Military service age and obligation: 18-30 years of age for voluntary or compulsory enlistment in the Bermuda Regiment; males must register at age 18; term of service is 38 months
Manpower available for military service: males age 16-49: 15,081
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually: male: 433, female: 410
Military expenditures: 0.11% of GDP
country comparison to the world: 170
Military - note: defense is the responsibility of the UK
Airports: 1
country comparison to the world: 211
Roadways: 447 km
country comparison to the world: 196
note: public roads - 225 km; private roads - 222 km
Merchant marine: 139
country comparison to the world: 41
by type: bulk carrier 22, chemical tanker 3, container 14, liquefied gas 43, passenger 27, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 19, refrigerated cargo 9
foreign-owned: 105 (France 1, Germany 14, Greece 8, Hong Kong 4, Ireland 1, Israel 3, Japan 2, Monaco 2, Nigeria 11, Norway 5, Sweden 14, UK 14, US 26)
registered in other countries: 241 (Bahamas 15, Cyprus 1, France 5, Greece 3, Hong Kong 20, Isle of Man 7, Liberia 4, Malta 15, Marshall Islands 35, Netherlands 1, Norway 24, Panama 27, Philippines 47, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Singapore 25, UK 6, US 5)
Ports and terminals: Hamilton, Ireland Island, Saint George
Telephones - main lines in use: 57,800
country comparison to the world: 158
Telephones - mobile cellular: 88,200
country comparison to the world: 190
Telephone system: general assessment: a good, fully automatic digital telephone system with fiber-optic trunk lines
domestic: the system has a high fixed-line teledensity coupled with a mobile-cellular teledensity of roughly 125 per 100 persons
Broadcast media: 3 TV stations; cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; roughly 10 radio stations operating
Internet country code: .bm
Internet hosts: 20,527
country comparison to the world: 119
Internet users: 54,000
country comparison to the world: 172
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 on the US 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.
Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK
Government type: parliamentary; self-governing territory
Administrative divisions: 9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smith's, Southampton, Warwick
Independence: none (overseas territory of the UK)
Legal system: English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Ethnic groups: black 54.8%, white 34.1%, mixed 6.4%, other races 4.3%, unspecified 0.4%
Languages: English (official), Portuguese
Religions: Protestant 52% (Anglican 23%, African Methodist Episcopal 11%, other Protestant 18%), Roman Catholic 15%, other 12%, unaffiliated 6%, unspecified 1%, none 14%
Population: 69,080
country comparison to the world: 201
Median age: 42.3 years
male: 40.7 years
female: 43.9 years
Population growth rate: 0.572%
country comparison to the world: 145
Net migration rate: 2.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population
country comparison to the world: 37
Urbanization: population: 100% of total population
rate of urbanization: 0.2% annual rate of change
Major cities - population: HAMILTON (capital) 12,000
Life expectancy at birth: 80.82 years
country comparison to the world: 22
male: 77.6 years
female: 84.1 years
Total fertility rate: 1.97 children born/woman
country comparison to the world: 131
Education expenditures: 2.6% of GDP
country comparison to the world: 146
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 98%
female: 99%
Location: North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US)
Environment - current issues: sustainable development
Geography - note: consists of about 138 coral islands and islets with ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land was leased by the US Government from 1941 to 1995
Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists headed for Virginia. 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 also developed into a highly successful offshore financial center. A referendum on independence from the UK was soundly defeated in 1995.
