| Hamilton |
Hamilton is the capital of the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda. It is the territory's financial centre and a major port and tourist destination.
Hamilton is located on the north side of Hamilton Harbour, and is Bermuda's main port. Although there is a parish of the same name, the city of Hamilton is in the parish of Pembroke. The City is named after Sir Henry Hamilton, governor from 1778 to 1794.
The parish of Hamilton pre-dates it.
As the offshore domicile of many foreign companies, Bermuda has a highly-developed international business economy; it is a financial exporter of financial services, primarily insurance, reinsurance, investment funds and special purpose vehicles (SPV). Finance and international business now constitute the largest sector of Bermuda's economy, and virtually all of this business takes place within the borders of Hamilton.
Large numbers of leading international insurance companies are based in Hamilton, making it a global reinsurance centre. Those internationally owned and operated businesses that are physically based in Bermuda - of which there are around four hundred - are represented by the Association of Bermuda International Companies (ABIC). In total, over 1,500 exempted or international companies are currently registered with the Registrar of Companies in Bermuda.
The city is the registered headquarters of the spirits manufacturer Bacardi, outsourcing company Genpact, telecommunications company Global Crossing and insurance company XL Group. Similarly, Hamilton is known as the headquarters of many international shipping companies, such as DryShips Inc., Frontline Ltd. and Dockwise among others. |
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Hamilton, capital of Bermuda |
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| Coat of Arms |
The coat of arms of the city of Hamilton incorporate shield featuring a golden sailing ship, representing the Resolution, surrounded by three five-petalled flowers, two above the ship and one below, also in gold, all on a plain blue background. This shield is supported by a mermaid and heraldic sea horse (i.e., demi-horse, demi-fish), and is placed on a mount in front of which is a scroll containing the motto "Sparsa Collegit". The shield is topped by a crest featuring a closed helm topped with a torque above which an heraldic seahorse is emerging from the sea holding a flower. The city's full motto is Hamilton sparsa collegit, ("Hamilton has assembled the scattered").
The city's flag is a banner of arms, featuring the same details as on the shield of the city's coat of arms, but with the flowers in white rather than gold. |
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| History |
The history of Hamilton began in 1790 when the Bermuda Government set aside 145 acres (58.7 ha) for its future seat, and was officially incorporated in 1793 by an Act of Parliament.
The Colony's capital relocated to Hamilton from St. George's in 1815. The City lay at the political and military heart of Bermuda over the last two centuries. In addition to the parliament within it, Government House sits to its north, the former Admiralty House of the Royal Navy to its west (both in Pembroke, and the British Army garrison headquarters at Prospect Camp to its East.
The Town of Hamilton became a City in 1897, ahead of the consecration of the Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity (Church Of England), which was under construction at the time, in 1911. A Catholic cathedral was later constructed. Today, the city overlooking Hamilton Harbour is primarily a business district, with few structures other than office buildings and shops. The City of Hamilton has long maintained a building limit, which states that no buildings may obscure the Cathedral, but in recent months buildings have been planned and areas have started construction on buildings as high as 10 storeys in the city. Bermuda's local newspaper The Royal Gazette reports "If you don't recognise the city, from 15 years ago, we don't blame you as it has changed so much". |
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| Climate |
| Despite being located a good distance north of the tropics, Hamilton features a warm humid subtropical climate that falls just short of being a true tropical climate. A primary reason why Hamilton experiences such uncharacteristically warm temperatures despite its more northerly latitude (32°N) is the influence of the nearby Gulf Stream. Hamilton features warm and humid summers and very mild “winters”. However, temperatures are moderated by the Atlantic Ocean, so it seldom gets very hot or very cold in the city. Precipitation is plentiful throughout the course of the year and Hamilton does not have a dry season month, a month where on average less than 60 mm of precipitation falls. In essence, Hamilton would feature a tropical rainforest climate if it met the minimum threshold of a tropical climate, a distinct oddity for a city far removed from the equator where tropical rainforest climates are typically found. Hamilton sees on average just above 1400 mm of precipitation annually. |
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