9.1 Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory,1 in which the Crown is represented by the Governor and Commander-in-Chief. It is also the oldest self-governing former UK colony, representative government having been first introduced in 1620 and internal self-government in 1968. A referendum was held in 1995 in which the electorate voted to retain Bermuda’s links with the UK. The legislature comprises two Houses of Parliament, similar to the British model. The lower house, the House of Assembly, consists of 36 elected members. The upper house, known as the Senate, has 11 members. The Crown remains responsible for the administration of justice, external affairs, internal security and defence. Geographically, Bermuda is located in the western Atlantic Ocean approximately 570 miles to the east of the North Carolina coast. Bermuda comprises a chain of 150 islands, although only about half are inhabited. The resident population is approximately 65,500. English is the national language. The current unit of currency is the Bermudan dollar, which is linked to and is equivalent in value to the US dollar.