Bermuda
Bermuda
Source: J.G. Howes/ Wikimedia Commons
Bermuda is a British overseas territory of nearly seventy thousand people in the North Atlantic Ocean. It consists of consists of a main island and about 138 coral islands and islets with ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes.
Located off the east coast of the United States, it is situated around 1,770 kilometres (1,100 mi) northeast of Miami, Florida, and 1,350 kilometres (840 mi) south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about 1,030 kilometres (640 mi) west-northwest.
Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists headed for Virginia.
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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 United Kingdom was soundly defeated in 1995, the present government has reopened debate on the issue.
Some land was leased by the US Government from 1941 to 1995
Its major environmental issues include: sustainable development.
Geography
Location: North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US)
Geographic Coordinates: 32 20 N, 64 45 W
Area: Total: 53.3 sq km
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 80% (55% developed, 45% rural/open space) (2005)
Coastline: 103 km
Maritime Claims: Territorial sea to12 nautical miles and an exclusive fishing zone to 200 nautical miles
Natural Resources: limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism.
Natural Hazards: Hurricanes (June to November)
Terrain: Low hills separated by fertile depressions. The highest point is Town Hill 76 m
Climate: Subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter
Ecology and Biodiversity
Paget Marsh, Bermuda, UK (Photograph by Catherine Mastny)
Ecologically, Bermuda is classified under the See: Bermuda subtropical conifer forests ecoregion.
The Bermuda islands were once covered in dense forest of endemic tree species, with mangrove forests lining the coasts and inland saltwater ponds.
The islands are distinguished as having the northernmost mangrove forests in the Atlantic, which is made possible by the warm Gulf Stream current.
Bermuda’s isolation led to the evolution of many endemic species, including the endangered Bermuda petrel (Pterodroma cahow), the Bermuda skink (Eumeces longirostris), and many endemic invertebrates.
Restricted to this small archipelago, all endemic species are especially vulnerable to introduced predators and alien pests, and unfortunately the islands have seen the extinction of many species since the time of human settlement. Due to intense human activity, only very small areas of natural habitat remain on Bermuda today.
Though the islands have a well-managed and well-funded system of protected areas, this is one of the world’s most densely populated regions. Additionally, Bermuda is subject to intense pressure from a heavy tourist industry.
Currently, some ten percent of the ecoregion’s land area is covered by forest or woodland. Within this, only very small and fragmented areas of natural habitat survive.
An estimated 95 percent of the surviving population of native Bermuda cedar (Juniperus bermudiana) was destroyed between 1946 and 1951, following the accidental introduction of two coccoid scale insects. Only an estimated one percent of the original cedar forest survived the blight. Subsequent reforestation using a scale-resistant strain has returned the cedar to roughly ten percent of its former abundance, though these efforts have been hampered by the introduction of fast-growing casuarinas and other exotics into much of the cedar habitat.
Of the 116 hectares of inland peat marshes present in the ecoregion in 1900, only some 48 hectares remain, including the 19.6 hectare Devonshire Marsh, Pembroke Marsh, and Paget Marsh. Only small, scattered areas of mangroves remain, totaling 16.7 hectares in 1980. The largest mangrove forests are found at Hungry Bay Mangrove Swamp and Mangrove Lake.
Bermuda holds the distinction of having passed the first conservation laws in the New World, protecting the cahow (Pterodroma cahow) and other birds as early as 1616 and limiting the uses of native cedar as early as 1622.
A comprehensive and well-managed protected areas system currently exists, comprising 12 nature reserves that cover some 48 hectares, as well as 63 parks. The 25-acre Paget Marsh Nature Reserve is the best surviving example of native cedar, palmetto, and mangrove forests. The largest wildlife sanctuary is Spittal Pond, covering some 60 acres and home to at least 25 species of waterfowl. Other important protected areas include Devonshire and Pembroke Marshes, Warwick Pond, and the upland hills of Castle Harbour and Walsingham.
