Bermuda, British crown colony (21 sq mi/54 sq km; 1991 pop. 58,460), comprising some 150 coral rocks, islets, and isls. (of which some 20 are inhabited), in the Atlantic Ocean, c.570 mi/917 km SE of Cape Hatteras, N.C.; Hamilton, on Bermuda, or Great Bermuda, the largest isl.; 32°18'N 64°45'W. Smaller isls. are Somerset, Ireland, and St. George. Bermuda, with its fine beaches, excellent climate, picturesque sites, and easy access from the U.S. East Coast, is a fashionable and popular year-round resort. Three main harbors are at Hamilton, St. George, and West End. Its coral reefs are the northernmost in the world. The colony’s economic mainstays are tourism, internatl. financial services (including insurance and banking), and expenditures by U.S. military personnel stationed here. Insurance and reinsurance surpassed tourism as the isl.’s main industry in 1997. Sales of fuel to aircraft and ships, and pharmaceuticals are major exports, though both are minor in comparison to tourism and financial services. Reputedly the 1st person to set foot here was the Span. navigator Juan de Bermúdez (1503–1511), but they remained uninhabited, despite visits by Spaniards and Englishmen, until Sir George Somers and a group of colonists on their way to Va. were shipwrecked here in 1609. This incident was known to Shakespeare when he wrote The Tempest. Long called Somers Isls., the Bermudas were 1st governed by chartered companies but were acquired by the crown in 1684. The harbor of St. George was a base for privateers during the War of 1812, and the isl. was a center for Confederate blockade runners during the Amer. Civil War. Onions became a main crop during the early 20th cent. During World War II the isls. played an important strategic role. The U.S., under a 99-year lease, operates a naval and air force base. Internal self-govt. was granted in 1968. In the 1970s, Bermuda experienced significant unrest due to racial tensions and the question of political independence. Tensions eased during the 1980s and 1990s. In 1995, the voters rejected an independence referendum. Most of the isl.’s elected officials are of Afr. ancestry, reflecting the pop. mix, which is c.70% Afro-Caribbean. Four foreign-held military bases used to track Soviet submarines in the North Atlantic were closed in the mid-1990’s and returned to the govt. of Bermuda. Southside, the former U.S. Naval air station adjoining Bermuda’s airport, is to be developed as a port, relocating Hamilton’s container terminal. The Can. base at Daniel’s Head is to be converted to eco-tourism. The Br. bases at Morgan’s Point and Tudor Hill will be converted into residences and tourist facilities.
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Hamilton, on Bermuda, or Great Bermuda, the largest isl.; 32°18'N 64°45'W. Smaller isls. are Somerset, Ireland, and St. George. Bermuda, with its fine beaches, excellent climate, picturesque sites, and easy access from the U.S. East Coast, is a fashionable and popular year-round resort. Three main harbors are at Hamilton, St. George, and West End. Its coral reefs are the northernmost in the world. The colony’s economic mainstays are tourism, internatl. financial services (including insurance and banking), and expenditures by U.S. military personnel stationed here. Insurance and reinsurance surpassed tourism as the isl.’s main industry in 1997. Sales of fuel to aircraft and ships, and pharmaceuticals are major exports, though both are minor in comparison to tourism and financial services. Reputedly the 1st person to set foot here was the Span. navigator Juan de Bermúdez (1503–1511), but they remained uninhabited, despite visits by Spaniards and Englishmen, until Sir George Somers and a group of colonists on their way to Va. were shipwrecked here in 1609. This incident was known to Shakespeare when he wrote The Tempest. Long called Somers Isls., the Bermudas were 1st governed by chartered companies but were acquired by the crown in 1684. The harbor of St. George was a base for privateers during the War of 1812, and the isl. was a center for Confederate blockade runners during the Amer. Civil War. Onions became a main crop during the early 20th cent. During World War II the isls. played an important strategic role. The U.S., under a 99-year lease, operates a naval and air force base. Internal self-govt. was granted in 1968. In the 1970s, Bermuda experienced significant unrest due to racial tensions and the question of political independence. Tensions eased during the 1980s and 1990s. In 1995, the voters rejected an independence referendum. Most of the isl.’s elected officials are of Afr. ancestry, reflecting the pop. mix, which is c.70% Afro-Caribbean. Four foreign-held military bases used to track Soviet submarines in the North Atlantic were closed in the mid-1990’s and returned to the govt. of Bermuda. Southside, the former U.S. Naval air station adjoining Bermuda’s airport, is to be developed as a port, relocating Hamilton’s container terminal. The Can. base at Daniel’s Head is to be converted to eco-tourism. The Br. bases at Morgan’s Point and Tudor Hill will be converted into residences and tourist facilities.
