Temperate Indian Ocean

Following Bermuda, the next map in the series should be between 30 and 40 degrees south and 60 to 70 degrees east. There is no land at these coordinates. The sea floor is part of the Antarctic Plate, with perhaps a small portion of the Somali Plate in the northwest. The plates are diverging at this location.
The next map will move to the subtropics, with a series of maps between 20 and 30 degrees latitude and 63 degrees and 72 degrees longitude.

Map of the Month: Bermuda

Map of the Month: Bermuda
Map boundaries: 30 to 40 degrees North; 60 to 70 degrees West
Countries: United Kingdom (Overseas Territory)

Overview
Located at 32 degrees North and 64 degrees West, Bermuda is an isolated group of small islands more than 600 miles from the coast of North America--east of Cape Hatteras and southeast of Martha’s Vineyard. With an area of only 21 square miles, the 7 major islands and 140 small islands are close together and heavily developed. Nevertheless, there are 12 nature reserves, protecting endemic flora and fauna. The World Wildlife Fund has included it in the Neartic Biome.

Terrestrial Ecoregion
Tropical and Subtropical Coniferous Forests
NA 301, Bermuda subtropical conifer forests. Found only on Bermuda. The ecoregion is characterized by endemic Bermuda cedar, palmetto, and olivewood. The Bermuda petrel is an endemic bird. The northernmost mangroves in the Atlantic grow along inland saltwater ponds.

Marine Ecoregions of the World (Spalding et al., 2007)
Tropical Atlantic Realm, Tropical Northwestern Atlantic Province
62. Bermuda

Freshwater Ecoregions of the World (Abel et al., 2008)
North America Region
176. Bermuda

UNESCO World Heritage Site
St. George. Founded in 1612 as the earliest English urban settlement in the New World. Its fortifications illustrate the development of English military engineering from the 17th to the 20th century.

Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance
Hungry Bay Mangrove Swamp
Lover’s Lake Nature Reserve
Paget Marsh—last surviving endemic Bermuda palmetto and cedar forest
Pembroke Marsh East
Somerset Long Bay Pond
Spittal Pond
Warwick Pond

Other points of interest:
Southshore Beaches—24 beaches which are rosy pink in color due to coral (Schultz, 2003).

References:
Abell, Robin and 27 others. 2008. Freshwater Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Biogeographic Units for Freshwater Biodiversity Conservation. Bioscience 58:403-414.
National Geographic Society and World Wildlife Fund, WildWorld map. www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld
Schultz, Patricia. 2003. 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. Workman Publishing.
Spalding, Mark D. and 14 others. 2007. Marine Ecoregions of the World: A Bioregionalization of Coastal and Shelf Areas. Bioscience 57:573-583.
UNESCO World Heritage List. Accessed 2008 at whc.unesco.org/en/list/983