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North America :: Bermuda
(overseas territory of the UK)
page last updated on November 9, 2011
Flag of Bermuda
(CONTAINS DESCRIPTION)
Location of Bermuda
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Map of Bermuda
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Introduction ::Bermuda
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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.
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Geography ::Bermuda
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North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina (US)
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32 20 N, 64 45 W
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total: 54 sq km
country comparison to the world: 231
land: 54 sq km
water: 0 sq km
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about one-third the size of Washington, DC
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0 km
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103 km
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
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subtropical; mild, humid; gales, strong winds common in winter
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low hills separated by fertile depressions
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lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Town Hill 76 m
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limestone, pleasant climate fostering tourism
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arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 80% (55% developed, 45% rural/open space) (2005)
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NA (2008)
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hurricanes (June to November)
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sustainable development
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consists of about 138 coral islands and islets with ample rainfall, but no rivers or freshwater lakes; some land was leased by the US Government from 1941 to 1995
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People and Society ::Bermuda
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noun: Bermudian(s)
adjective: Bermudian
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black 54.8%, white 34.1%, mixed 6.4%, other races 4.3%, unspecified 0.4% (2000 census)
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English (official), Portuguese
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Protestant 52% (Anglican 23%, African Methodist Episcopal 11%, other Protestant 18%), Roman Catholic 15%, other 12%, unaffiliated 6%, unspecified 1%, none 14% (2000 census)
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68,679 (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 201
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0-14 years: 18% (male 6,212/female 6,129)
15-64 years: 67% (male 22,701/female 23,293)
65 years and over: 15.1% (male 4,304/female 6,040) (2011 est.)
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total: 42 years
male: 40.4 years
female: 43.5 years (2011 est.)
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0.594% (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
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11.42 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
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7.57 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 114
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2.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
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urban population: 100% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 0.2% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
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HAMILTON (capital) 12,000 (2009)
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at birth: 1.015 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
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total: 2.47 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 220
male: 2.57 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 2.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)
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total population: 80.71 years
country comparison to the world: 20
male: 77.49 years
female: 83.99 years (2011 est.)
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1.97 children born/woman (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 129
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0.3% (2005)
country comparison to the world: 88
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163 (2005)
country comparison to the world: 160
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392 (2005)
country comparison to the world: 99
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2.6% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 146
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 98%
female: 99% (2005 est.)
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total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 12 years (2006)
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Government ::Bermuda
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Bermuda
former: Somers Islands
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overseas territory of the UK
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parliamentary; self-governing territory
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name: Hamilton
geographic coordinates: 32 17 N, 64 47 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins second Sunday in March; ends first Sunday in November
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9 parishes and 2 municipalities*; Devonshire, Hamilton, Hamilton*, Paget, Pembroke, Saint George*, Saint George's, Sandys, Smith's, Southampton, Warwick
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none (overseas territory of the UK)
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Bermuda Day, 24 May
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8 June 1968; amended 1989 and 2003
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English common law
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has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
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18 years of age; universal
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chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Sir Richard GOZNEY (since 12 December 2007)
head of government: Premier Paula COX (since 29 October 2010); Deputy Premier Derrick BURGESS
cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the premier, appointed by the governor
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elections: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually appointed premier by the governor
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bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (11 seats; members appointed by the governor, the premier, and the opposition to serve a five-year term) and the House of Assembly (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve up to five-year terms)
elections: last general election held on 18 December 2007 (next to be held not later than 2012)
election results: percent of vote by party - PLP 52.5%, UBP 47.3%; seats by party - PLP 22, UBP 14
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Supreme Court (Chief Justice and other justices appointed by the governor; remain in office until they reach 65 years of age); Court of Appeal (President of the Court of Appeal and other justices appointed by the governor for a specific period laid out in their respective instruments of appointment); Magistrate Courts
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Progressive Labor Party or PLP [Ewart BROWN]; United Bermuda Party or UBP [Kim SWAN]
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Bermuda Employer's Union [Eddie SAINTS]; Bermuda Industrial Union or BIU [Derrick BURGESS]; Bermuda Public Services Union or BPSU [Ed BALL]; Bermuda Union of Teachers [Michael CHARLES]
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Caricom (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, ITUC, UPU, WCO
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none (overseas territory of the UK)
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chief of mission: Consul General Grace W. SHELTON
consulate(s) general: Crown Hill, 16 Middle Road, Devonshire DVO3
mailing address: P. O. Box HM325, Hamilton HMBX; American Consulate General Hamilton, US Department of State, 5300 Hamilton Place, Washington, DC 20520-5300
telephone: [1] (441) 295-1342
FAX: [1] (441) 295-1592, 296-9233
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red, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Bermudian coat of arms (a white shield with a red lion standing on a green grassy field holding a scrolled shield showing the sinking of the ship Sea Venture off Bermuda in 1609) centered on the outer half of the flag; it was the shipwreck of the vessel, filled with English colonists originally bound for Virginia, that led to settling of Bermuda
note: the flag is unusual in that it is only British overseas territory that uses a red ensign, all others use blue
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red lion
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name: "Hail to Bermuda"
lyrics/music: Bette JOHNS
note: serves as a local anthem; as a territory of the United Kingdom, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)
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Economy ::Bermuda
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Bermuda enjoys the third highest per capita income in the world, more than 50% higher than that of the US; the average cost of a house by the mid-2000s exceeded $1,000,000. Its economy is primarily based on providing financial services for international business and luxury facilities for tourists. A number of reinsurance companies relocated to the island following the 11 September 2001 attacks and again after Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 contributing to the expansion of an already robust international business sector. Bermuda's tourism industry - which derives over 80% of its visitors from the US - continues to struggle but remains the island's number two industry. Most capital equipment and food must be imported. Bermuda's industrial sector is largely focused on construction and agriculture is limited, with only 20% of the land being arable.
