101-726: The Little Sound in Bermuda is a small part of the Great Sound , the body of water that is almost entirely encircled by the Bermuda chain in the west of the territory. The Little Sound lies at the south of the Great Sound, and is separated from it by two peninsulas which extend into the sound from Sandys Parish in the west and Warwick Parish in the east. 32°15′43″N 64°51′02″W / 32.26194°N 64.85056°W / 32.26194; -64.85056 This Bermuda location article
202-424: A karst terrain . These eolianites are actually the type locality , and formed during interglaciations (i.e., the upper levels of the limestone cap, formed primarily by calcium-secreting algae, was broken down into sand by wave action during interglaciation when the seamount was submerged, and during glaciation, when the top of the seamount was above sea level, that sand was blown into dunes and fused together into
303-498: A "worldwide" corporate tax system, to a "territorial" corporate tax system. Our findings debunk the myth of tax havens as exotic far-flung islands that are difficult, if not impossible, to regulate. Many offshore financial centers are highly developed countries with strong regulatory environments. All of CORPNET's Conduit OFCs, and eight of CORPNET's top 10 Sink OFCs, appeared in the § IMF 2007 list of 22 OFCs. However, this theoretical work has been brought into question. Many of
404-519: A barbed-wire fence, swam 1.5 miles (2.4 km) past patrol boats and bright spotlights, through storm-swept waters, using the distant Gibbs Hill Lighthouse for navigation until he arrived ashore on the main island. He settled in the U.S. and later became a spy for Germany in both World Wars. In 1942, Col. Duquesne was arrested by the FBI for leading the Duquesne Spy Ring , which to this day remains
505-555: A censorship centre. All mail, radio and telegraphic traffic bound for Europe, the US and the Far East was intercepted and analysed by 1,200 censors, of British Imperial Censorship, part of British Security Coordination (BSC), before being routed to their destination. With BSC working closely with the FBI, the censors were responsible for the discovery and arrest of a number of Axis spies operating in
606-560: A century later. It was mentioned in Legatio Babylonica , published in 1511 by historian Pedro Mártir de Anglería , and was included on Spanish charts of that year. Both Spanish and Portuguese ships used the islands as a replenishment spot to take on fresh meat and water. Shipwrecked Portuguese mariners are now thought to have been responsible for the 1543 inscription on Portuguese Rock , previously called Spanish Rock. Legends arose of spirits and devils, now thought to have stemmed from
707-547: A colony at Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. Two years later, a flotilla of seven ships left England with several hundred settlers, food, and supplies to relieve the Jamestown colony. However, the flotilla was broken up by a storm and the flagship, the Sea Venture , drove onto Bermuda's reef to prevent her sinking, resulting in the survival of all her passengers and crew. The settlers were unwilling to move on, having now heard about
808-555: A definition of an OFC: A more practical definition of an OFC is a center where the bulk of financial sector activity is offshore on both sides of the balance sheet, (that is the counterparties of the majority of financial institutions liabilities and assets are non-residents), where the transactions are initiated elsewhere, and where the majority of the institutions involved are controlled by non-residents The June 2000 IMF paper then listed three major attributes of offshore financial centres: A subsequent April 2007 IMF on OFCs, established
909-405: 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. There are smaller groups from other races or identifying as mixed race and about 30% of the population is not Bermudian by birth. The last remaining colony in
1010-686: A fee. After the American Revolution , the Royal Navy began improving the harbours on the Bermudas. In 1811, work began on the large Royal Naval Dockyard on Ireland Island , which was to serve as the islands' principal naval base guarding the western Atlantic Ocean shipping lanes. To guard the dockyard, the British Army built the Bermuda Garrison , and heavily fortified the archipelago. During
1111-564: A flexible attitude where taxes, levies and regulation are concerned.” An April 2007 review of the historical definition of an OFC by the IMF, summarised the 1978–2000 academic work regarding the attributes that define an OFC, into the following four main attributes, which still remain relevant: In April 2000, the term rose to prominence when the Financial Stability Forum ("FSF"), concerned about OFCs on global financial stability, produced
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#17330847720111212-494: A frost or freeze on record in Bermuda. The hardiness zone is 11b/12a . In other words, the coldest that the annual minimum temperature may be expected to be is around 10 °C (50 °F). This is very high for such a latitude and is a half-zone higher than the Florida Keys . Summertime heat index in Bermuda can be high, although mid-August temperatures rarely exceed 30 °C (86 °F). The highest recorded temperature
1313-654: A lesser degree, as a result of initiatives by the IMF–OECD–FATF post–2000, promoting common standards and regulatory compliance across OFCs and tax havens. For example, while the EU–28 contains some of the largest OFCs (e.g. Ireland and Luxembourg), these EU–OFCs cannot offer regulatory environments that differ from other EU–28 jurisdictions. These earlier regimes are no longer relevant in today's World. OFCs each tend to have one or more core business areas which dominate their industries. Substantially, but not exclusively, Cayman and
