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| Geography | |
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Topographic map of Bermuda
Main article: Geography of Bermuda
Bermuda is a low-lying island located in the North Atlantic Ocean, near the western edge of the Sargasso Sea, roughly 580 nautical miles (1070 km, 670 mi) east-southeast of Cape Hatteras on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and roughly 590 nautical miles (1100 km, 690 mi) southeast of Martha's Vineyard. The island lies due east of Fripp Island, South Carolina. It has 103 km (64 mi) of coastline. There are two incorporated municipalities in Bermuda: the City of Hamilton and the Town of St George. Bermuda is divided into various "parishes," in which there are some localities called "villages," such as Flatts Village and Somerset Village. It is antipodal to Rottnest Island in Western Australia.
Although usually referred to in the singular, the territory consists of 181 islands, with a total area of 53.3 square kilometres (20.6 sq mi). The largest island, Main Island, sometimes itself called Bermuda. Compiling a list of the islands is often complicated, as many have more than one name (as does the entire archipelago, which has also been known historically as La Garza, Virgineola, and the Isle of Devils. 'Somers Isles' is often rendered 'Somers Islands', or mistaken for 'Summer Isles'). Despite its small land mass, there has been a tendency for place names to be repeated; there are, for example, two islands named Long Island, and St George's Town is located on St George's Island within St George's Parish (each known as St George's).
[edit] Tags:Atlantic,North Atlantic Ocean,Cape Hatteras,Sargasso Sea,Outer Banks,Martha's Vineyard,Fripp Island,Incorporated,Antipodal, | |
| Climate | |
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Main article: Climate of Bermuda
Bermuda has a humid subtropical climate[6][7] on the border of tropical climate. It's warmed by the nearby Gulf Stream, due to the westerlies, which carry warm, humid air eastwards over Bermuda, helping to keep winter temperatures above freezing. The climate is humid and, as a result, the summertime heat index can be high, even though mid-August temperatures rarely exceed 30 °C (86 °F). Winters are mild and windy, with average daytime temperatures in January and February around 20 °C (68 °F), although cold fronts bring Arctic air masses that can result in rapid temperature drops. Atlantic winter storms, often associated with these cold fronts, can produce powerful, gusting winds and heavy rain. Factoring in the wind chill, the felt air temperature in winter can fall below freezing, 0 °C (32 °F), even though the actual temperature rarely drops below 10 °C (50 °F). The lowest temperature recorded between 1949 and 1999 was 6.7 °C (44 °F), in February 1950.[8]
Bermuda is very susceptible to hurricanes. Its position along the Gulf Stream means that it is often directly in the path of hurricanes recurving in the westerlies, although they have usually begun to weaken as they approach the island. It is often affected by these hurricanes, although the island's small size means that direct landfalls are rare. The last hurricane to cause significant damage to Bermuda was category 3 Hurricane Fabian on 5 September 2003.
The only source of fresh water in Bermuda is rainfall, which is collected on roofs and catchments (or drawn from underground lenses) and stored in tanks. Each dwelling usually has at least one of these tanks forming part of its foundation. Residents typically add bleach to make the water safe to drink.
