Bermuda — books & literature

The story of Bermuda

Bermuda's story begins not with a native people but with a shipwreck. Spanish explorer Juan de Bermudez sighted the uninhabited archipelago around 1505, and it was named for him long before anyone settled there. In 1609 the English ship Sea Venture, sailing to resupply the Jamestown colony, wrecked on Bermuda's reefs during a hurricane; its stranded passengers became the islands' first residents and are widely thought to have inspired Shakespeare's play "The Tempest". The Virginia Company formally colonized Bermuda in 1612, founding St George's Town as its first capital , today the oldest continuously inhabited English town in the New World and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bermuda's House of Assembly first convened in 1620, making it one of the world's oldest continuous parliaments. The islands became a Crown colony in 1684, and Hamilton replaced St George's as capital in 1815. Long a strategic naval base and shipping crossroads, Bermuda built its modern wealth on offshore insurance, finance, and tourism, gaining internal self-government under a new constitution in 1968 while remaining the oldest self-governing British Overseas Territory. Today Bermuda blends British institutions with African and Caribbean heritage from centuries of settlement, and a small, close-knit population that punches well above its weight.

Timeline — key moments

1. circa 1505

   Spanish explorer Juan de Bermudez sights the uninhabited islands, which take his name.

2. 1609

   The English ship Sea Venture wrecks on Bermuda's reefs; survivors become the first English residents.

3. 1612

   The Virginia Company colonizes Bermuda; St George's Town is founded as the first capital.

4. 1620

   Bermuda's House of Assembly first convenes, becoming one of the world's oldest continuous parliaments.

5. 1684

   Bermuda becomes a British Crown colony.

6. 1815

   Hamilton replaces St George's as the colonial capital.

7. 1968

   A new constitution grants Bermuda internal self-government.

8. 1970

   The Bermudian dollar replaces the Bermudian pound, pegged 1:1 to the US dollar.

9. 2021

   Triathlete Dame Flora Duffy wins Bermuda's first-ever Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Games.

Top 10 things to know about Bermuda

1. Bermuda is one of the oldest self-governing British Overseas Territories, with internal self-government since 1968.
2. Its House of Assembly, first convened in 1620, is one of the oldest continuous parliaments in the world.
3. Bermuda sits in the North Atlantic, not the Caribbean , about 650 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
4. The territory is a chain of about 7 main islands and roughly 170 smaller islets atop an extinct volcano.
5. Bermuda has one of the highest GDPs per capita in the world, driven by offshore insurance, reinsurance, and tourism.
6. The Bermudian dollar is pegged 1:1 to the US dollar, and both currencies circulate side by side.
7. Bermuda's famous pink sand beaches get their color from crushed red foraminifera shells mixed with white coral sand.
8. St George's, the original 1612 capital, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the oldest continuously inhabited English town in the Americas.
9. "Bermuda shorts," worn with a blazer and knee socks, are an official part of the territory's business dress code.
10. In 2021, triathlete Dame Flora Duffy became the smallest nation or territory ever to win an Olympic gold medal.

Famous people from Bermuda

Say it in Bermuda's language

Did you know?

• ★Bermuda gave its name to the Bermuda Triangle, the stretch of the Atlantic linked in popular culture to unexplained disappearances.
• ★The 1609 wreck of the Sea Venture on Bermuda's reefs is widely thought to have inspired Shakespeare's play "The Tempest".
• ★Despite its small size, Bermuda's House of Assembly has met continuously since 1620 , centuries longer than the parliaments of many far larger nations.

Bermuda culture

• Gombey dancing , masked, drum-driven street performance blending West African, Caribbean, and British military traditions , is performed at Boxing Day and other holidays.
• "Bermuda shorts," worn with a jacket, tie, and knee socks, are a globally recognized and locally serious part of business dress.
• Cup Match, a two-day cricket holiday at the end of July/start of August, is Bermuda's biggest annual celebration.
• Fish chowder laced with black rum and sherry peppers is considered the national dish.

Why read Bermuda's books

Bermuda's literary voice is small but distinct , from Brian Burland's colonial-era novels to a modern wave of writers exploring race, identity, and island life. Reading Bermuda's books opens a window onto one of the Atlantic's oldest English-speaking societies.