Bermuda was discovered by the Spanish explorer Juan de Bermudez in 1503, but he did not land because of the treacherous seas and coastline surrounding the uninhabited islands.
Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists headed for Virginia, who were stranded on the islands for 10 months. In 1612, King James extended the Charter of the Virginia Company to include Bermuda and in the same year, a group of British colonists arrived to found the town of St George. Slaves were brought in soon afterwards (but was outlawed in 1807 and all slaves were freed in 1834). However, nothing much really happened in Bermuda because of its isolation; its main economic activities were use of cedar trees for shipbuilding and the salt trade.
Tourism was developed in Victorian times for North Americans to come to Bermudas to escape the harsh winter. Tourism continues to be important, but international business has overtaken it in recent years. Bermuda has developed into a highly successful offshore financial center.
A referendum on independence from the UK was held but was soundly defeated in 1995. The present government has reopened debate on the issue.