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$4.5 billion (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
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$NA
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4.6% (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
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$69,900 (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
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agriculture: 0.7%
industry: 8.4%
services: 90.8% (2010 est.)
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38,360 (2004)
country comparison to the world: 198
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agriculture and fishing: 3%
laborers: 17%
clerical: 19%
professional and technical: 21%
administrative and managerial: 15%
sales: 7%
services: 19% (2004 est.)
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2.1% (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
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19% (2000)
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
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24.3% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66
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revenues: $738 million
expenditures: $665 million (FY04/05)
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2.4% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 79
1.8% (2009 est.)
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$1.535 billion (31 December 2010)
country comparison to the world: 101
$1.36 billion (31 December 2009)
$1.912 billion (31 December 2008)
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bananas, vegetables, citrus, flowers; dairy products, honey
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international business, tourism, light manufacturing
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NA%
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693.7 million kWh (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
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636.4 million kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157
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0 kWh (2009 est.)
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0 kWh (2009 est.)
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0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154
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5,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168
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0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
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4,804 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158
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0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 106
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0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
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0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153
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0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 57
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0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
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0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
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$660 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
$548 million (2009 est.)
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$27 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203
$29 million (2009 est.)
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reexports of pharmaceuticals
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India 88.4%, France 14.6%, Germany 13.2%, Norway 7.2%, Bangladesh 6.7%, Indonesia 6.5%, US 4.4%, Nepal 1.8% (2010)
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$966 million (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173
$1.065 billion (2009 est.)
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clothing, fuels, machinery and transport equipment, construction materials, chemicals, food and live animals
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India 63.1%, Germany 36.2%, South Korea 22.2%, US 15.9%, India 9.1%, China 8.4%, India 4.5% (2010)
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$160 million (FY99/00)
country comparison to the world: 181
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$NA
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$NA
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Bermudian dollars (BMD) per US dollar - 1.000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar)
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Communications ::Bermuda
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57,800 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 158
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88,200 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 191
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general assessment: a good, fully automatic digital telephone system with fiber-optic trunk lines
domestic: the system has a high fixed-line teledensity coupled with a mobile-cellular teledensity of roughly 125 per 100 persons
international: country code - 1-441; landing points for the GlobeNet, Gemini Bermuda, and the Challenger Bermuda-1 (CB-1)submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 3 (2009)
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3 television stations; cable and satellite TV subscription services are available; roughly 10 radio stations operating (2007)
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.bm
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19,855 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 112
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54,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 172
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Transportation ::Bermuda
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1 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 213
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total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2010)
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total: 447 km
country comparison to the world: 196
paved: 447 km
note: public roads - 225 km; private roads - 222 km (2007)
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total: 139
country comparison to the world: 43
by type: bulk carrier 22, chemical tanker 3, container 15, liquefied gas 38, passenger 26, passenger/cargo 6, petroleum tanker 20, refrigerated cargo 9
foreign-owned: 114 (China 13, France 1, Germany 15, Greece 2, Hong Kong 5, Ireland 2, Israel 3, Japan 2, Monaco 2, Nigeria 11, Norway 5, Sweden 17, UK 11, US 25)
registered in other countries: 180 (Bahamas 12, Cyprus 1, Greece 3, Hong Kong 12, Isle of Man 7, Liberia 4, Malta 8, Marshall Islands 34, Norway 5, Panama 15, Philippines 43, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Singapore 21, UK 9, US 5) (2010)
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Hamilton, Ireland Island, Saint George
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Military ::Bermuda
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Bermuda Regiment (2009)
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18-30 years of age for voluntary or compulsory enlistment in the Bermuda Regiment; males must register at age 18; term of service is 38 months (2009)
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males age 16-49: 15,081 (2010 est.)
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males age 16-49: 12,323
females age 16-49: 12,174 (2010 est.)
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male: 433
female: 410 (2010 est.)
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0.11% of GDP (2005 est.)
country comparison to the world: 170
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defense is the responsibility of the UK
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Transnational Issues ::Bermuda
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none
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