Bermuda Information - Bermuda Jazz Festival Hotels

Bermuda Information

Official name: Bermuda
Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II; represented by Governor Sir John Vereker (sworn in 11 Apr 2002)
Head of government: Prime Minister Alex Scott (PLP) (sworn in 29 Jul 2003)
Ruling party: Progressive Labour Party (PLP) (since Nov 1998; re-elected 24 Jul 2003)
Area: 55 square km
Population: 65,000 (2004)
Capital: Hamilton
Official language: English
Currency: Bermudan dollar (BD$) = 100 cents
Exchange rate: BD$1.00 per US$ (fixed)
GDP per capita: US$35,000 (2003)
GDP real growth: 0.50% (2003)
Labour force: 37,472 (2003)
Unemployment: 4.50% (2003)
Inflation: 2.30% (2003)
Balance of trade: -US$668.00 million (2003)
Foreign debt: US$145.00 million (2003)
Visitor numbers: 482,673 (2003)

Time:

GMT minus four hours (GMT minus three hours from April to October).

Geography:

The Bermudas or Somers Islands are an isolated archipelago, comprising about 150 islands in the Atlantic Ocean about 917km (570 miles) off the coast of South Carolina, USA. Ten of the islands are linked by bridges and causeways to form the principal mainland.

Climate:

Semi-tropical with temperatures usually ranging between 16--28 degrees Celsius, from winter (Nov-Mar) to summer (Apr-Oct), with no marked rainy season. Bermuda is located more than 1,600km north of the Caribbean and is subjected to occasional hurricane-force winds between June and September.

Dress codes:

There is no occasion on the island when shorts cannot be worn. For the office, tailored shorts of one colour may be worn, with long socks to the knees with at least an inch to turn over.

Entry requirements

Passports:

Required by all visitors except UK, US and Canadian nationals with other documentary proof of identification. A return ticket is required by all visitors.

Visa:

Visas are not required by transit passengers and most citizens of the Americas, Europe, Australasia and some Asian countries, provided their stay does not exceed six months. For further details visit www.barbados.org/docs.htm, or contact the local diplomatic or consular mission. All visitors must have return/onward passage.

Currency advice/regulations:

There is no limit to the import of local or foreign currency, provided it is declared on arrival. The export of local currency is limited to BD$250. The export of foreign currency is limited to the equivalent of BD$2,000.

Health (for visitors)

Mandatory precautions:

Yellow fever vaccination certificate if travelling from an infected area.

Advisable precautions:

Hepatitis, typhoid, tetanus and polio vaccinations.