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Think Bermuda and pictures of palm-lined, sun kissed beaches washed over by frothy waves of the Caribbean Sea…no, not the Caribbean Sea. Though most people place Bermuda somewhere in the Caribbean Sea, in reality it lies somewhere in the Western Atlantic Ocean. But fear not, the palm shaded beaches and warm blue waters are here all right. The distinctive Bermudan allure is hard to place – the legacy of the British colonial rule is evident as are the traces of American culture. Don’t be surprised if you see business men dressed in squeaky clean shirts toped with jackets and ties, contrasting with the typical Bermuda shorts. There’s enough to do on these tiny, islands, barely 21 square miles in land area – admiring the unique marine life and bird life, tapping to the omnipresent music, savouring the delectable dishes and acquiring that gorgeous bronze tan. Bustling, beautiful, bizarre…. that’s Bermuda for you.

Bermuda Shorts’- the National dress of Bermuda, is the business attire for men. No I am not joking. You will see men in Bermuda shorts made of suit like material dressed with a shirt, tie, blazer and knee length socks usually adorned with the Bermuda Crest. Visit the mystifying Bermuda Triangle where more than 100 ships and planes have vanished. Though several scientific and mythological explanations have been offered for these disappearances, the mystery of this zone remains unsolved!

Historically Speaking

Bermuda appeared on the world map in 1503 when Juan De Bermúdez, the Spanish Sea captain sighted it. The inhabited island took the name of its discoverer but was not claimed by the Spanish. Its appearance on the map however was restricted to serve as a navigational landmark for the ships crossing the Atlantic. The treacherous reefs surrounding the island however wrecked many ships and one such incident lead Bermuda to be claimed by the British. Admiral Sir George Somers ship was wrecked in the waters surrounding Bermuda. Washed ashore on the beaches of Bermuda, the Admiral replaced his wrecked ship with one constructed out of the Cedar found on Bermuda and continued his journey to Jamestown, Virginia. However, a contingent of his crew stayed back to claim the island for the British. Rapid colonisation by the Virginia Company followed. Within three years, a permanent settlement was established. The infertile soil made agriculture impossible, making the settlers dependent on imports from the American colonies even for their basic necessities. The salt procured from the Turks Islands was used to pay for the imported items. The management of the Island shifted from the Virginia Company to the Bermuda Company finally passing into the hands of the British Kingdom. In 1684 Bermuda became a British Colony. By this time, slavery had been introduced in the social strata. Amerindian Indians as well as Africans, who had been imported, formed the slave population on the island. Unlike other islands slaves were not employed in agriculture but were employed as domestic servants. However, they were treated with disdain and lived in inhumane conditions till about 1834 when slavery was abolished. The American War of Independence had little effect on the island and in the war of 1812, the British used Bermuda as a naval base to strategise their attack on Washington DC. This affected the trade between America and Bermuda, flagging the latter’s economy. Bermudan economy blossomed during the American Civil War when the cotton traders of the southern states used the island as a centre for trans-shipment. With the end of the war and consequent defeat of the south, Bermuda’s economy crumpled. 1880’s witnessed the growth of Bermuda as an exclusive holiday destination. In 1883, Princess Louise, the daughter of Queen Victoria, married to the Governor General of Canada, visited the island in an attempt to escape harsh cold Canadian winters. This established Bermuda as a ‘chic’ winter-escape in the Western Hemisphere. The Allied Powers used Bermuda as a military base during the Second World War. Around this time, a 99-year lease was signed between the British and the US according to which substantial portion of the island including St. David’s Island was leased to the US military. Self-governance in domestic affairs was introduced in 1968 through a constitution formed by the United Bermuda Party and the Progressive Labour Party. Security, defence and diplomatic affairs remain in hands of the British Crown. The 1970’s witnessed talks of complete independence but a 1995 referendum on the subject saw the continuance of Bermuda as a British territory. In the same year, Bermuda regained some of its territory when the US naval base closed with the end of the cold war.

Habitat

Unlike what most people think, Bermuda is not a part of the Caribbean Islands but lies in the Atlantic Ocean about 1000 miles off the Caribbean Sea. Though Bermuda is an archipelago of about 150 islands, its total land area is barely 21 square miles. The islands are of volcanic origin, mountainous in the interiors ringed by low-lying coastal strips. There are eight main islands that are connected by causeways and bridges. These islands account for about 95% of the total land area. A diversity of fauna is found on the island, including a number of colourful flowering plants such as bougainvillea, oleander and hibiscus. The flora includes the Bermuda rock lizard, a huge toad more commonly referred to as the ‘road toad’ as well as the whistling tree frog. The waters surrounding the islands inhabit a variety of marine life such as triggerfish, angelfish as well as the deadly Portuguese man-of-war. However, over fishing in the waters has drastically reduced the population of the marine life. Most islands are encircled by coral reefs.