The Best Place in the World to Live: Personal Opinion Essay

The place where I would choose to live in would be Bermuda, also known as the Bermuda Islands. I would favor living in a country that is ranked as one of the most beautiful places in the world, where the economy ranks among the topmost in the world in per capita, where very close links are maintained with my beloved country, the United States of America, and last but not least, which is the epicenter of the world’s only ‘yet-to-be-unraveled’ mystery – the Bermuda Triangle.

Bermuda is a dependency of Britain comprising several islands and islets in the North Atlantic Ocean. It is located in the North American continent with geographical coordinates of 32 20N and 64 45W. Formerly known as Somers Islands, it lies to the east of the U.S’s South Carolina. The first Europeans to arrive were a group of English colonists sailing to Virginia who got shipwrecked there in 1609. Bermuda, which is officially an overseas territory of the U.K, continues to remain under British control to this day. Although a number of its citizens want independence from Britain, the majority prefer to be under British control. The present government however plans to hold another referendum soon (Cia.gov).

There are several reasons why an expatriate like me can settle down easily and comfortably in Bermuda.

Firstly, the natural scenery makes Bermuda an ideal island retreat. The overall terrain comprises a series of low hills interspersed with fertile depressions. The North Atlantic Ocean at 0 m is its lowest point, while Town Hill at an elevation of 76 m is its highest point. The possibility of exploring no less than 138 coral islands and islets that make up the Bermuda Islands (Cia.gov) is simply mouth-watering. The Bermudian islands and islets are surrounded by majestic coral reefs and seemingly never-ending stretches of soft pink sandy shores: features that attract beach-combers and sunbathers like bees to honey. The scenic beauty is further exacerbated by the presence of shining clear blue and green water which attract swimmers, scuba divers and snorkelers in droves. The country is blessed with beautiful architecture in the form of a large number of tiny but beautiful cottages, lovely old churches, majestic lighthouses and other old colonial structures mingled with modern luxury hotels and resorts. There is also a wide variety of exotic flowers and plants that adds visual and olfactory pleasure. To top it all, the view of the typical Bermudian ocean sunset is so resonantly overwhelming that it has to be seen to be believed (10best.com).

Secondly, life in Bermuda promises to be comfortable as well as exciting. The climate does not present any undue problems. Bermuda has a sub-tropical climate that is characterized by mild and humid weather (Cia.gov). The average temperature is 70 degrees, and the islands rarely experience extremes of heat or cold (10best.com). The only unruly climate element is the possibility of hurricanes during the months between June and November. There exists a basic travelling and communications infrastructure such as airports , sea ports , an impressive network of roads, Internet facilities and television stations (Cia.gov).

Thirdly, there are excellent chances of employment. Bermuda is a small country with a total land area of 53.3 square kilometers (Cia.gov). Its length is 21 miles, while the breadth of its widest spot is just one mile (10best.com). Although it imports water and most of its food , economically, Bermuda has a per capita income that is ranked third among the highest globally. Its economic success has been brought about by powerful and positive contributions from two sectors. The first is the international financial sector that provides high quality, efficient financial services for international businesses; this robust sector has particularly attracted a large number of reinsurance companies since 2001 in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attack on the U.S, and again in 2005 after the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. The second is a well organized tourism sector; capitalizing on the country’s delightful natural scenery, the tourism sector provides state-of-the-art facilities and high quality services to international visitors, 80% of whom originate from the U.S (Cia.gov).

Lastly, I would be sitting right at the edge of the world’s only unsolved mystery. There is a mysterious aura that surrounds Bermuda in the form of the famous Bermuda Triangle – an area formed by an imaginary line linking Miami , San Juan and Bermuda. Mysterious disappearances of ships and aircraft in the Bermuda Triangle have been recorded over several years. Among the large number of ships that have vanished, the most famous are 3 U.S warships – General Gates, Insurgent and Wasp – that disappeared without trace in 1780, 1799 and 1814 respectively. There have been over 125 recorded cases of aircraft that have disappeared once they entered the Bermuda Triangle. The most famous was the disappearance of a squadron of five U.S. Navy TBM Avenger planes on December 5, 1945. The latest aircraft casualties took place during the last 2 years: a Piper aircraft vanished on 10 April 2007, and a Britten-Norman Islander aircraft disappeared on 15 December 2008. Up to today, there has been no logical explanation put forward for the disappearances. The many articles and books that have been written on the Bermuda Triangle have served to keep its mystery and aura alive and attractive to people all over the world. A good indication of this is the global reaction to the Charlie Berlitz novel entitled The Bermuda Triangle. The 1974 book proved to be a block buster best seller with sales of over 5 million copies (Bermuda-triangle.org).

In conclusion, given the stressful, drug-infested and terrorism-plagued world of today , the prospect of living in Bermuda is definitely attractive. Not only is it unrivalled where scenic beauty is concerned, but its other physical features, infrastructure and the unending allure of the famous Bermuda Triangle make Bermuda an island haven. When employment security and a per capita rate that is 50% higher than the U.S (Cia.gov) is added to the overall mix, there emerges just one conclusion – Bermuda is the best place in the world to live in. My conclusion is not an isolated one – many international celebrities like Michael Douglas, David Bowie and Ross Perot (10best.com) have also chosen to make the islands their ideal place to live in.

References used

“Bermuda.” 10best.com. 2009. Web.

“Bermuda.” Cia.gov. 2009. Web.

“Bermuda Triangle.” Bermuda-triangle.org. 2009. Web.