Statsraad Lehmkuhl visits Bermuda August 28–31, 2025.
Bermuda consists of 181 small and large islands, located about 1,000 km off the coast of North Carolina, USA.
Together the islands cover only 54 km², just a little larger than Manhattan in New York. The main islands are connected by bridges, and Bermuda today feels like one continuous landmass.
No rivers or lakes
Bermuda were discovered in the early 1500s by the Spaniard Juan de Bermúdez. Over time, it became a frequent stop for ships in need of fresh water and meat. Sailors released pigs on the islands, which roamed freely. Since there are no rivers or lakes on Bermuda, drinking water was collected from rainfall.
In 1608, a fleet of British ships carrying settlers to Virginia (now part of the USA) was scattered by a storm. One of the ships, Sea Venture, ran ashore on Bermuda. The settlers remained on the islands, and in 1684 Bermuda became a British crown colony.
Today the archipelago is a self-governing British Overseas Territory.
Slavery
The islands were not well suited for agriculture, so the economy centered on shipbuilding and trade. From the 1600s, Bermuda was used as a stopover for slave ships, and slavery continued on the islands until Britain abolished it in 1834.
Today, 52 percent of Bermuda’s 65,000 inhabitants are descendants of African slaves, while 31 percent are of British and Portuguese descent.
Tourism
During the 20th century, Bermuda became a popular holiday destination. Today, about half a million tourists visit the islands each year, drawn by their pink sandy beaches. The town of Saint George, established in 1612, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The economy relies heavily on tourism and financial services. Bermuda is well known as one of the world’s tax havens, and many ships are registered in its shipping registry.
Comfortably warm
Bermuda has volcanic origins, though no active volcanoes. The Gulf Stream passes close by, giving the islands a subtropical climate, humid and pleasantly warm year-round. Temperatures have never dropped below freezing, but summer rarely sees more than 30 °C. Annual rainfall is 1,453 mm.
The islands are vulnerable to tropical cyclones, though direct hits are rare, averaging one every six to seven years. The most recent severe impact came from Hurricane Humberto, a category 3 storm, in September 2019.
Normal maximum temperature in August: 30 °C
Normal rainfall in August: 165 mm
