Bermuda
Physical Characteristics
The Islands of Bermuda are a fish-hook shaped archipelago of several hundred islands (commonly said to be 365,
but the exact number remains in question) in the North Atlantic Ocean approximately 720 miles due east of
Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
Bermuda consists of 7 principle islands which are connected by bridges. Those islands are (from south-east to
north-west) St George’s, St David’s, Hamilton, Somerset, Boaz, Ireland Island South and Ireland Island North.
Those 7 principle islands provide a land area of approximately 21 square miles. The 7 principle islands are
commonly said to be approximately 21 miles long and 1 ˝ miles wide at the widest point.
Bermuda is divided into 9 parishes. Those parishes are (from south-east to north-west) St. George’s, Hamilton,
Smith’s, Devonshire, Pembroke, Paget, Warwick, Southampton and Sandys. The capital and business centre of
Bermuda is the City of Hamilton (not to be confused with Hamilton parish) and almost all international
companies in Bermuda have their principle offices in or very near the City of Hamilton. The population of
Bermuda is currently estimated at 68,000.
The Government
Bermuda is a British Dependant Territory (colony), meaning that Executive authority in Bermuda is vested in The
Queen and is exercised on her behalf by the Governor of Bermuda after consulting with the appropriate Minister
of the Government of Bermuda. Bermuda is the oldest self-governing colony known to Great Britain.
The Government of Bermuda was reconstituted by the Bermuda Constitution Order 1968, which came into force on 21
February 1968. The Bermuda Constitution Order is an Order in council made by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth
the Second which provides a codified constitution for Bermuda. That constitution is an overriding constitution
that no domestic legislation or principle of common law can derogate from. The Bermuda Constitution has been
variously amended by Her Majesty in council in 1968, 1973, 1979, 1989, 2001 and 2003.
The Bermuda Constitution provides for a Westminster style of government. Bermuda has a bicameral representative
government. The House of Assembly is the equivalent of the British (or Canadian) House of Commons and the
Senate is the equivalent of the British House of Lords (or Canadian Senate). There are 36 electoral
constituencies in Bermuda, each of which is represented in the House of Assembly by a Member of Parliament
(or “MP” as they are known). MPs are directly elected. There is also a Senate consisting of 11 Senators.
Each Senator is appointed by the Governor for the life of the Parliament (which can be no more than 5 years).
Five Senators are appointed on the advice of the Premier, 3 on the advice of the leader of Her Majesty’s
Loyal Opposition and 3 are appointed by the Governor independent of any consultation or advice with any MP.
The person who commands the majority of the 36 MPs (in practice, the leader of one or other of the 2 main political
parties in Bermuda) becomes the Premier and then forms a Cabinet of 12 Ministers chosen from both the Senate
and the House of Assembly. Each member of Cabinet is sworn into office by the Governor of Bermuda.
The Economy
Bermuda is the off-shore domicile of many foreign companies. Bermuda has a highly-developed international business
economy; it is a financial exporter in insurance and other financial services.
Bermuda is regarded as a premier offshore business jurisdiction. Such are the numbers of leading international
insurance companies based in Bermuda that the territory is said to be the world’s largest reinsurance centre
and second largest insurance centre.
The Bermuda dollar is an internal currency only, with no value outside of Bermuda, and is tied to the United States
dollar at par. US$1 equals BD$1.
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