Bermuda Jobs

Geography & Demographics

The beautiful Atlantic island of Bermuda is an offshore paradise. For years it has been attracting some of the best accountants, lawyers and bankers from around the world drawn by its famous pink beaches and easy lifestyle.

Like most Caribbean and offshore employment centres it is a British Overseas Territory, which means that there is a British governor although the island is effectively self governed with a Premier as Head of State.

Many of the accountants and lawyers who arrive on the island are surprised by its size. At only 21-square miles it is one third the size of Grand Cayman another popular destination for professional jobs in the sun making it one of the smallest tax havens in the world.

140 Islands

Despite its size, Bermuda actually consists of approx. 140 islands, eight of which are interconnected by a series of bridges to create one main landmass 22 miles long and 1 mile wide. The majority of small islands which fall outside of this archipelago are merely rocks or uninhabited.

Bermuda is divided into 9 parishes:
    Sandys
    Southampton
    Warwick
    Pembroke
    Paget
    Devonshire
    Smiths
    Hamilton
    St Georges

History of Bermuda

The islands were first settled by the British in 1609 when colonists, heading for north America, where shipwrecked on the islands.

During the past 150 years or so the island has built an enviable reputation as a holiday destination for discerning travelers wishing to escape the cold winters of Europe of North America.

The Economy

This tourism boom provided most employment opportunities on the islands and back then it might have been fanciful to think that Bermuda could become the powerful financial centre that it is now, employing hundreds of sun-seeking and tax-conscious accountants, lawyers and fund managers from around the world.

Bermuda has thrived so much in its position as a leading off-shore tax jurisdiction that finance has overtaken tourism as the islands main source of trade.

Population

With a population estimated at 66,000 in 2007 it comfortably surpasses that of the larger rival tax haven of Grand Cayman which at three times its sizes - has a permanent population of just 50,000.

Bermuda, although small, is the most populated of all the British Overseas Territories.

Geography

These volcanic islands can be found outside of the main belt of Caribbean and are the most northerly archipelago 1,100 miles northeast of Miami and 640 miles off the coast of North Carolina, making it surprisingly the second most remote island in the world.

Many people expect Bermuda to be nestled somewhere among the Leeward Islands of the British West Indies when in fact they actually fall outside the Caribbean region in the Atlantic Ocean.

The island chain is shaped like a fish-hook and was created by volcanic actions thousands of years ago the actual islands constitute the lip of a massive underwater volcano caldera.

The islands are lush and green which belies its lack of fresh water. Like many small islands in the Caribbean, finding sources of fresh drinking water can be a problem and much is collected as rainwater and theres plenty of it and stored in underground tanks.

The climate can be surprisingly hostile with a reputation for fierce winter storms, which inspired William Shakespeare to write ``The Tempest.''

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