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Bermuda is known to be an archipelago of about 360 modest islands, 580 mi (934 km) east of North Carolina. Did you know that the most impressive and largest is (Wonderful) Bermuda, or Main Island. Explored by Juan de Berm?dez, a Spaniard, the islands were settled in 1612 by an offshoot of the Virginia Company. Bermuda transformed to a a Crown colony in 1684.

Within 1968, Bermuda was granted a new constitution, its first prime minister, and autonomy, except for foreign relations, defense, and internal security. Did you know that the predominantly white United Bermuda Party has to this day retained power in four elections against the opposition-the black-led Progressive Labour Party-although Bermuda's population is 58% black.
U.S. air and navy bases, that had been leased in 1941 for 99-year terms, closed in 1995, aextensive with Canadian, British army, and Royal Navy bases. Within a referendum held in Aug. 1995, closely three-fourths of those voting opposed independence.

Contrary to famous belief, Bermuda is not in the Caribbean, but is known to be a group of islands North America, group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, east of South Carolina.
It is less than 20 miles in length and no more than 1/2 a mile wide in most places.

It is famous for its so-named triangle, that according to legend causes ships and aeroplanes to disappear mysteriously. Did you know that the more natural explanation is that it is always surrounded by coral reefs, the actual cause of the majority of shipwrecks in years gone by. Note that this however, makes for exceptional snorkelling and scuba diving.

The uninhabited island of Bermuda was claimed for Spain by the explorer, Juan de Bermudez. While used as a stopping point to refresh water and meat stores by Spain and Portugal, rumors of spirits and devils haunting the island pushed aside thoughts of settling the island for over a century. The English were the first to establish a settlement after a ship wrecked off the island, leaving survivors to fend for themselves after claiming the island for the British Crown. The colony of Virginia and Bermuda kept close ties, with settlers traveling back and forth. While Bermudians were originally told to build an agricultural economy, their forte became shipbuilding. Bermuda was used as a strategic post for the British during the War of 1812 and for the Confederate States during the U.S. Civil War. Today, Bermuda’s economy is bolstered by its off-shore financial centers and tourism.

Located 640 miles west off the coast of North Carolina, residents and guests of Bermuda enjoy a subtropical to tropical climate with humid overtones. Due to the Gulf Stream, the temperature rarely dips below freezing in the winter and summers tend to be warm and humid. Winter storms can develop strong, high winds. Bermuda is often in the direct path of hurricanes, although due to the small landmass of the island, hurricanes rarely make landfall. Of interesting note: Bermuda’s only freshwater source is rainfall, which averages 55.5 inches annually, stored in tanks after being collected from roofs and catchments on the island.

Bermuda prides itself on a small population of slightly over 65,000 residents. While over 65% of the citizens are black, many can trace their ancestry back to the Native Americans. There is a large expatriate population from the U.K., Canada, and the United States.