Average annual temperature of the sea is 23 °C (73 °F), from 20 °C (68 °F) in January to 28 °C (82 °F) in August.[9]
Climate data for Hamilton – capital of Bermuda
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Average high °C (°F)
20
(68)
19
(66)
20
(68)
21
(70)
24
(75)
27
(81)
29
(84)
29
(84)
28
(82)
26
(79)
23
(73)
21
(70)
24
(75)
Daily mean °C (°F)
18
(64)
17
(63)
18
(64)
19
(66)
22
(72)
24
(75)
26
(79)
27
(81)
26
(79)
23
(73)
21
(70)
18
(64)
22
(72)
Average low °C (°F)
16
(61)
15
(59)
15
(59)
16
(61)
19
(66)
22
(72)
24
(75)
24
(75)
23
(73)
21
(70)
18
(64)
16
(61)
19
(66)
Precipitation mm (inches)
128.5
(5.059)
115.3
(4.539)
110.0
(4.331)
87.90
(3.4606)
82.80
(3.2598)
130.3
(5.13)
114.6
(4.512)
130.8
(5.15)
129.3
(5.091)
161.3
(6.35)
104.6
(4.118)
114.3
(4.5)
1,409.7
(55.5)
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.01 inch)
17
15
15
12
10
12
13
14
15
16
13
17
171
Sunshine hours
155
145
155
240
248
270
279
279
240
186
180
124
2,501
Source: Bermuda Weather Service[10], weather2travel.com[9] for data of sunshine hours
Climate data for Hamilton – capital of Bermuda
Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Year
Average high °C (°F)
20
(68)
20
(68)
20
(68)
21
(70)
23
(73)
27
(81)
29
(84)
30
(86)
28
(82)
26
(79)
23
(73)
21
(70)
24
(75)
Daily mean °C (°F)
18
(64)
17
(63)
18
(64)
19
(66)
22
(72)
25
(77)
27
(81)
27
(81)
26
(79)
24
(75)
21
(70)
19
(66)
22
(72)
Average low °C (°F)
16
(61)
15
(59)
15
(59)
17
(63)
20
(68)
22
(72)
25
(77)
25
(77)
24
(75)
22
(72)
19
(66)
17
(63)
20
(68)
Precipitation mm (inches)
120
(4.72)
110
(4.33)
100
(3.94)
80
(3.15)
70
(2.76)
120
(4.72)
110
(4.33)
120
(4.72)
120
(4.72)
160
(6.3)
100
(3.94)
110
(4.33)
1,400
(55.12)
Source: Weatherbase[11]
[edit] Tags:Subtropical,Climate,Humid Subtropical Climate,Tropical Climate,Gulf Stream,Cold Fronts,Air Masses,Wind Chill,Hurricanes,Westerlies,Category 3, | |
| Flora and fauna | |
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Young Bermuda cedar at Ferry Reach.
Main article: Flora and fauna in Bermuda
When discovered, Bermuda was uninhabited and mostly dominated by forests of Bermuda cedar (Juniperus bermudiana), with mangrove swamps along its shores. Only 165 of the island's current 1000 vascular plant species are considered native, and of those 15, including the cedar, are endemic.
The only indigenous mammals of Bermuda are five species of bats, all of which also occur in the eastern United States—Lasionycteris noctivagans, Lasiurus borealis, Lasiurus cinereus, Lasiurus seminolus, and Perimyotis subflavus.[12] Other commonly known fauna of Bermuda includes its national bird, the Bermuda Petrel, and the Bermuda Rock Skink. The skink was long thought to have been the only indigenous land vertebrate of Bermuda, discounting the marine turtles that lay their eggs on its beaches. It has recently been discovered, however, that a species of terrapin, which had been assumed to have been introduced, predated the arrival of humans on the archipelago. As this species spends most of its time in brackish ponds, there is some question as to whether it negates the skink's claim to be the only indigenous land vertebrate.
[edit] Tags:Mangrove,Vascular Plant,Native,Endemic,Lasionycteris Noctivagans,Lasiurus Borealis,Lasiurus Cinereus,Lasiurus Seminolus,Perimyotis Subflavus, | |
| Pre-settlement | |
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Bermuda was discovered in 1505 by Spanish explorer Juan de Bermudez.[13] It is mentioned in Legatio Babylonica, published in 1511 by historian Pedro Mártir de AnglerÃa, and was also included on Spanish charts of that year. Both Spanish and Portuguese ships used the islands as a replenishment spot for fresh meat and water. Legends of spirits and devils, now thought to have stemmed from the callings of raucous birds (most likely the Bermuda Petrel, or Cahow) and the loud noise heard at night from wild hogs, combined with perpetual storm-wracked conditions and a surrounding ring of treacherous reefs, led to the archipelago being called the Isle of Devils, and may have contributed to the lack of any attempt at permanent settlement.
