Bermuda

Bermuda is an island colony of the United Kingdom, situated in the Atlantic Ocean. The capital is Hamilton[?].

Bermuda is a British overseas territory. In the early 20th century, as modern transportation and communication systems developed, Bermuda became a popular destination for wealthy U.S., British, and Canadian tourists. In addition, the tariff enacted by the U.S. against its trading partners in 1930 cut off Bermuda's once-thriving agricultural export trade--primarily fresh vegetables to the United States--spurring the overseas territory to develop its tourist industry, which is second behind international business in terms of economic importance to the island.

During World War II, Bermuda became important as a military base because of its location in the Atlantic Ocean. In 1941, the United States signed a lend-lease agreement with the United Kingdom giving the British surplus U.S. Navy destroyers in exchange for 99-year lease rights to establish naval and air bases in Bermuda. The bases consisted of 5.8 square kilometers (2.25 sq. mi.) of land largely reclaimed from the sea. The U.S. Naval Air Station was on St. David's Island, while the U.S. Naval Air Station Annex was at the western end of the island in the Great Sound.

Effective September 1, 1995, both bases were closed, as were British and Canadian bases on the island. Unresolved issues concerning the 1995 withdrawal of U.S. forces-- primarily related to environmental factors--delayed the formal return of the base lands to the Government of Bermuda. The United States formally returned the base lands in 2002.

• History of Bermuda
• Geography of Bermuda
• Demographics of Bermuda
• Politics of Bermuda
• Economy of Bermuda
• Communications in Bermuda
• Transportation in Bermuda
• Military of Bermuda

Famous Bermudans:

• Clive Best

Much of the material in these articles comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website.