Name The Bermuda Islands.
Area: 53.3 square kilometers.
Population 63,503 (July 2001 estimate). Approximately 58% are of African descent, 36% are of European and North American descent, and 6% are others. English is the official language and the lingua franca. The population is mostly Christian.
Government Hamilton, population 4,680 (1991).?
Governor John Thorold Masefield, appointed June 1997.?
Brief Description An archipelago in the western North Atlantic Ocean, 917 kilometers from South Carolina on the east coast of the United States. It consists of seven main islands and more than 150
islets and cays. The average annual temperature is 21℃. The average annual precipitation is about 1500 millimeters.?
The island was first discovered by the Spaniard Juan Bermuda in 1503, and became a British colony in 1684, the earliest British colony in the British Commonwealth.
An Administrative Agreement was signed by Britain and the United States in March 1940, under which the United States leased the islands of Morgan, Turkle and St. David's in the archipelago for a period of 99 years in exchange for a number of old destroyers.
Bermuda was the first island in the British Commonwealth to become a British colony. Bermuda.In 1968 Bermuda was granted internal self-government.?
Politics British Overseas Territory. In August 1995, Bermuda held a referendum on the issue of independence, 73.6% of voters opposed independence, the pro-independence Premier Swann was forced to resign, and the Minister of Finance, David Sole, became Premier. 27 March 1997, David Sole resigned from the Premier's post due to internal party disagreements, and was succeeded by the Minister of the Environment, Pamela Gordon, who became the first female Premier in Bermuda's history. 1998 was the first time that a female Premier was elected. In October 1998, the Progressive Labor Party (PLP) won the general election, and Jennifer Smith was inaugurated as the first PLP Premier in Bermuda's history.
The Constitution was enacted in 1968. It was last amended in 1989. The current constitution provides for a self-governing British colony; a Governor who represents the Queen of England and is responsible for external affairs, defense and internal security through the Governor's Council; a Premier, who is the leader of the majority party in the House of Assembly and is appointed by the Governor; other ministers who are appointed by the Premier; and a Cabinet that is accountable to the House of Assembly.
Parliament Bicameral. Two chambers. Term of office is five years. The Upper House consists of 11 members, 3 at the discretion of the Governor-General, 5 recommended by the Premier and 3 by the Leader of the Opposition, all appointed by the Governor-General. The lower house consists of 40 members elected by universal suffrage. The term of office does not exceed five years. In the current House of Commons, the Progressive Labor Party has 26 seats and the United Bermuda Party has 14 seats.
Government The current government was formed after the October 1998 general election, with the following key cabinet members: Premier Jennifer Smith, Minister of Development and Opportunity Terry Lister, Minister of Education Senator Milton Scott, Minister of the Environment Terry Lister ( Terry Lister, Minister of Finance Eugene Cox, Minister of Health and Family Services Nelson Bascome, Minister of Labor, Interior and Public ****security Paula Cox, Minister of Legislative Affairs Lois Browne Evans, Minister of Youth, Youth, Interior and Public ****security （Alex Scott, Minister of Works Randolph Horton.
The judiciary consists of the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, and three district courts. The Supreme Court exercises jurisdiction over all serious criminal and civil cases and receives appeals from local court cases. The Court of Appeal was established in 1964 and has the same powers as the Courts of Appeal in other Commonwealth countries. Chief Justice Austin Ward. Sir James R. Astwood, President of the Court of Appeal. The power of final adjudication lies with the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom.
Politics There are three political parties:
(1) Progressive Labour Party (PLP): the ruling party. established in 1963, a left-wing party with a majority of black members. It advocates immediate freedom from British rule and the "Bermudianization" of the economy. Leader Frederick Wade.
(2) United Bermuda Party (UBP): an opposition party founded in 1964. Moderate multiracial right-wing party that favors unity of all races and retention of affiliation. Supports the free enterprise system. Leader Pamela Gordon (Pamela Gordon).?
(3) National Liberal Party (NLP): founded in 1985, made up of members who split from the United Bermuda Party. Leader Gilbert Darrell (Gilbert Darrell).?
Economy Strong ties to the U.S. economy. Tourism and international financial services are the mainstays of the industry, which has maintained high growth rates in recent years. As the U.S. economy has slowed, tourism has been affected. In 2000, the main economic indicators were as follows:
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $2.7 billion.
Average GDP: $43,548.
GDP growth rate: 2.9%.
Currency name: Bermuda dollar; $1 = 100 cents.
Exchange rate (basic fixed rate): $1 = 1 Bermuda dollar.
Inflation rate: 2.7%.
(Source: Quarterly Economic Review, March 2001)
Industry Due to the lack of natural resources, there are only small industries such as ship repair, small boat manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and handicrafts. In recent years, the government has actively encouraged the development of light industrial production. in 1993, industry accounted for 10.2% of GDP and employed about 7.7% of the total labor force.?
Agriculture accounts for 2.5% of GDP. There are 839 acres of arable land, mainly cultivating vegetables, oranges, bananas, etc. 80% of foodstuffs are imported, while milk and eggs are basically self-sufficient. There is a shortage of agricultural labor, accounting for only 1.1% of the total employed population.
