218 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
218 lines
17 KiB
Plaintext
BERMUDA
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(dependent territory of the UK)
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 50 km2; land area: 50 km2
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Comparative area: about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
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Land boundaries: none
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Coastline: 103 km
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Maritime claims:
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Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Climate: subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in
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winter
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Terrain: low hills separated by fertile depressions
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Natural resources: limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism
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Land use: arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures
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0%; forest and woodland 20%; other 80%
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Environment: ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes;
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consists of about 360 small coral islands
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Note: 1,050 km east of North Carolina; some reclaimed land
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leased by US Government
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PEOPLE
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Population: 58,433 (July 1991), growth rate 1.5% (1991)
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Birth rate: 15 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: 7 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 12 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 72 years male, 78 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 1.7 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Bermudian(s); adjective--Bermudian
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Ethnic divisions: black 61%, white and other 39%
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Religion: Anglican 37%, Roman Catholic 14%, African Methodist
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Episcopal (Zion) 10%, Methodist 6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5%, other
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28%
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Language: English
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Literacy: 98% (male 98%, female 99%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1970)
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Labor force: 32,000; clerical 25%, services 22%, laborers 21%,
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professional and technical 13%, administrative and managerial 10%,
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sales 7%, agriculture and fishing 2% (1984)
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Organized labor: 8,573 members (1985); largest union is Bermuda
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Industrial Union
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: none
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Type: dependent territory of the UK
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Capital: Hamilton
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Administrative divisions: 9 parishes and 2 municipalities*;
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Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*,
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Saint George's, Sandys, Smiths, Southampton, Warwick
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Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)
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Constitution: 8 June 1968
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Legal system: English law
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National holiday: Bermuda Day, 22 May
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Executive branch: British monarch, governor, deputy governor,
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premier, deputy premier, Executive Council (cabinet)
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Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house
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or Senate and a lower house or House of Assembly
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
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represented by Governor Sir Desmond LANGLEY (since NA October 1988);
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Head of Government--Premier John William David SWAN (since NA
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January 1982)
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Political parties and leaders:
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United Bermuda Party (UBP), John W. D. SWAN;
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Progressive Labor Party (PLP), Frederick WADE;
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National Liberal Party (NLP), Gilbert DARRELL
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Suffrage: universal at age 21
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Elections:
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House of Assembly--last held 9 February 1989 (next to be
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held by February 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(40 total) UBP 23, PLP 15, NLP 1, other 1
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Communists: negligible
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Other political or pressure groups: Bermuda Industrial Union (BIU),
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headed by Ottiwell SIMMONS
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Member of: CARICOM (observer), ICFTU, IOC
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Diplomatic representation: as a dependent territory of the UK,
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Bermuda's interests in the US are represented by the UK;
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US--Consul General L. Ebersole GAINES; Consulate General at
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Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire, Hamilton (mailing address is
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P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX, or FPO New York 09560-5300); telephone
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(809) 295-1342
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Flag: red with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant
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and the Bermudian coat of arms (white and blue shield with a red lion
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holding a scrolled shield showing the sinking of the ship Sea Venture off
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Bermuda in 1609) centered on the outer half of the flag
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ECONOMY
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Overview: Bermuda enjoys one of the highest per capita incomes in
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the world, having successfully exploited its location by providing luxury
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tourist facilities and financial services. The tourist industry attracts
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more than 90% of its business from North America. The industrial sector
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is small, and agriculture is severely limited by a lack of suitable land.
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About 80% of food needs are imported.
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GDP: $1.3 billion, per capita $22,400; real growth rate 2.0% (1989
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est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.8% (June 1989)
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Unemployment: 2.0% (1988)
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Budget: revenues $307 million; expenditures $275 million, including
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capital expenditures of $31 million (FY90 est.)
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Exports: $30 million (f.o.b., FY88);
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commodities--semitropical produce, light manufactures;
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partners--US 25%, Italy 25%, UK 14%, Canada 5%, other 31%
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Imports: $420 million (c.i.f., FY88);
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commodities--fuel, foodstuffs, machinery;
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partners--US 58%, Netherlands Antilles 9%, UK 8%, Canada 6%, Japan
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5%, other 14%
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External debt: NA
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Industrial production: growth rate NA%
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Electricity: 154,000 kW capacity; 504 million kWh produced,
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8,640 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: tourism, finance, structural concrete products,
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paints, pharmaceuticals, ship repairing
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Agriculture: accounts for less than 1% of GDP; most basic foods
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must be imported; produces bananas, vegetables, citrus fruits, flowers,
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dairy products
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-81), $34
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million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $267 million
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Currency: Bermudian dollar (plural--dollars); 1 Bermudian dollar
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(Bd$) = 100 cents
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Exchange rates: Bermudian dollar (Bd$) per US$1--1.0000 (fixed
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rate)
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Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Highways: 210 km public roads, all paved (about 400 km of private
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roads)
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Ports: Freeport, Hamilton, Saint George
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Merchant marine: 84 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,826,756
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GRT/6,932,981 DWT; includes 3 short-sea passenger, 8 cargo, 7
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refrigerated cargo, 4 container, 8 roll-on/roll-off, 26 petroleum, oils,
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and lubricants (POL) tanker, 11 liquefied gas, 17 bulk; note--a flag of
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convenience registry
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Civil air: 16 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runways 2,440-3,659 m
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Telecommunications: modern with fully automatic telephone system;
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52,670 telephones; stations--5 AM, 3 FM, 2 TV; 3 submarine cables; 2
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Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Bermuda Regiment, Bermuda Police Force, Reserve
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Constabulary
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Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
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