda hosted the 25th PGA Grand Slam of Golf. The event returned to Bermuda again in 2008 and 2009. Bermudian Quinn Talbot was once the World one-armed golf champion.
At the 2004 Summer Olympics, Bermuda competed in sailing, athletics, swimming, diving, triathlon and equestrian events. In those Olympics, Bermuda's Katura Horton-Perinchief made history by becoming the first black female diver in the Olympic Games. Bermuda has had one Olympic medallist, Clarence Hill,. Hill won a bronze medal in boxing. Bermuda also was in Men's Skeleton at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Jillian Teceira was in the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Bermuda also competes in the biennial Island Games. It will host in 2013.
Bermuda has a proud Rugby Union community. The Bermuda Rugby Union team won the 2011 Caribbean championships – defeating Guyana in the final.
Bermuda Triangle
Bermuda is the easternmost point of the so-called "Bermuda Triangle"– a region of sea in which a number of aircraft and ships have allegedly disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Some people think there is a pattern to the disappearances, while other people think it is only coincidence.
References
↑"Bermuda 2010 Census"(PDF). Bermuda Department of Statistics. December 2011. Archived from the original(PDF) on 28 February 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
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