Bermuda
| Bermuda A British Overseas Territory |
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(and Bermuda's largest city) |
Source information is available at [ Sources ] |
Bermuda (/bərˈmjuːdə/; historically known as the Bermudas or Somers Isles) is a British Overseas Territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about 1,035 km (643 mi) to the west-northwest.
Bermuda is an archipelago with 181 islands, although bridges connect the most significant islands and appear to form one landmass. It has a land area of 54 square kilometers (21 sq mi). Bermuda has a tropical climate, with warm winters and hot summers. Its climate exhibits oceanic features similar to other coastal areas in the Northern Hemisphere, with warm, moist air from the ocean ensuring relatively high humidity and stabilizing temperatures. Bermuda is prone to severe weather from recurving tropical cyclones; however, it receives some protection from a coral reef and its position north of the Main Development Region, which limits the direction and severity of approaching storms.
Bermuda is named after Spanish explorer Juan de Bermúdez, who discovered the archipelago in 1505. The islands have been inhabited since 1612, when an English settlement was established at St. George's. Forming part of British America, Bermuda was governed under a Royal charter by the Somers Isles Company until 1684, when it became a crown colony. The first enslaved Africans were taken to Bermuda in 1616. The Somers Isles Company ensured a steady flow of free but indentured servants until 1684, and most tobacco farms owned by overseas adventurers were sold to the tenants or other occupants after Bermuda-grown tobacco became steadily less profitable following the 1620s, becoming family farms that switched from growing tobacco for export to producing food (initially for local consumption).
Consequently, a plantation economy did not develop, and the slave trade ceased mainly by the end of the 17th century. The economy instead became maritime-focused, with the colony serving as a base for merchants, privateers, and the Royal Navy, giving its name to the Bermuda rig and Bermuda sloop. It became an imperial fortress, the most important British naval and military base in the western hemisphere, with vast funds lavished on its Royal Naval Dockyard and military defenses until the 1950s. Tourism has been a significant contributor to Bermuda's economy since the 19th century, and after World War II, the territory became a prominent offshore financial center and tax haven.
Divided into nine parishes, Bermuda is a self-governing parliamentary democracy with a bicameral parliament in the capital, Hamilton. The House of Assembly dates from 1620, making it one of the world's oldest legislatures. The premier is the head of government and is formally appointed by the governor, who the British government nominates as the representative of the King. The United Kingdom is responsible for foreign affairs and defense. An independence referendum was held in 1995, with a majority voting against independence. As of 2019, Bermuda had a population of around 64,000 people, making it the second-most populous of the British Overseas Territories. Black Bermudians, a diverse population primarily of any mixture of African, European, and Native American ancestry, make up around 50% of the population, while White Bermudians, primarily of British, Irish, and Portuguese descent, make up 30% of the population. Smaller groups from other races identify as mixed race, and about 30% of the population is not Bermudian by birth. The last remaining colony in the former British North America (following the 1867 Confederation of Canada and the Colony of Newfoundland becoming the Dominion of Newfoundland in 1907), Bermuda has a distinct dialect of English. It has historically had strong ties with other English-speaking countries in the Americas, including the United States, Canada, and the Commonwealth Caribbean. It is an associate member of the Caribbean Community.
Spanking and Spanking Art in Bermuda
( We have no further information from SAOTK as of Oct, 2024 )
JCP in Bermuda (from Corpun.com
Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory.
Whipping with cat or cane by order of the courts was a regular occurrence in the 1940s. By the 1960s it had become rare (source: annual police and prisons reports in the British Library). In 1985 a 14-year-old boy was sentenced to six strokes of the birch (The Daily Telegraph, London, 20 July 1985), reportedly the first such sentence in over a decade. The case went to appeal and the outcome is not currently to hand.
The Abolition of Capital and Corporal Punishment Act 1999 outlawed judicial corporal punishment in Bermuda. This appears to have been part of a deal with the UK in exchange for full British citizenship rights. A December 1999 news item claimed that the "cat" had not been used since 1961.
Benson (1937) reports two cases in 1935. The Abolition of Capital and Corporal Punishment Act 1999 outlawed corporal punishment in penal institutions.
Prostitution in Bermuda
- Prostitution in Bermuda ↗ on Wikipedia
External links
- More information is available at [ Wikipedia:Bermuda ]
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