BERMUDA

Location and Communication Links

Bermuda (64 degrees west, 32 degrees north) is one of the most geographically remote islands in the world. The nearest landfall being the coast of North Carolina, USA, some 500 miles to its west. Often mistakenly thought of as being in the Caribbean, Bermuda is in fact some 1,000 miles north of the Bahamas.

Despite its somewhat remote location, Bermuda is well served by airlines and shipping. There are daily flights to US gateways such a s New York, Boston, Atlanta, Washington and Philadelphia. There is also a daily flight to London, and to London, and to Toronto. Cruise ships from New York and Boston make their weekly journey in the summer months.

Geography and Climate

This fishhook shaped island is situated in the Gulf Stream, with a semi-tropical climate; as such Bermuda enjoys hot summers and mild winters.

Geologically Bermuda emerged on the summits of submerged volcanic mountain ranges (volcanoes that were extinct before the first ice age!). The island is surrounded by a coral reef, and sits on a bed of limestone. The coral gives the beaches their pristine pink appearance, and the limestone has been instrumental in the architecture of the island. The early settlers used the rock for the construction of their homes. This resulted in limestone being used for roofs, and is a construction method used today, ensuring that all roofs have a limestone whitewash.

Population and Major Centres

Bermuda’s land area is only 21.61 miles (about the same as Heathrow airport), yet it has to sustain a population of around 60,000 people, making the island one of the most densely populated in the world.

Bermuda’s is divided into nine parishes. Each is named after one of the prominent shareholders of the founding Bermuda Company. The exception to this being St Georges, which is named after the patron saint of England.

There are three main towns: St Georges (the original capita of Bermuda), Hamilton (the present day capital, and financial centre), and Somerset (once a home for a British Royal Navy Dockyard). However, the population is distributed throughout its 21 square miles.

History

A Spanish sailor, Juan de Bermudez, first put Bermuda on the map in the early 1500’s. The Spanish galleons return to Spain with their treasures usually took them up the Gulf stream before using the favourable trade winds north of Bermuda to carry them east to Europe. However, the reefs around Bermuda prevented any long term planned settlement!

This changed on July 28^th 1609 when the British ship, the "Sea Venture", was shipwrecked on the island on its way to relieve the fledgling colony of Jamestown, Virginia. From then on Bermuda has been continuously inhabited, and has continued to be a crossroads for American and British interests.

The American War of Independence saw the British without a warm water harbour in the North Atlantic. Thus, began the building of the Royal Navy Dockyard, for Bermuda to be the "Gibraltar" of the Atlantic. The British struggles in the 2^nd World War saw a portion of Bermuda’s land given away in a land-lease agreement, for battleships from the USA. The Americans used the land to build an airport. The end of hostilities eventually saw the British forces withdrawn, and the Americans return the land, and the airport to Bermuda.

Government

Bermuda is a self-governing, British dependent territory. It has its own government laws and taxes. Government is based on the Westminster system. Members of Parliament are voted into position by democratic election.

The Queen’s representative in Bermuda is the Governor, who has responsibility for defence, foreign affairs, internal security, and the police. However, these powers are rarely exercised without His Excellency liaising very closely with the Government of the day.

Economy

Over the years Bermuda’s economy has been dependent on a number of variables. This has possibly given rise to its motto "Quo Fata Ferunt" (Wither the Fate Carry Us). At any one time the island has dependent on agriculture, the salt trade with islands to the south and, in recent years, tourism. Tourism is still a major industry. The island has a number of top class hotels, golf courses, and, of course, beautiful beaches.

However, the last two decades has seen a new industry reign in Bermuda, that of international business. The finance industry is now very strong, and is a leading employer on the island. A number of finance houses have Bermuda as a headquarters, and Bermuda’s two main banks now have a presence in most of the finance centres of the world.

Language and Culture

English is the language of the island. However, a number of nationalities have settled in Bermuda, and as such Bermuda boasts a wide, vibrant cosmopolitan population.

The population is 70% black, with roots in the West Indies, there are a large number of residents with British and European (especially Portuguese) backgrounds, and among other heritages there are many from North America.

Sport and Leisure Activities

Sport is indeed a way of life in Bermuda. At the crossroad of European and American culture sports from both continents are well served. However, history has dictated that the British sports are the most dominant. Football and cricket are the national sports, but incredible participation is obvious in a whole gamete of sports.

Activity, in an island sorely pressed for land, centres around three government recreation centres, and a number of sports clubs that run the length of the island. There are two 25 metre swimming pools at different school sites. Tennis courts are in a government facility and at most of the hotels on the island, and golf courses abound throughout the island.

To supplement this, the government is building a new national sports centre. At present this houses a brand new 400 metre all-weather running track, with a football pitch in the middle. Both are floodlit to a very high standard. A covered grandstand with changing and hospitality facilities will be finished by the end of 2001. Adjacent to this is a multi-purpose grass sport-field that is designed to cricket Test standards. This will also be ready by the end of 2001. The following few years should see the completion of an indoor sports complex that will house a 50 metre swimming pool, and a large sports hall with a double basketball court. Also to be built within the next few years on the site is a synthetic grass multi-sports area.

For such a small island Bermuda has been blessed with a number of successful athletes in the Commonwealth, Pan Am and Olympic Games; also in international competition such as sailing and triathlon. Over the years Bermudians have also managed to make an impact in professional sport especially football.

Funding for sport comes, essentially from the Ministry of Youth Sport and Recreation, who determine grants to National Sports Governing Bodies. However, such is the tradition of sport interwoven into the culture of the island that many local businesses assist with sponsorship in a wide variety of sports, and sporting events.

John Beard