One important conservation success story has been the recovery of the endemic Bermuda petrel. Early visitors to Bermuda had been terrified by the cahow’s screeching cries, but they soon found the bird easy to catch and good to eat. Birds that were overlooked by humans were quickly consumed by introduced pigs, and as a result the cahow was thought to be extinct as early as the mid-1600s. But in 1951, 18 breeding pairs were rediscovered off the island’s East End, and subsequent recovery efforts have raised that number to 55 by 1998. The birds are currently protected in off-limits offshore sanctuaries.
Bermuda (the UK) is party to a number of relevant international environmental treaties, including: the World Heritage Convention, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, CITES, and the Bonn Convention on Migratory Species.
See also: Biological diversity in the Caribbean Islands.
Government
Government Type: Parliamentary; self-governing territory
Capital: Hamilton - 12,000 (2009)
Administrative Divisions: 9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smith's, Southampton, Warwick
Legal System: English law. Bermuda has not submitted an International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction declaration; and is a non-party state to the International Criminal Court (ICCt).
People and Society
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| Located about 1,700 kilometers off the South Carolina shoreline in the Atlantic Ocean, Bermuda resembles a giant fish hook. The eye of the hook in the northeast is formed by Castle Harbour. The smaller enclosed body of water immediately below that is Harrington Sound. Under the water, coral reefs glow bright blue. The coral reflects light, coloring the shallow water blue and green. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this true-color image of Bermuda on March 4, 2004. Source: NASA. Credit: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC |
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| The Bermuda Cedar is Critically Endangered. This juvenile Bermuda cedar (Juniperus bermudiana), is in the grave yard of St. Mark's Church, Bermuda. Source: Seán Pòl Ó Creachmhaoil/Wikimedia Commons. |
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| A view of Hamilton, Bermuda and beyond from the Cathedral. Source: Wikimedia Commons. |
Population: 68,679 (July 2011 est.)
Ethnic groups: black 54.8%, white 34.1%, mixed 6.4%, other races 4.3%, unspecified 0.4% (2000 census)
Age Structure:
0-14 years: 18% (male 6,212/female 6,129)
15-64 years: 67% (male 22,701/female 23,293)
65 years and over: 15.1% (male 4,304/female 6,040) (2011 est.)
Population Growth Rate: 0.594% (2011 est.)
Birthrate: 11.42 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Death Rate: 7.57 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
Net Migration Rate: 2.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Life Expectancy at Birth: 80.71 years (2011 est.)
Total Fertility Rate: 1.97 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Languages: English (official), Portuguese
Literacy: 98% (2005 est.)
Urbanization: 100% of total population (2010)
Economy
Bermuda enjoys the fourth highest per capita income in the world, more than 50% higher than that of the US. The average cost of a house by the mid-2000s exceeded $1,000,000.
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 largely focused on construction and agriculture is limited, with only 20% of the land being arable.
GDP: (Purchasing Power Parity): $4.5 billion (2004 est.)
GDP- per capita (PPP): $69,900 (2004 est.)
GDP- composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.7%
industry: 8.4%
services: 90.8% (2011 est.)
Agricultural products: Bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products, honey
Industries: international business, tourism, light manufacturing
Currency: Bermudian dollars (BMD)
Citation
World Wildlife Fund, Central Intelligence Agency (Lead Author);Elisa Triana, National Aeronautics and Space Administra (Contributing Author);CIA World Factbook (Content Source);Peter Saundry (Topic Editor) "Bermuda". In: Encyclopedia of Earth. Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Information Coalition, National Council for Science and the Environment). [First published in the Encyclopedia of Earth May 19, 2009; Last revised Date February 1, 2012; Retrieved February 9, 2012 <http://www.eoearth.org/article/Bermuda>
The Authors
Known worldwide by its panda logo, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) leads international efforts to protect endangered species and their habitats. Now in its fifth decade, WWF works in more than 100 countries around the globe to conserve the diversity of life on Earth. With nearly 1.2 million members in the U.S. and another 4 million worldwide, WWF is the world's largest privately financed conservation organization. WWF directs its conservation efforts toward three global goals: 1) saving endangered ... (Full Bio)
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