[edit] Tags:Juan De Bermudez,Pedro Mártir De AnglerÃa,Spirits, | |
| Settlement by the British | |
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John Smith wrote one of the first Histories of Bermuda (in concert with Virginia and New England)
For the next century, the island is believed to have been visited frequently but not settled. After the failure of the first two English colonies in Virginia, a more determined effort was initiated by King James I of England (James VI of Scotland), who granted a Royal Charter to the Virginia Company. In 1609, a flotilla of ships left England under the Company's Admiral, Sir George Somers, and the new Governor of Jamestown, Sir Thomas Gates, to relieve the colony of Jamestown, settled two years before. Somers had previous experience sailing with both Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh. The flotilla was broken up by a storm, and the flagship, the Sea Venture, was wrecked off Bermuda (as depicted on the territory's coat of arms), leaving the survivors in possession of a new territory. (William Shakespeare's play The Tempest is thought to have been inspired by William Strachey's account of this shipwreck.) [14] The island was claimed for the English Crown, and the charter of the Virginia Company was extended to include it.
Most of the survivors of the Sea Venture carried on to Jamestown in 1610 aboard two Bermuda-built ships. Among them was John Rolfe, who left a wife (Sarah Hacker) and child buried in Bermuda before marrying Pocahontas, a daughter of Powhatan, in Jamestown. Intentional settlement of Bermuda began with the arrival of the Plough, in 1612. St George's was settled in 1612 and made Bermuda's first capital. It is the oldest continually inhabited English town in the New World.[4]
In 1615, the colony was passed to a new company, the Somers Isles Company (The Somers Isles remains an official name for the colony, named after Admiral Somers, just as Gate's Bay and Fort Gates are named after Sir Thomas Gates), formed by the same shareholders. The close ties with Virginia were commemorated even after Bermuda's separation by reference to the archipelago in many Virginian place names, such as Bermuda City, and Bermuda Hundred. The first British coins in America were struck here.
[edit] Tags:John Smith,Virginia,New England,James I Of England, | |
| Company colony | |
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Because of its limited land area, Bermuda has had difficulty with over-population. In the first two centuries of settlement it relied on steady human emigration to keep the population manageable. It is often claimed that, before the American Revolution more than ten thousand Bermudians (over half of the population) emigrated, primarily to the American South, where Great Britain was displacing Spain as the dominant European imperial power. A steady trickle of outward migration continued. With seafaring being the only real industry, by the end of the 18th century at least a third of the island's manpower was at sea at any one time.
The archipelago's limited land area and resources led to the creation of what may be the earliest conservation laws of the New World. In 1616 and 1620 acts were passed banning the hunting of certain birds and young tortoises.[15]
In 1649, the English Civil War raged and King Charles I was beheaded in Whitehall, London. The execution resulted in the outbreak of a Bermudian civil war; it was ended by militias. This created a strong sense of devotion to the crown for the majority of colonists and it forced those who did not swear allegiance, such as Puritans and independents, into exile in the Bahamas.[16]
Bermuda Gazette of 12 November 1796, calling for privateering against Spain and its allies, and with advertisements for crew for two privateer vessels.
In the 17th century the Somers Isles Company suppressed shipbuilding, as it needed Bermudians to farm in order to generate income from the land. Agricultural production met with only limited success, however. The Bermuda cedar boxes used to ship tobacco to England were reportedly worth more than their contents.[citation needed] The colony of Virginia far surpassed Bermuda in both quality and quantity of tobacco produced. Bermudians began to turn to maritime trades relatively early in the 17th century, but the Somers Isles Company used all its authority to suppress turning away from agriculture. This interference led to the islanders demanding, and receiving, the revocation of the Company's charter in 1684, the Company itself being dissolved.
[edit] Tags:European, | |
| Maritime economy | |
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After the dissolution of the Somers Isle Company, Bermudians rapidly abandoned agriculture for shipbuilding, replanting farmland with the native juniper (Juniperus bermudiana, called Bermuda cedar) trees that grew thickly over the whole island. Establishing effective control over the Turks Islands, Bermudians deforested their landscape to begin the salt trade that became the world's largest and remained the cornerstone of Bermuda's economy for the next century. Bermudian sailors relied on more than salt, however. They vigorously pursued whaling, privateering, and the merchant trade. Vessels sailed the normal shipping routes, but were required to engage an enemy vessel no matter the size or strength, and as a result many ships were destroyed. The Bermuda sloop became highly regarded for speed and maneuverability. The Bermuda sloop HMS Pickle, one of the fastest vessels in the Royal Navy, brought the news of the victory at Trafalgar and the death of Admiral Nelson back to England.
