Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory made up of a group of islands in in the North Atlantic Ocean with a land mass of 21 square miles (54 kilometres). The closest point of land is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina on the east coast of the United States of America being about 1,030 kilometres or 640 miles to the west-northwest. Spaniard Juan de Bermudez discovered Bermuda in 1505 and the islands were named after him. The islands were never claimed for Spain and it wasn’t until 1609 when British settlers sailing to Jamestown in Virginia were shipwrecked in a hurricane that Bermuda was first inhabited. The stranded settlers built two ships whilst in Bermuda and sailed to Jamestown leaving two men to officially settle in Bermuda. The first capital, St Georges, was established in 1612 with the capital now being Hamilton.
Bermuda is the most populous remaining British Overseas Territory with a population of 64,268 (2010 Census). Bermuda’s main economy was tourism until the late 1970’s when International Business took over. A steady stream of offshore companies invested in Bermuda, hiring locals and calling Bermuda home due to its strong regulatory system, proximity to the US and British law. The mainstay of the economy is now Reinsurance and Insurance which provides many Bermudians and expatriates their jobs. Bermudians enjoy a high quality of life with a GDP as of 2009 at $5.85bn giving a per capita GDP of $86,000 making the island one of the highest per capita to GDP ratio’s in the world.
Bermuda is the northernmost point in the supposed Bermuda Triangle, with Miami and Puerto Rico the other two points.
Please see below link for more general Bermuda information:
Things to expect when you live here
There are a lot of differences between working in a large city such as London and working in Bermuda. For one, your commute will likely take in ocean views, warm breezes and sunshire and of course, it will take only an average of 15 minutes, depending on where you live. You may even be able to see Jonny Barnes on your daily moped ride to work. You may also find yourself waving at this icon of Bermuda as he greets all the morning commuters, rain or shine. He is a retired bus driver who upon finishing his career has stood at the foot of the lane round-a-bout from 1986 to wave everybody commuting into work each morning telling them that he loves them and spreads his zest for life.
In Bermuda, it is very common to greet everyone you meet whether in the street, shop or office with a, “Good Morning” or “Good Afternoon” depending on time of day. Local Bermudians expect this customary greeting so become accustomed to doing this all of the time.
Bermuda does not produce many goods, except for the local rum, Goslings Black Seal, the main ingredient of the world famous Dark n Stormy. Due to the size of the island, the majority of goods are imported and so the cost of daily living can be quite expensive. Many of the daily staples such as milk, cereal or bread will be often be twice as expensive as in the UK or United States. There is however less income tax here, or actually ZERO income tax which makes affording those goods easier.
As Bermuda has no income tax, the government generates a large proportion of its revenue from duties on products brought in overseas. There is a heavy duty on boats and luxury cars for example, over 100% in some cases.
Moving here from abroad
Finding work in Bermuda can be difficult as you are not allowed to come to the island and search for a job. The best way is to use our site to search for jobs! If that fails check out one of the recruiting agency websites listed below:
Island Employment Partners Limited
There are many things to consider when moving to Bermuda and the above recruiting companies will be able to assist you with the process once you have found a job. For a more detailed explanation on how to move to Bermuda, the following website will assist greatly as it reviews at length everything from Work Permits to the cost of living.
www.bermuda-online.org/newcomers.htm
Industries in Bermuda
There are a number of significant industries within Bermuda including Insurance / Reinsurance and Tourism but there is also Banking, Retail, Construction, Engineering, Healthcare, Government, Education and many others.