"Where the remote Bermudas ride, in th’oceans bosome unsespy’d … an Isle so long unknown,
And yet far kinder than our own…"
Andrew Marvell (1653)
Bermuda is no longer remote. Situated "in th’oceans bosome", 774 miles south-east (approximately 90 minutes by air from New York, Bermuda is the oldest self-governing dependent territory of the United Kingdom and, since July 1997. Bermuda’s strategic location off the east coast of the United States and political stability, together with a currency on a par with the US dollar and the absence of direct taxation of income have made it an attractive offshore centre for international business. Unlike some offshore jurisdictions, Bermuda enjoys an excellent reputation for financial probity, governmental integrity and the quality and independence of its judiciary.