1414-766: A limestone sandstone), and are laced by red paleosols , also referred to as geosols or terra rossas, indicative of Saharan atmospheric dust and forming during glacial stages . The stratigraphic column starts with the Walsingham Formation , overlain by the Castle Harbour Geosol, the Lower and Upper Town Hill Formations separated by the Harbour Road Geosol, the Ord Road Geosol, the Belmont Formation,
1515-724: A number of aircraft and boats have disappeared under unexplained or mysterious circumstances. Bermuda's pink sand beaches and clear, cerulean blue ocean waters are popular with tourists. Many of Bermuda's hotels are located along the south shore of the island. In addition to its beaches, there are a number of sightseeing attractions. Historic St. George's is a designated World Heritage Site . Scuba divers can explore numerous wrecks and coral reefs in relatively shallow water (typically 30–40 ft or 9–12 m in depth), with virtually unlimited visibility. Many nearby reefs are readily accessible from shore by snorkellers , especially at Church Bay . Bermuda's most popular visitor attraction
1616-522: A prominent critic of OFCs and has produced reports with the Tax Justice Network, to try to depict their point of view. These are widely discredited by professionals and academics and prominent TJN leaders resigned complaining that the reports were not compiled by knowledgeable tax experts and were manufactured to present a desired outcome, which detracts from good faith efforts to curb BEPS, aggressive tax planning and illicit funds flows. In July 2017,
1717-415: A quantitative approach to defining OFCs which the paper stated was captured by the following definition: An OFC is a country or jurisdiction that provides financial services to nonresidents on a scale that is incommensurate with the size and the financing of its domestic economy. The April 2007 IMF paper used a quantitative proxy text for the above definition: More specifically, it can be considered that
1818-475: A report each year on Global Shadow Banking , or other financial intermediaries ("OFI"s). In a similar method to the various IMF lists, the FSF produces a table of the locations with the highest concentration of OFI/shadow banking financial assets, versus domestic GDP, in its 2018 report, thus creating a ranked table of "Shadow Banking OFCs". The fuller table is produced in the § Shadow banking section, however,
1919-424: A report listing 42 OFCs. The FSF used a qualitative approach to defining OFCs, noting that: Offshore financial centres (OFCs) are not easily defined, but they can be characterised as jurisdictions that attract a high level of non-resident activity [...] and volumes of non-resident business substantially exceeds the volume of domestic business. In June 2000, the IMF accepted the FSF's recommendation to investigate
2020-456: A scale that is incommensurate with the size and the financing of its domestic economy." "Offshore" is not always literal since many Financial Stability Forum – IMF OFCs, such as Delaware , South Dakota , Singapore , Luxembourg and Hong Kong , are landlocked or located "onshore", but refers to the fact that the largest users of the OFC are non-residents, i.e. "offshore". The IMF lists OFCs as
2121-456: A severe food shortage on the island until the departure of Nautilus in October. After France's entry into the war in 1778, Henry Clinton refortified the island under the command of Major William Sutherland . As a result, 91 French and American ships were captured in the winter of 1778–1779, bringing the population once again to the brink of starvation. Bermudian trade was severely hampered by
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#17330847720112222-569: A third class of financial centre , with international financial centres (IFCs) and regional financial centres (RFCs). A single financial centre may belong to multiple financial centre classes (e.g. Singapore is an RFC and an OFC). The Caribbean, including the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands and Bermuda, has several major OFCs, facilitating many billions of dollars worth of trade and investment globally. During April–June 2000,
2323-531: A total area of 53.3 km (20.6 sq mi). The largest island is Main Island (also called Bermuda ). Eight larger and populated islands are connected by bridges. The territory's tallest peak is Town Hill on Main Island at 79 m (259 ft) tall. The territory's coastline is 103 km (64 mi). Bermuda gives its name to the Bermuda Triangle , a region of sea in which, according to legend,
2424-564: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Bermuda Bermuda ( / b ər ˈ m j uː d ə / ; 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 consisting of 181 islands , although
2525-669: Is a clear example, constituting the cave district around Castle Harbour. The Upper Town Hill Formation forms the core of the Main Island, and prominent hills such as Town Hill, Knapton Hill, and St. David's Lighthouse, while the highest hills, Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, are due to the Southampton Formation. Bermuda has two major aquifers , the Langton Aquifer located within the Southampton, Rocky Bay and Belmont Formations, and
2626-667: Is also an oceanic climate , common to many oceanic islands and to the western coasts of continents in the Northern Hemisphere (resulting in a more moderate climate on the western coast of Europe than on the eastern coast of North America), characterised by high relative humidity that moderates temperature, ensuring generally mild winters and summers. Bermuda is warmed by the nearby Gulf Stream . The islands may experience modestly cooler temperatures in January, February, and March [average 18 °C (64 °F)]. There has never been snow,
2727-605: Is formally appointed by the governor , who is nominated by the British government as the representative of the King . The United Kingdom is responsible for foreign affairs and defence. An independence referendum was held in 1995 with a large 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 ,
