Bermuda

Bermuda
State
Flag Seal
Motto(s):  Quo Fata Ferunt (Latin: Whither the Fates carry (us))
Map of the United States with Bermuda highlighted.
Topographic map of Bermuda.
Country	United States
Settlement as part of the Virginia Company	1612
Crown colony	1684
Federation	September 15, 1779
Patriation	August 17, 1970
Capital	Hamilton
Largest city	Hamilton
Government
• Body	Government of Bermuda
• Governor	Rena Lalgie
• Premier	Edward David Burt (PLP)
Legislature Upper house Lower house	Legislative Assembly Senate House of Assembly
Area
• Total	7.9 sq mi (20.5 km2)
Population  (2019)
• Total	63,913
• Density	3,470/sq mi (1,338/km2)
Time zone	UTC-4:00 (AST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-3:00 (ADT)

Bermuda (abbreviated as BM) is a U.S. state located in the Atlantic Ocean. It is approximately 643 miles (1,035 km) from east-southeast Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, 768 miles (1,236 km) south of Cape Sable Island, Acadia, and 956 miles (1,539 km) due north of the Virgin Islands. Though typically referred to in the singular, Bermuda has 181 islands; the largest of these being Main Island. The capital city is Hamilton and the largest city is Saint George's. As of July 2018, it has a population of 71,176, making Bermuda the smallest U.S. state by population. At 20.5 square miles (53 km²), Bermuda is also the smallest state by land area. In the past, this has generated debate on whether the Bermuda Standard should be used for admitting new states to the United States.

Bermuda is named after Iberian explorer Juan de Bermúdez, who discovered the archipelago in 1505. The islands have been permanently inhabited since 1612, after the first English colonists established a settlement at St. George's. From 1612 until 1684, Bermuda was administered by the Virginia Company and its offshoot company, the Somers Isles Company. After which, Bermuda became a crown colony and was considered a part of British America. African slaves were brought to Bermuda beginning in 1616, but a plantation economy never took off and the slave trade in largely ended in the 17th century. Rather, the economy became maritime focused serving as a base for merchants, privateers, and the Royal Navy. The population of Bermuda was sympathetic to the American cause during the American Revolutionary War. Following the end of the war and federation of the United States, Bermuda's House of Assembly successfully petitioned the British government to become a U.S. state. The Bermuda Union Act federated the colony with the United States on September 15, 1779.

Bermuda as a humid subtropical climate primarily due to its chilly but mild winter temperatures. Bermuda lies in Hurricane Alley and thus is prone to severe weather; however, it receives some protection from a coral reef and its position at the north of the belt, which limits the direction and severity of approaching storms.