Bermuda (/bɜrˈmjuːdə/),
officially the Bermudas or Somers Isles, is a British overseas territory in the
North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its
nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about 1,030 kilometres (640
mi) to the west-northwest. It is about 1,239 kilometres (770 mi) south of Cape
Sable Island, Nova Scotia and 1,770 kilometres (1,100 mi) northeast of Miami,
Florida, USA. Its capital city is Hamilton.
Bermuda was
discovered in 1505 by Spanish sea captain Juan de Bermúdez, after whom the
islands are named. Apparently uninhabited, he claimed them for the Spanish Empire.
Although he paid two visits to the archipelago, Bermúdez was persuaded never to
set foot on any of the islands by the dangerous reef surrounding them.
Subsequent Spanish or other visitors are believed to have released the feral
pigs that were abundant on the island when settlement began.
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.
(Source: The World Factbook 2009. Washington,
DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2009)
For more information about Bermuda:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html