2828-577: Is on Long Island. The New York Times reported an attempted mutiny by Boer prisoners of war en route to Bermuda and that martial law was enacted on Darrell's Island. The most famous escapee was the Boer prisoner of war Captain Fritz Joubert Duquesne , who was serving a life sentence for "conspiracy against the British government and on (the charge of) espionage". On the night of 25 June 1902, Duquesne slipped out of his tent, worked his way over
2929-489: 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 permanently inhabited since 1612 when an English settlement
3030-597: Is so that the profits are taxed in the countries where the investors who earned the profits are tax resident. Any tax that was levied on the fund itself would have to be deducted from the onshore tax on those profits in order that the same profit is not taxed twise. On the other hand, the investment manager is often set up in low tax OFCs to facilitate the personal tax planning of the manager. In August 2014, Zucman showed OFCs being used by U.S. multinationals, in particular, to execute base erosion and profit shifting ("BEPS") transactions to avoid corporate taxes. Zucman's work
3131-897: Is the Royal Naval Dockyard , which includes the National Museum of Bermuda. Other attractions include the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo , Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute, the Botanical Gardens and Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art , lighthouses, and the Crystal Caves with stalactites and underground saltwater pools. Non-residents are prohibited from driving cars on the island. Public transport and taxis are available or visitors can rent scooters for use as private transport. Bermuda consists of over 150 limestone islands, but especially five main islands, along
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3232-493: Is widely quoted yet also frequently criticised as being confused and counterfactual. Demonstrating that most BEPS activity occurs in US and EU IFCs, in Q1 2015, Apple executed the largest BEPS transaction in history, moving US$ 300 billion in intellectual property ("IP") assets to Ireland, an IMF OFC, to use the Irish " Green Jersey " BEPS tool (see " Leprechaun economics "). In August 2016,
3333-519: The Caribbean Community . Bermuda is named after the Spanish sailor Juan de Bermúdez , who discovered the islands in 1505, while sailing for Spain from a provisioning voyage to Hispaniola in the ship La Garça . Bermuda was discovered in the early 1500s by Spanish explorer Juan de Bermúdez . Bermuda had no Indigenous population when it was discovered, nor during initial British settlement
3434-647: The EU Commission levied the largest tax fine in history, at US$ 13 billion, against Apple in Ireland for abuse of the double Irish BEPS tool from 2004 to 2014. In January 2017, the OECD estimated that BEPS tools, mostly located in OFCs, were responsible for US$ 100 to 240 billion in annual tax avoidance. However, it is notable that developing countries often suffer from kleptocracy and serious corruption regarding national wealth, and BEPS
3535-613: The FDI from OFCs, into higher-tax countries, originated from higher-tax countries (e.g. the UK is the second largest investor in itself, via OFCs). The definition of an offshore financial centre dates back to academic papers by Dufry & McGiddy (1978), and McCarthy (1979) regarding locations that are: Cities, areas or countries which have made a conscious effort to attract offshore banking business, i.e., non-resident foreign currency denominated business, by allowing relatively free entry and by adopting
3636-698: The Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF) and the International Monetary Fund have had an effect on curbing some excesses in the offshore financial centre industry, although it would drive the OFC industry towards a § Focus on tax for institutional and corporate clients. The World Bank 's 2019 World Development Report on the future of work supports increased government efforts to curb tax avoidance. Early research on offshore financial centers, from 1978 to 2000, identified reasons for nonresidents using an OFC, over
3737-514: The Financial Stability Forum – International Monetary Fund produced the first list of 42–46 OFCs using a qualitative approach. In April 2007, the IMF produced a revised quantitative-based list of 22 OFCs, and in June 2018, another revised quantitative-based list of eight major OFCs, who are responsible for 85% of OFC financial flows, which include Ireland, the Caribbean, Luxembourg, Singapore, Hong Kong and
3838-982: The National Museum of Bermuda , which incorporates Bermuda's Maritime Museum, occupies the Keep of the Royal Naval Dockyard. Due to its proximity to the southeastern US coast, Bermuda was frequently used during the American Civil War as a stopping point base for the Confederate States ' blockade runners on their runs to and from the Southern states, and England, to evade Union naval vessels on blockade patrol. The blockade runners were then able to transport essential war goods from England and deliver valuable cotton back to England. The old Globe Hotel in St. George's, which
3939-741: The New England colonies and sold into slavery in the seventeenth century, notably in the aftermaths of the Pequot War and King Philip's War ; some are believed to have been brought from as far away as Mexico . Bermuda's ambivalence towards the American rebellion changed in September ;1774, when the Continental Congress resolved to ban trade with Great Britain, Ireland, and the West Indies after 10 September 1775. Such an embargo would mean
