The ?island? of Bermuda, lying near the Gulf Stream in the northwest Atlantic, is actually an archipelago of more than 100 islands. The islands formed as the result of collaboration between volcanic activity, marine organisms, and weather. Bermuda, consists of six principal islands now joined together by 12 bridges and a causeway. Bermuda is tiny ? you can travel from one end to the other in just over an hour, and from north to south in 10 to 15 minutes. Bermuda is surrounded by coral reefs that were deadly to ships that ventured too close in days gone by. The shipwrecks that dot the coastline is testimony to this. Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists headed for Virginia. Tourism to the island first developed in Victorian times. People come from far and wide to enjoy lazing on the beaches, playing the beautifully manicured eight public and private golf courses dotted across the island, or sailing and swimming in the azure blue waters of the Atlantic. Bermudians are among the world?s most-traveled people, and can trace their heritage back to Britain, to Africa, to the Azores, North America and the West Indies.This is Bermuda.