Bermuda is a self-governing archipelago belonging to the United Kingdom and is located in the northern Atlantic Ocean, east of the state of North Carolina in the United States. The archipelago consists of nearly 150 small islands, but only 20 are inhabited.
Geologically, Bermuda is of volcanic origin, covered by coral formations. The abundance of the coral reefs and lagoons can be seen in the northern, eastern and southern parts of the islands.
These islands were discovered by a Spaniard called Juan de Bermudez in 1505/1506, hence the name, but did you know that an Azorean was the first person to get permission in 1527 to settle in Bermuda? His name was Ferdinand Camelo and in 1543 a Portuguese left an inscription on a rock!
Bermuda had periods where tobacco, the cedar and salt trade, potato and onion production, whaling and fishing, the American base and tourism were of great importance.
The first Portuguese immigrants arrived in Bermuda in 1849 and were Madeirans, but in the following years the Portuguese community began to increase, especially with people from the Azores, and today 25% of Bermuda’s population has Azorean and Portuguese ancestors. The Azoreans worked at first as farmers and labourers, while today they work more in gardening, tourism and construction.
Last modified: 15 de September, 2021