4040-685: The New World . In 1615, the colony, which had been renamed the Somers Isles in commemoration of Sir George Somers , was passed on to the Somers Isles Company . As Bermudians settled the Carolina Colony and contributed to establishing other English colonies in the Americas , several other locations were named after the archipelago. During this period the first slaves were held and trafficked to
4141-540: The Outer Banks of North Carolina , United States which is the nearest landmass. Its next nearest neighbour is Cape Sable Island , Nova Scotia Canada which is 1,236 km (768 mi) north of Bermuda. It is also located 1,759 km (1,093 mi) north-northeast of Havana , Cuba , 1,538 km (956 mi) north of the British Virgin Islands, and 1,537.17 km (955.15 mi) north of San Juan , Puerto Rico . The territory consists of 181 islands , with
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4242-536: The University of Amsterdam 's CORPNET group ignored any definition of a tax haven and followed a quantitive approach, analyzing 98 million global corporate connections on the Orbis database . CORPNET used a variation of the technique in the IMF's 2007 OFC working paper, and ranked the jurisdictions by the scale of international corporate connections relative to the connections from the local economy. In addition, CORPNET split
4343-673: The War of 1812 between Britain and the United States, the British attacks on Washington, D.C. , and the Chesapeake were planned and launched from Bermuda, where the headquarters of the Royal Navy's North American Station had recently been moved from Halifax, Nova Scotia . In 1816, James Arnold, the son of Benedict Arnold , fortified Bermuda's Royal Naval Dockyard against possible US attacks. Today,
4444-571: The double Irish ). A study in 2017 split the understanding of an OFC into 24 Sink OFCs, to which a disproportionate amount of value disappears from the economic system), and five Conduit OFCs, through which a disproportionate amount of value moves toward the Sink OFCs). In June 2018, research showed that major onshore IFCs, not offshore IFCs, had become the dominant locations for corporate tax avoidance BEPS schemes, costing US$ 200 billion in lost annual tax revenues. A June 2018 joint-IMF study showed much of
4545-499: The "sink" jurisdictions by CORPNET's standards have proved to be conduit jurisdictions. When Economic Substance legislation was brought in, practically all of the companies in places like the Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands were out of scope because BEPS is not a relevant industry in those jurisdictions. Those jurisdictions concentrate more on investment funds, which are self-evidently conduit vehicles where investors are not taxed in
4646-449: The 10 largest Sink OFCs: missing British Virgin Islands (data was not available), and Taiwan (was not a major OFC in 2007). The following eight OFCs (or also called pass through economies ) were co-identified by an IMF working paper, as being responsible for 85% of the world's investment in structured vehicles. (†) In the April 2000 FSF list of 42 OFCs, the June 2000 IMF list of 46 OFCs, and
4747-568: The 17th century, the Somers Isles Company suppressed shipbuilding, as it needed Bermudians to farm in order to generate income from the land. The Virginia colony, however, far surpassed Bermuda in quality and quantity of tobacco produced. Bermudians began to turn to maritime trades relatively early in the 17th century, but the Somers Isles Company used all its authority to suppress turning away from agriculture. This interference led to islanders demanding, and receiving, revocation of
4848-400: The 1960s. Universal suffrage was adopted as part of Bermuda's Constitution in 1967; voting had previously been dependent on a certain level of property ownership. On 10 March 1973, the governor of Bermuda, Richard Sharples , was assassinated by local Black Power militants during a period of civil unrest. Some moves were made towards possible independence for the islands, however, this
4949-404: The 19th century and after World War II, the territory became a prominent offshore financial centre and tax haven . Divided into nine parishes , Bermuda is a self-governing parliamentary democracy with a bicameral parliament located 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
5050-546: The 4 largest OFCs for shadow banking with OFI assets over 5x GDP are: Offshore finance became the subject of increased attention since the FSF–IMF reports on OFC in 2000, and also from the April 2009 G20 meeting, during the height of the financial crisis, when heads of state resolved to "take action" against non-cooperative jurisdictions. Initiatives spearheaded by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD),
5151-425: The April 2007 IMF list of 22 OFCs. (Top 5 Conduit OFC) The IMF list contains three of the largest Conduit OFCs: Netherlands, Singapore and Ireland (Top 5 Sink OFC) The IMF list contains four of the five largest Sink OFCs: missing Jersey (fourth largest Sink OFC), but includes the Cayman Islands (tenth largest Sink OFC). Shadow banking is a key service line for OFCs. The Financial Stability Forum ("FSF") produces
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#17330847720115252-527: The BVI are investment funds jurisdictions, as well as structured finance and holding company vehicles for large assets (such as infrastructure, commercial real estate), or SPVs for investment into jurisdictions with less certain legal and judicial infrastructure, such as China, Russia or India. Bermuda has a large reinsurance industry and Cayman's insurance industry is also now competitive. In August 2013, Gabriel Zucman showed OFCs housed up to 8–10% of global wealth in tax–neutral structures. Often conflated are