[edit] Tags: | |
| Fortress Bermuda | |
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An illustration of Devonshire Redoubt, Bermuda, 1614
After the American Revolution, the Royal Navy began improving the harbours and in 1811 started building the large dockyard on Ireland Island, in the west of the chain, to serve as its principal naval base guarding the western Atlantic Ocean shipping lanes. During the War of 1812 between Britain and the United States, the British attacks on Washington, D.C. and the Chesapeake (which prompted the writing of The Star-Spangled Banner) were planned and launched from Bermuda, where the headquarters of the Royal Navy's 'North American Station' had recently been moved from Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The First Bermuda Volunteer Rifle Corps Contingent, raised in 1914. By the war's end, the two Bermuda contingents had lost over 75% of their combined strength.
In 1816, James Arnold, the son of Benedict Arnold, fortified Bermuda's Royal Naval Dockyard against possible U.S. attacks.[17] Today, the "Maritime Museum" occupies the Keep of the Royal Naval Dockyard, including the Commissioner's House, and exhibits artefacts of the base's military history.
As a result of Bermuda's proximity to the southeastern U.S. coast, it was regularly used by Confederate States blockade runners during the American Civil War to evade Union naval vessels and bring desperately needed war goods to the South from England. The old Globe Hotel in St George's, which was a centre of intrigue for Confederate agents, is preserved as a museum open to the public.
[edit] Tags: | |
| Economic and political development | |
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In the early 20th century, as modern transport and communication systems developed, Bermuda became a popular destination for wealthy American, Canadian and British tourists arriving by frequent steamship service. In addition, the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act enacted by the United States against its trading partners in 1930, cut off Bermuda's once-thriving agricultural export trade (primarily lilies and fresh vegetables to the U.S.), spurring the overseas territory to develop its tourist industry.
Bermuda mid-1920s
After several failed attempts, in 1930 the first aeroplane reached Bermuda. A Stinson Detroiter seaplane flying from New York, it had to land in the ocean once because of darkness and then again to refuel. Navigation and weather forecasting improved in 1933 when the Royal Air Force established a station at Bermuda and operated float planes from the harbour in coordination with the British fleet. In 1936 Luft Hansa began to experiment with seaplane flights from Berlin via the Azores with continuation to New York City.[18] In the late 1930s, Imperial Airways and Pan American World Airways began operating scheduled flying-boat airline services from New York and Baltimore to Darrell's Island, Bermuda. In 1948, regularly scheduled commercial airline service by land-based aeroplanes began to Kindley Field (now L.F. Wade International Airport), helping tourism to reach its peak in the 1960s–1970s. By the end of the 20th century, international business had supplanted tourism as the dominant sector of Bermuda's economy (see Economy of Bermuda).
The S.S. Queen of Bermuda in Hamilton Harbour, December 1952 or January 1953
The S.S. Queen of Bermuda departing the island in December 1952 or January 1953
The Royal Naval Dockyard, and the attendant military garrison continued to be an important component of Bermuda's economy until the mid-20th century. In addition to considerable building work, the armed forces needed to source food and other materials from local vendors. Beginning in World War II, U.S. military installations also were located in Bermuda (see "Military" section, below, and Military of Bermuda).
Universal adult suffrage and the development of a two-party political system occurred in the 1960s. Before universal suffrage, adopted as part of Bermuda's Constitution in 1967, voting was based on property ownership (see "Politics" section, below, and Politics of Bermuda). On 10 March 1973, then-Governor of Bermuda Richard Sharples was assassinated by local Black Power militants during a period of civil unrest in the 1970s.
[edit] Tags:Tourism, | |
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