Bermuda, which takes its name from its discovery in the early 1500s by the Spanish sailor Juan de Bermudéz, is an archipelago consisting of seven large islands and some 170 islets and rocks, situated in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately 1,050 km east of Cape Hatteras on the coast of North Carolina in the USA. The islands are stretched across 40 km and are connected by bridges. Hamilton, the capital, is located on Main Island, which is 22.5 km long and around 1.6 km wide. The islands are fringed by coral reefs and their beaches are famed for their beautiful pink sand. Some 60% of the population is of African ancestry, with most of the remainder being whites of British or American heritage.

English is the official language, spoken with an accent similar to that found on the Atlantic seaboard of the USA. Portuguese is also spoken, reflecting the historical influence of Portugal. Though the population is only just above 60,000, Bermuda has one of the highest population densities in the world. It has become an important offshore financial centre, with investment and insurance businesses playing a significant part in driving the national economy. Its distinctive culture includes the wearing of short, knee-length trousers for men as accepted attire for business and formal occasions. The islands came under British colonial rule in 1609. Today, Bermuda is an internally self-governing British overseas territory where the Governor is responsible for external affairs and defence but acts on the advice of the elected government in a parliamentary democracy. Racial discrimination has been a long-running concern and is one of the drivers of an independence movement. However, in the 1995 referendum on the issue, almost three-quarters of voters were opposed to independence.

With British rule came Christianity. St Peter's Church in St George's Town, built in 1619, is the oldest surviving Anglican church in the western hemisphere and has been named a UNESCO world heritage site. During the seventeenth century, nine Anglican parishes were established, each with its own church. In terms of ecclesiastical organisation, these churches fell under the jurisdiction of the Church of England Diocese of London, an arrangement that continued until 1813. At that point, episcopal supervision switched to the other side of the Atlantic as Bermuda was transferred to the Diocese of Nova Scotia in Canada, with which it remained until 1825.