5353-412: The Bermudian magazine while Governor George James Bruere slept, and loaded onto these boats. As a consequence, on 2 October the Continental Congress exempted Bermuda from their trade ban, and Bermuda acquired a reputation for disloyalty. Later that year, the British Parliament passed the Prohibitory Act to prohibit trade with the American rebelling colonies and sent HMS Scorpion to keep watch over
5454-450: The Brighton Aquifer located within the Town Hill Formation. Four freshwater lenses occur in Bermuda, with the Central Lens being the largest on Main Island, containing an area of 7.2 km (1,800 acres) and a thickness greater than 10 m (33 ft). Bermuda has a tropical rainforest climate ( Köppen climate classification : Af ), bordering very closely on a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification : Cfa ). It
5555-468: The Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands and Bermuda. Many leading OFCs have recently implemented recommended legislation to reduce or eliminate BEPS. Jurisdictions such as the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands and Bermuda found that over 90% of their business companies were out of scope because their core industry does not cater to BEPS strategies. While from 2010 onwards, some researchers began to treat tax havens and OFCs as practically synonymous,
5656-423: The Conduit OFC's extensive networks of bilateral tax treaties . Because Sink OFCs are more closely associated with traditional tax havens, they tend to have more limited treaty networks. CORPNET's lists of top five Conduit OFCs , and top five Sink OFCs , matched 9 of the top 10 havens in the Hines 2010 tax haven list , only differing in the United Kingdom, which only transformed their tax code in 2009–12 , from
5757-528: The FSF April 2000 list of 42 OFCs but were on the IMF June 2000 list of 46 OFCs. The following 22 OFCs are from an April 2007 IMF working paper that used a strictly quantitative approach to identifying OFCs (only where specific data was available ). (†) In on both the April 2000 FSF list of 42 OFCs, and the June 2000 IMF list of 46 OFCs. (Top 5 Conduit OFC) The IMF list contains all 5 largest Conduit OFCs: Netherlands, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Singapore and Ireland (Top 10 Sink OFC) The IMF list contains 8 of
5858-758: The FSF–IMF produced lists of OFCs, activist groups highlighted the similarity with their tax haven lists. Large projects were carried out by the IMF and the OECD from 2000 onwards, on improving data transparency and compliance with international standards and regulations, in jurisdictions that had been labeled OFCs and/or tax havens by the IMF–OECD. The reduction in banking secrecy , was partially credited to these projects as well as global advances in combatting illicit finance flows, and Anti-Money Laundering legislation and regulations. Academics who study tax havens and OFCs are now able to distinguish between those jurisdictions which are used in BEPS activity, and those which are simply tax-neutral, pass-through jurisdictions such as
5959-420: The Netherlands. The removal of foreign exchange and capital controls , the early driver for the creation and use of many OFCs in the 1960s and 1970s, saw taxation and/or regulatory regimes become the primary reasons for using OFCs from the 1980s on. Progress from 2000 onwards from IMF – OECD – FATF initiatives on common standards, regulatory compliance , and banking transparency, has significantly weakened
6060-511: The OECD and the EU went in a different direction depending on their desired outcome. By 2017, and after many years of regulatory changes in OFCs and some onshore IFCs, the OECD's list of "tax havens" only contained Trinidad & Tobago, which is not a prominent international financial centre. Signally, EU members are routinely not screened by activists including the EU itself. Oxfam, which has entities and activities in jurisdictions such as Lichtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Delaware, has become
6161-441: The OFC but in full where they are tax resident. The following 46 OFCs are from the June 2007 IMF background paper that used a qualitative approach to identify OFCs; and which also incorporated the April 2000 FSF list which had also used a qualitative approach to identify 42 OFCs. IMF Group II* IMF Group III* (*) Groups are as per the IMF June 2000 categories: (‡) Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat and Palau were not on
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#17330847720116262-399: The Shore Hills Geosol, the Rocky Bay Formation, and the Southampton Formation. The older eolianite ridges (older Bermuda) are more rounded and subdued compared to the outer coastline (Younger Bermuda). Thus, post deposition morphology includes chemical erosion , with inshore water bodies demonstrating that much of Bermuda is partially drowned Pleistocene karst . The Walsingham Formation
6363-505: The US, including the Joe K ring . In 1948, a regularly scheduled commercial airline service began to operate, using land-based aeroplanes landing at Kindley Field (now L.F. Wade International Airport ), helping tourism to reach a peak in the 1960s and 1970s. By the end of the 1970s, however, international business had supplanted tourism as the dominant sector of Bermuda's economy. The Royal Naval Dockyard and its attendant military garrison remained important to Bermuda's economy until
6464-631: The United Kingdom, United States, and France. Tax neutrality at the level of these vehicles means that taxes are not paid at the OFC but in the places where the investors are tax resident. If the OFC levied a tax, this would in most cases reduce the tax paid in the places where investors are tax resident by that same amount, on the principles of avoiding double taxation of the same activity. Research in 2013–14 showed OFCs harboured 8–10% of global wealth in tax-neutral structures, and acted as hubs for U.S. multinationals in particular, to avoid corporate taxes via base erosion and profit shifting ("BEPS") tools (e.g.
