Description

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 developed into a highly successful offshore financial center.
 
Although a referendum on independence from the UK was soundly defeated in 1995, the present government has reopened debate on the issue Bermuda (fully, The Bermuda Islands, alias The Somers Isles) is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom in the North Atlantic Ocean, situated around 640 miles (975 km) off the coast of the United States. The oldest remaining British overseas territory, it was settled by England a century before the Acts of Union, and two centuries before the creation of the United Kingdom. Although commonly referred to in the singular, it consists of around 138 islands, of total area 58.8 square kilometres (27.7 sq. mi).
 
Compiling a list of these islands is often complicated, as many have more than one name (as does the entire archipelago, which, in addition to its two official names, has historically been known as La Garza, Virgineola, and the Isle of Devils). Despite the limited land mass, there has also been a tendency for place names to be repeated (there are two Long Islands, for instance, and two Long Bays, and the town of St. George is located on the island and within the parish of St. George's). The largest island, Main Island (also called Bermuda, or Great Bermuda), is the location of the capital, the City of Hamilton (which is in Pembroke Parish, and is often confused with Hamilton Parish). Bermuda has a thriving economy, with a large financial sector and tourism industry. It is blessed with a warm, tropical climate and beautiful beaches. Bermuda is one of the few islands in the world to boast pink sand and turquoise oceans.

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