The Meta-Encyclopedia

Bermudas

2 of the 7 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Bermudas. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

THE, or SOMERS' IS- LANDS, a group of small islands, about 300 in number, in the North Atlantic Ocean, belonging to Great Britain, 580 miles from Cape Hatteras; area, about 30 square miles. The principal islands are Bermuda, St. George, Ireland, and Somerset. The protection afforded to shipping by their numerous bays, and their position in the track of the homeward bound West India vessels have led to the conversion of the Bermudas into a maritime rendezvous, and likewise, into a British naval station for West Indian fleets. The harbor of St. George's Island has been greatly improved, is fortified, protected by a breakwater, and has water and space enough to float the largest fleet. The principal productions are fruits, vegetables, maize, and tobacco. Pineapples are very abundant and largely exported. The climate is mild and salubrious; almost realizing the idea of a perpetual spring. Fish abo bound, and form a profitable source of industry to the inhabitants. Breadstuffs, etc., are imported from the United States, and manufactured goods from England. The imports in 1918 amounted to £692,742, and the exports to £119,977. The tonnage entering and clearing the ports in 1918 amounted to 732,613. During the World War Bermuda was an important station for the British Navy. Hamilton, on Bermuda Island, is the seat of the colonial government. Pop. of capital (1918) 2,700; of the islands 21,629. These islands were discovered by Bermudez, a Spaniard, in 1522, and settled by the the English in 1607. in the N. E. of Venezuela, between the

Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)

a group of 360 small islands, belonging to the British Empire . The group lies in the Atlantic, 580 miles east of North Carolina , and something less than 700 miles from New York . The islands are of coral formation. They lie in the pathway of the Gulf Stream . Twenty of the islands are inhabited. They are noted for their scenery and a mild climate. Numerous hotels are thronged with winter visitors from the United States and Canada. About 12,000 acres are under cultivation. The season permits the raising of three crops a year, but the soil is productive and the efforts of the people are confined to raising onions, potatoes, and Bermuda lilies for the spring market of our North Atlantic cities. The islands are connected by cable with Halifax and Jamaica. Telegraph and telephone lines have been set up and a regular postal service is maintained. The islands are controlled by a governor appointed by the British crown, a council, and a local legislature of thirty-six members. The total population of the islands is about 18,000, two-thirds colored. The annual exports amount to one-half a million dollars a year. The imports are valued at about five times that sum. Americans are not permitted to acquire real estate . 2026 Editor's Note: These islands lent their name to a modern myth — the Bermuda Triangle , a stretch of ocean credited with swallowing ships and planes, though careful study shows no more losses there than in any comparably busy sea. Bermuda has a genuine literary claim too: the 1609 wreck of the Sea Venture here is widely thought to have inspired Shakespeare's Tempest . (Ed: BR 2026-06-23)