6565-498: The United States, because of the presence of many privateers. The Bermuda Gazette , Bermuda's first newspaper, began publishing in 1784. The editor, Joseph Stockdale , had been given financial incentive to move to Bermuda with his family and establish the newspaper. He also provided other printing services and operated Bermuda's first local postal service. The Bermuda Gazette was sold by subscription and delivered to subscribers, with Stockdale's employee also delivering mail for
6666-501: The calls of raucous birds (most likely the Bermuda petrel , or cahow ) and loud nocturnal noises from wild hogs. With its frequent storm-racked conditions and dangerous reefs, the archipelago became known as the "Isle of Devils". Neither Spain nor Portugal attempted to settle it. For the next century, the island was frequently visited but not settled. The English began to focus on the New World, initially settling in Virginia , starting British colonization in North America, establishing
6767-413: The collapse of their inter-colonial commerce, famine and civil unrest. Lacking political channels with Great Britain, the Tucker Family met in May 1775 with eight other parishioners and resolved to send delegates to the Continental Congress in July, aiming for an exemption from the ban. Henry Tucker noted a clause in the ban which allowed the exchange of American goods for military supplies. The clause
6868-402: The colonists developed a strong sense of devotion to the Crown. The royalists ousted the Somers Isles Company's Governor and elected John Trimingham as their leader (see Governor of Bermuda ). Bermuda's civil war was ended by militias, and dissenters were pushed to settle The Bahamas under William Sayle . The rebellious royalist colonies of Bermuda, Virginia, Barbados and Antigua , were
6969-415: 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 defences until the 1950s. Tourism has been a significant contributor to Bermuda's economy since
7070-415: The combined efforts of the Royal Navy, the British garrison and loyalist privateers , such that famine struck the island in 1779. Upon the death of George Bruere in 1780, the governorship passed to his son, George Jr., an active loyalist. Under his leadership, smuggling was stopped, and the Bermudian colonial government was populated with like-minded loyalists. Even Henry Tucker abandoned trading with
7171-427: The company's charter in 1684, and the company was dissolved. Bermudians rapidly abandoned agriculture for shipbuilding, replanting farmland with the native juniper trees ( Juniperus bermudiana , called Bermuda cedar). Establishing effective control over the Turks Islands , Bermudians deforested their landscape to begin the salt trade. It became the world's largest and remained the cornerstone of Bermuda's economy for
7272-438: The definition of an OFC from the most cited academic paper on OFCs, showed a strong correlation with the FSF–IMF definitions of an OFC: Offshore financial centers (OFCs) are jurisdictions that oversee a disproportionate level of financial activity by non-residents. The common FSF–IMF–Academic definition of an OFC focused on the outcome of non-resident activity in a location (e.g. financial flows that are disproportionate to
7373-474: The financial system in their own home jurisdiction (which in most cases was more developed than the OFC). Prominent reasons in these lists were: The third reason, Manage around currency and capital controls , dissipated with globalisation of financial markets and free-floating exchange rate mechanisms, and ceases to appear in research after 2000. The second reason, Favourable regulations , had also dissipated, but to
7474-561: 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 and 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
7575-505: The impact of OFCs on global financial stability. On the 23 June 2000, the IMF published a working paper on OFCs which expanded the FSF list to 46 OFCs, but split into three Groups based on the level of co-operation and adherence to international standards by the OFC. The IMF paper categorised OFCs as a third type of financial centre , and listed them in order of importance: International Financial Centre ("IFC"), Regional Financial Centres ("RFC") and Offshore Financial Centres ("OFC"); and gave
7676-486: The island in large numbers, originating from America and the Caribbean. As the black population grew, so did the fear of insurrection among the white settlers. In 1623, a law to restrain the insolence of the Negroes was passed in Bermuda. It forbade blacks to buy or sell, barter or exchange tobacco or any other produce for goods without the consent of their master. Unrest amongst the slaves predictably erupted several times over
7777-508: The island. The island's forts were stripped of cannons. Yet, wartime trade of contraband continued along well-established family connections. With 120 boats by 1775, Bermuda continued to trade with St. Eustatius until 1781 and provided salt to North American ports. In June 1776, HMS Nautilus secured the island, followed by HMS Galatea in September. Yet, the two British captains seemed more intent on capturing prize money, causing
