Bermuda’s Guinness World Record Listings
Bermuda’s listings in the Guinness World Records were recently updated to reflect that we are now the smallest country in the world to win a Summer Olympic gold medal, with the island also noted as holding other records, including having the dubious distinction of being listed as holding the record for the highest cost of living.
Smallest Country By Population To Win An Olympic Gold Medal
On a good note, Bermuda recently earned a new and very welcome listing in the Guinness World Records, becoming the smallest nation to ever win a gold medal at the Summer Olympics, thanks to an outstanding showing from triathlete Flora Duffy.
According to the Guinness World Records we are the smallest country — by population — to win a Summer Olympic gold medal when Flora Duffy won the triathlon, in Tokyo, Japan, on 26 July 2021.
Ms Duffy’s gold medal win was very timely, as Bermuda had held the distinction of being the smallest nation to medal at a Summer Olympics for 45 years, thanks to boxer Clarence Hill who won a bronze medal in 1976. However, just days before San Marino, which has a population half our size, won their first ever Olympic medal, Bermuda became the smallest nation to ever win a gold medal at the Summer Olympics.
Highest Cost Of Living
On a less than welcome note, we are also classified by Guinness World Records as having the highest cost of living. Their listing cites a survey conducted by Numbeo, and states, “Bermuda has the highest cost of living. Countries are ranked by the comparative cost of maintaining a typical international lifestyle.
“The prices in New York City are used as a base, with the USA having a score of 100. Every other country is then ranked in comparison to this. Bermuda tops the list, with a score of 146.19.” A screenshot from the Numbeo’s current cost of living ranking is below.
Highest Daily Municipal Solid Waste Generated Per Capita – Country
The Guinness World Records also listed Bermuda with the highest daily municipal solid waste [MSW] generated by a country per capita, in effect saying we produce the most trash per capita.
The listing on the Guinness World Records website said, “According to the What a Waste 2.0 report, published by the World Bank and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development in 2018, the highest daily municipal solid waste [MSW] generated by a country per capita is 4.54 kg by Bermuda in 2012, based on the latest data available.”
The report they are citing can be read here, and a screenshot of a chart extracted from it is below. It notes a correlation between high income countries and high waste generation stating “though they only account for 16% of the world’s population, high-income countries generate about 34% or 683 million tonnes, of the world’s waste.”
First Deep-Ocean Dive
The island is also listed as holding the record for the “first deep-ocean dive,” citing the 1934 dive in Bermuda’s waters. The listing on the Guinness World Records website says, ”On 15 August 1934, William Beebe [USA, 1877–1962] and Otis Barton [USA, 1899–1992] descended to a then-record depth of 923 m [3,028 ft] in a tethered bathysphere off Bermuda in the Caribbean.”
Largest Urban Population As Proportion Of Total – Tied
We are also apparently one of the “most urbanized” countries in the world, along with 11 other jurisdictions many of which are small territories like us.
That listing states, “According to the United Nations’ World Urbanization Prospects 2018, the record for the most urbanized country is shared by 12 nations, all of which are either tiny city-states or small islands and have a 100% urbanized population.
“The full list comprises Anguilla, Singapore, Cayman Islands, Sint Maarten [Netherlands], Nauru, Macau SAR [China], Monaco, Hong Kong SAR [China], Gibraltar, Kuwait, the Holy See [Vatican City], and Bermuda.”
Lowest Score In 18 Golf Holes By Throwing Golf Ball
Another listing from Guinness World Records states, ”The lowest recorded score for throwing a golf ball round 18 holes [over 5490m 6000yd] is 82 by Joe Flynn [USA], 21, at the 5695m 6228yd Port Royal Course, Bermuda on 27 Mar 1975.”
Other Mentions
There are other mentions involving Bermuda as well; the “youngest helmsman to win America’s Cup” listing notes it happened in Bermuda when the island hosted the event in 2017, and the Guinness World Records note that the “longest non-stop ocean voyage by kayak” record is held by Aleksander Doba who kayaked across the Atlantic from Portugal to Bermuda back in 2013/14.
The island is also mentioned on two occasions, along with all the British Overseas Territories, with the Guinness World Records website noting the country with the largest number of overseas territories is currently the UK, and we are also mentioned in the “Most currencies featuring the same individual,” with Guinness noting that the image of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II “appears on the coinage of at least 35 different countries.”
Do they not have a ‘most golf courses per capita’ or ‘per square mile’ type category?
Guinness need to do some research because to my knowledge there is nowhere in the Caribbean called Bermuda.