Interesting Facts About Bermuda

White Roofs

Bermudians have been building steep white roofs with steps for over 400 years as a way to harvest rain which was the islands only source of water for centuries. The steps built into the roof slow down the rainfall helping the gutter collect the water before it goes into a tank under the house. This is even enforced in our building codes and each square foot of roof space must have 8 gallons of tank space to collect water. This is why water is considered so precious in Bermuda, particularly in the summer when the rainfall is limited.

Bermuda's Pink Sand

Most of Bermuda's sand is pink because of the tiny red organisms that grow beneath the coral reefs just off the shore. When these organisms die, they mingle with the bits of crushed shell that wash up onto the beaches. Unlike other island like Hawaii, Bermuda's sand is not volcanic but rather coral sand which means it never gets too hot to walk on.

Bermuda Is Upper Edge of Extinct Volcano

If you look at Bermuda on Google Earth you will see clearly that Bermuda is the top rim of an extinct volcano from 124 million years ago.

Bermuda Triangle

The Bermuda Triangle is defined as the area between Bermuda, Puerto Rico and Miami, Fla. where as many as 50 ships and aircraft went missing starting and unexpected phenomenon occurred. The first documented occurrence was by Christopher Columbus and even Shakespeare referred to Bermuda as the Devil's Isle. All of these claims have since been debunked, particularly with the advent of improved aviation and nautical communication.

Bermuda Cedar

Only found in Bermuda, Bermuda Cedar (Junipers Bermudiana) has been an important part of Bermuda culture since the first settlers came in 1609. For centuries Bermudians were rocked in cedar cradles and when they were old, were buried in cedar coffins. Cedar was used for shipbuilding, making homes and even to cure toothaches. A blight in 1944 wiped out most Bermuda's cedars thus making any Bermuda cedar a collector's item. Today Bermudian's use cedar for the front doors, house signs etc. to show their prosperity as well as their respect for this important resource.