|RNature and climate:|N Some 300 vulcanic islands with coral surface. The 20 largest are inhabited. A comfortably warm and humid climate with a percipitation of 1500 mm. Average temperature 17°C in January and 26°C i July.
|RPeople:|N 40% Europeans, the rest negroes.
|REconomy:|N Tourism accounts for 40% of GNP.
In the last decades many foreign banks and insurancecompanies have settled branches in the Bermudas, thanks to the favourable taxsystem.
Since 1941 USA leases two small islands for 100 years and have built one naval and one airbase and a NASA satellitetracking facility.
Agriculture produces potatoes, vegetables, bananas and citrusfruits.
Manufacturing is fairly undeveloped, but produces chemical products like paint and medicine, graphical material. Bermuda have a shipyard for repairs.
|RHistory:|N According to a French 18Th century cartographer the islands were discovered in 1503 by the Spaniard Juan de Bermudez, from whom the islands got their name.
Spaniards made several expeditions to the islands, but it was not until 1609, when a British expedition stranded in the area, that they were first inhabited.
These stranded colonizers formed a company for plantation of the islands and named them "The Somer's Islands" after their leader Sir George Somers.
In 1684 the British Crown declared Bermuda a colony, which was given internal selfgoverning in 1968.