7878-596: The islands. These were a mixture of native Africans who were trafficked to the Americas via the African slave trade and Native Americans who were enslaved from the Thirteen Colonies . The first African slaves arrived in Bermuda in 1617, not from Africa but from the West Indies. Bermuda Governor Tucker sent a ship to the West Indies to find black slaves to dive for pearls in Bermuda. More black slaves were later trafficked to
7979-484: The largest espionage case uncovered in the history of the United States. In the early 20th century Bermuda became a popular destination for American, Canadian and British tourists arriving by sea. The US Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, which enacted protectionist trade tariffs on goods imported into the US, led to the demise of Bermuda's once-thriving agricultural export trade to America and encouraged development of tourism as an alternative source of income. The island
8080-636: The local economy), and not on the reason that non-residents decide to conduct financial activity in a location. However, since the early academic papers into OFCs in the late 1970s, and the FSF-IMF investigations, it has been consistently noted that tax planning is only one of many drivers of OFC activity. Others include deal structuring and asset holding in a neutral jurisdiction with laws based on English common law, favourable/tailored regulation (e.g. investment funds), or regulatory arbitrage, such as in OFCs like Liberia, that focus on shipping. In April–June 2000, when
8181-477: The mid-20th century. In addition to considerable building work, the armed forces needed to source food and other materials from local vendors. Beginning in World War II , US military installations were also located in Bermuda, including a naval air station , and submarine base . The American military presence lasted until 1995. Universal adult suffrage and development of a two-party political system took place in
8282-431: The most significant islands are connected by bridges and appear to form one landmass. It has a land area of 54 square kilometres (21 sq mi). Bermuda has a tropical climate, with warm winters and hot summers. Its climate also exhibits oceanic features similar to other coastal areas in the Northern Hemisphere with warm, moist air from the ocean ensuring relatively high humidity and stabilising temperatures. Bermuda
8383-557: The next century. Bermudians also vigorously pursued whaling , privateering , and the merchant trade. Some islanders, especially in St David's , still trace their ancestry to Native Americans, and many more are unaware that they have such ancestry. Hundreds of Native Americans were shipped to Bermuda. The best-known examples were the Algonquian peoples such as Pequots, Wampanoags, Podunks, Nipmucks, Narragansetts and others who were exiled from
8484-528: The next decades. Major rebellions occurred in 1656, 1661, 1673, 1682, 1730 and 1761. In 1761 a conspiracy was discovered that involved the majority of the blacks on the island. Six slaves were executed and all black celebrations were prohibited. In 1649, the English Civil War was taking place and King Charles I was beheaded in Whitehall , London. The conflict spilled over into Bermuda, where most of
8585-490: The ratio of net financial services exports to GDP could be an indicator of the OFC status of a country or jurisdiction . This approach produced a revised list of 22 OFCs,; however, the list had a strong correlation with the original list of 46 OFCs from the IMF's June 2000 paper. The revised list was much shorter than the original IMF list as it only focused on OFCs where the national economic accounts produced breakdowns of net financial services exports data. By September 2007,
8686-746: The reasons why private equity funds and hedge funds set up in OFCs, such as Delaware, the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, and Luxembourg, and which the Investment Manager often sets up there as well. The former is to benefit from investment funds specific legislation designed for larger institutional, sovereign, High Net Worth or Development/NGO investors who are presumed to either be sophisticated in themselves or have access to sophisticated advice on account of their size. In this way, these funds are not open to retail investors whom are normally investors in jurisdictions that cater for greater investor protection. The zero tax rate, as in many onshore funds,
8787-594: The regulatory attraction of OFCs. Tax-neutral is a term that OFCs use to describe legal structures where the OFC does not levy any corporation taxes, duties or VAT on fund flows into, during, or exiting (e.g. no withholding taxes) the corporate vehicle. Popular examples are the Irish qualifying investor alternative investment fund (QIAIF) , and the Cayman Islands exempted company, which is used in investment funds, corporate structuring vehicles, and asset securitization . Many onshore jurisdictions also have equivalent tax neutrality in their investment funds industries, such as
8888-487: The resulting OFCs into jurisdictions that acted like a terminus for corporate connections (a Sink), and jurisdictions that acted like nodes for corporate connections (a Conduit). CORPNET's Conduit and Sink OFCs study split the understanding of an offshore financial centre into two classifications: Sink OFCs rely on Conduit OFCs to reroute funds from high-tax locations using the BEPS tools which are encoded, and accepted, in