The financial services industry is the second largest economic sector. Because of Bermuda's political stability, there are no foreign exchange controls and financial secrecy laws are strictly adhered to. The islands have become one of the largest offshore financial and business centers in the world. since 1999, the number of employees has remained at over 3,200. The insurance industry is quite developed, accounting for about 1/3 of the world's accident insurance reinsurance volume, in 1996 the insurance business income amounted to 19.8 billion Bermuda dollars. The incorporation industry is growing strongly, with growth of up to 9.5% in 2000. Most of them are insurance companies, followed by trading companies, shipping groups and individual investment companies. Bermuda is the fifth largest ship registry in the world.
Tourism is the dominant sector of the economy, accounting for 32 percent of GDP and 40 percent of total foreign exchange earnings. It employs 60% of the country's labor force. It mainly receives high-income tourists. In recent years, the tourism industry is not very good, in 1997 received 562,619 foreign tourists, a decline of 1.7%; total tourism revenue of 1.396 billion U.S. dollars. 2000 first half of the tourism industry continued to decline by 6%. 85% of the tourists come from the United States, the rest come from Canada, Western European countries.
Transportation Highways: total length of about 611 km. 48,677 vehicles were registered in 1994, including 20,727 private cars and 3,389 commercial vehicles. To ease traffic congestion, each family is limited to one passenger car.?
Water transportation: there are three major ports: Hamilton, St. George's, and the Freeport on the island of Ireland. there were 106 merchant ships in 1993.?
Air transportation: Kendry Fylde is the only international airport. There are routes to the United Kingdom and the U.S.A. In 1992, passenger traffic totaled 7,585,941, freight traffic was 600 tons, and air mail was 668 tons.?
Finance Customs duties, corporation tax, stamp duty and land tax are the main sources of government revenue.
Fiscal year 2000/2001 saw a slight decline in revenues from customs duties and stamp duties, partially offsetting large increases in land tax and company tax. Of note is the Government's increased investment in education in recent years, with the education budget growing by 40%.
Foreign Trade Almost all goods are dependent on imports. Seventy-five percent of imports come from the United States. The main trading partners are the United States, Britain, Italy and Canada. Foreign trade has been a huge successive years. The main imports are machinery and means of transportation, food, beverages, manufactured goods and fuel. Exports are dominated by re-exports of pharmaceuticals and the main local exports are cosmetics and flowers. Imports and exports in recent years are as follows (in millions of US dollars):
1998 1999 2000
Exports 33 51 56
Imports 629 712 739
Difference -596 -661 -683
(Source: Quarterly Review of the Economy, March 2001)
The People Life The government operates a social insurance and pension system that provides pensions for all employed people. in 1970 the government enacted the Hospital Insurance Act, which provides medical insurance for all residents, as well as free medical care for children and medical subsidies for the elderly. in FY1998/1999 spending on health and social welfare accounted for 29% of the total. in 1993 there were 3 medical centers with 490 beds. in 1995 the number of medical staff was 1,000, and the number of hospitals was 2,000. In 1995, the number of medical personnel*** amounted to 668, including 90 physicians and surgeons, 48 dentists, and 530 nurses. 38,460 telephones were in operation in 1991/1992. There are currently 55,000 radios and 36,000 televisions.?
Military Affairs Military affairs were formerly administered by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The United States has military bases in Hundred. The United States, Britain and Canada have 3,000 military personnel in Hundred. The U.S. military bases in Hundred have been abolished. The local defense force in Hundred has a regiment of about 700 men.?
Culture and Education
Education Public schools provide free and compulsory education for children between the ages of 5 and 16, and offer a large number of scholarships for higher education and teacher training. The adult illiteracy rate is only 1.6%, and the government spent 31% of the total budget on education in FY1998/1999. 10,533 students were enrolled in 1997***, of which 6,378 were in public schools and 3,512 in private schools. There are 18 elementary school, 14 secondary schools, 5 special schools and 5 private schools. There is one Bermuda College, which is of a post-secondary nature, and there are no universities in the country. Students generally go to universities in the United States, Britain or Canada to further their education after secondary school, and the Bermuda government will provide scholarships for each student if he or she is admitted to a prestigious school in one of these countries.
Press and Publication There is a daily newspaper, two weekly newspapers, a monthly magazine and a bimonthly magazine. The Daily Royal: a morning paper with a circulation of 17,500; The Bermuda Sun: a weekly with a circulation of 15,500; The Mid-Ocean News: a weekly with a circulation of 14,500; The Bermudian: a pictorial monthly with a circulation of 14,000; and The Worker's Voice: a bimonthly.?
The Bermuda Broadcasting Corporation operates two commercial television stations and five radio stations. There is also a St. George's Broadcasting Company. Cable television programs are available in many parts of Bermuda.?
Foreign relations Diplomacy is in the hands of Britain. Bermuda participates in the International Labour Organization, the World Health Organization and other international organizations as a member of the British delegation. The United States has a consul general in Bermuda.