Overview: Britain's oldest colony, Bermuda, is a land of pink, sandy
beaches, clear turquoise seas and picturesque old colonial towns.
It is hard now to imagine that sailors knew it as Devil's Island,
but the combination of shallow waters and coral reefs caused many
shipwrecks in the past, which contibuted to the legend of the
'Bermuda Triangle', which stretches from Bermuda to Florida and
Puerto Rico. Today, however, the reefs provide a wonderful
playground for swimming, snorkelling, and diving. Bermuda is an archipelago comprised of approximately 200 coral
islands and islets located 650 miles (1,045km) off the east coast
of America in the Atlantic Ocean. The bulk of the country consists
of the seven main islands linked to each other by causeways and
bridges and stretches just 20 miles (32km) from tip to tail. Most visitors to the islands are American citizens who think of
it fondly as very English in character. British visitors, on the
other hand, seem to feel that it has a strongly American flavour.
In truth, Bermuda has a distinct atmosphere that draws its
influences from American and British traditions merged with local
island culture. Business attire might constitute a jacket and tie
with Bermuda shorts, while bikinis are banned further than 25 feet
(7.5m) away from the water! With its mixture of colonial style and its close proximity to
America, Bermuda has become a centre of high finance as well as one
of the world's most coveted holiday destinations. Generous tax
advantages and satellite communications have induced a stream of
major corporations to set up offices on the island, and have helped
the country become one of the richest, per capita, in the
world. Because of its natural beauty and close proximity to Florida,
Bermuda is a very popular destination for both cruise ships and
yachts. Over 200,000 people visit the islands from cruise ships
every year.
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