8989-468: The ship the Plough . New London (renamed St. George's Town) was settled that year and designated as the colony's first capital. It is the oldest continuously inhabited English town in the New World . In 1616 and 1620 acts were passed banning the hunting of certain birds and young tortoises . The archipelago's limited land area and resources led to the creation of what may be the earliest conservation laws of
9090-656: The south-west. Initial uplift of this rise occurred in the Middle to Late Eocene and concluded by the Late Oligocene , when it subsided below sea level. The volcanic rocks associated with this rise are tholeiitic lavas and intrusive lamprophyre sheets, which form a volcanic basement, on average, 50 m (160 ft) below the island carbonate surface. The limestones of Bermuda consist of biocalcarenites with minor conglomerates . The portion of Bermuda above sea level consists of rocks deposited by aeolian processes , with
9191-593: The southern margin of the Bermuda Platform, one of three topographic highs found on the Bermuda Pedestal . This Bermuda Pedestal sits atop the Bermuda Rise, a mid-basin swell surrounded by abyssal plains . The Bermuda Pedestal is one of four topographic highs aligned roughly from North-East to South-West. The others, all submerged, are Bowditch Seamount to the north-east, and Challenger Bank and Argus Bank to
9292-576: The subjects of an Act of the Rump Parliament of England . The royalist colonies were also threatened with invasion. The Government of Bermuda eventually reached an agreement with the Parliament of England which retained the status quo in Bermuda. In 1655 fifty-four Bermudians became the first British subjects to permanently settle on the Island of Jamaica , followed by a further (200) Bermudians in 1658, following Cromwell’s Invasion of Jamaica . In
9393-404: 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 largely ceased by the end of the 17th century. The economy instead became maritime-focused, with
9494-552: The true conditions in Jamestown from the sailors, and made multiple attempts to rebel and stay in Bermuda. They argued that they had a right to stay and establish their own government. The new settlement became a prison labour camp, and built two ships, the Deliverance and the Patience . In 1612, the English began settlement of the archipelago, officially named Virgineola, with arrival of
9595-558: Was 34 °C (93 °F) in August 1989. The average annual temperature of the Atlantic Ocean around Bermuda is 22.8 °C (73.0 °F), from 18.6 °C (65.5 °F) in February to 28.2 °C (82.8 °F) in August. Offshore financial centre An offshore financial centre ( OFC ) is defined as a "country or jurisdiction that provides financial services to nonresidents on
9696-767: Was a centre of intrigue for Confederate agents, is preserved as a public museum. During the Anglo-Boer War (1899–1902), 5,000 Boer prisoners of war were housed on five islands of Bermuda. They were located according to their views of the war. "Bitterenders" ( Afrikaans : Bittereinders ), who refused to pledge allegiance to the British Crown, were interned on Darrell's Island and closely guarded. Other islands such as Morgan's Island held 884 men, including 27 officers; Tucker's Island held 809 Boer prisoners, Burt's Island 607, and Port's Island held 35. Hinson's Island housed underage prisoners. The camp cemetery
9797-593: Was confirmed by Benjamin Franklin when Tucker met with the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety . Independently, others confirmed this business arrangement with Peyton Randolph , the Charlestown Committee of Safety, and George Washington . Three American boats, operating from Charlestown, Philadelphia and Newport, sailed to Bermuda, and on 14 August 1775, 100 barrels of gunpowder were taken from
9898-547: Was decisively rejected in a referendum in 1995 . At the 2020 Summer Olympics , Bermuda became the smallest overseas territory to earn a gold medal, as Flora Duffy won Bermuda's first ever Olympic gold medal in the women's triathlon . Bermuda is a group of low-forming volcanoes in the Atlantic Ocean , in the west of the Sargasso Sea , roughly 578 nmi (1,070 km; 665 mi) east-southeast of Cape Hatteras on
9999-461: Was established at St. George's , which is also the territory’s largest settlement. Forming part of British America , Bermuda was governed under 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
10100-536: Was one of the centres for illegal alcohol smuggling during the era of Prohibition in the United States (1920–1933). A rail line was constructed in Bermuda in the 1920s, opening in 1931 as the Bermuda Railway , which was abandoned in 1948. The right of way is now the Bermuda Railway Trail. In 1930, after several failed attempts, a Stinson Detroiter seaplane flew to Bermuda from New York City : It
10201-547: Was the first aeroplane ever to reach the islands. In 1936, Deutsche Luft Hansa began to experiment with seaplane flights from Berlin via the Azores with continuation flights to New York City. In 1937, Imperial Airways and Pan American Airways began operating scheduled flying boat airline services from New York and Baltimore to Darrell's Island, Bermuda . In World War II, the Hamilton Princess Hotel became
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