world
factbook
Montserrat
English and Irish colonists from St. Kitts first settled on Montserrat in 1632; the first African slaves arrived three decades later. The British and French fought for possession of the island for most of the 18th century, but it finally was confirmed as a British possession in 1783. The island's sugar plantation economy was converted to small farm landholdings in the mid-19th century. Much of this island was devastated and two-thirds of the population fled abroad because of the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano that began on 18 July 1995. Montserrat has endured volcanic activity since, with the last eruption occurring in 2013.

geography

location

Central America and the Caribbean
16.45° N, 62. 12° W
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico

area

102 sq km
land
102 sq km
water
0 sq km

land boundaries

0 km

coastline

40 km

climate

tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation

terrain

volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland

elevation

lowest point
Caribbean Sea
0
highest point
Soufriere Hills volcano pre-eruption height was
915

natural resources

  • NEGL

land use

arable land
20 %
permanent crops
0 %
permanent pasture
10 %
forest
25 %
other
45 %

population distribution

only the northern half of the island is populated, the southern portion is uninhabitable due to volcanic activity

people

population

  • 5,373
  • 227
    global rank

nationality

  • Montserratian(s)
    noun
  • Montserratian
    adjective

ethnic groups

African/black
88.4 %
mixed
3.7 %
hispanic/Spanish
3 %
caucasian/white
2.7 %
East Indian/Indian
1.5 %
other
0.7 %

languages

  • English

religions

Protestant
67.1 %
Roman Catholic
11.6 %
Rastafarian
1.4 %
other
6.5 %
none
2.6 %
unspecified
10.8 %

birth rate

  • 11.7
    per 1,000 population
  • 167
    global rank

death rate

  • 6
    per 1,000 population
  • 164
    global rank

urban population

9.1 %

life expectancy

  • 75.3
    total population
  • 118
    global rank
76.4
male
74.1
female

government

government type

parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK

capital

Plymouth; note - Plymouth was abandoned in 1997 because of volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate, the de facto capital, in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat
16.42 N, 62.13 W

independence

national holidays

  • Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II
    usually celebrated the Monday after the second Saturday in June

legal system

English common law

age of suffrage

18

flag description

blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the arms feature a woman in green dress, Erin, the female personification of Ireland, standing beside a yellow harp and embracing a large dark cross with her right arm; Erin and the harp are symbols of Ireland reflecting the territory's Irish ancestry; blue represents awareness, trustworthiness, determination, and righteousness

economy

overview

Severe volcanic activity, which began in July 1995, has put a damper on this small, open economy. A catastrophic eruption in June 1997 closed the airport and seaports, causing further economic and social dislocation. Two-thirds of the 12,000 inhabitants fled the island. Some began to return in 1998 but lack of housing limited the number. The agriculture sector continued to be affected by the lack of suitable land for farming and the destruction of crops. Prospects for the economy depend largely on developments in relation to the volcanic activity and on public sector construction activity. Half of the island remains uninhabitable. In January 2013, the EU announced the disbursement of a $55.2 million aid package to Montserrat in order to boost the country's economic recovery, with a specific focus on public finance management, public sector reform, and prudent economic management. Montserrat is tied to the EU through the UK. Although the UK is leaving the EU, Montserrat’s aid will not be affected as Montserrat maintains a direct agreement with the EU regarding aid.

GDP

167,400,000 USD
2011

agriculture products

  • cabbages
  • carrots
  • cucumbers
  • tomatoes
  • onions
  • peppers
  • livestock products

budget

  • 66,670,000
    revenue (USD)
  • 47,040,000
    expenditures (USD)

communications

telephones

    fixed lines

  • 3,000
    total subscriptions
  • 209
    global rank

    mobile cellular

  • 5,000
    total subscriptions
  • 216
    global rank

broadcast media

Radio Montserrat, a public radio broadcaster, transmits on 1 station and has a repeater transmission to a second station; repeater transmissions from the GEM Radio Network of Trinidad and Tobago provide another 2 radio stations; cable and satellite TV available (2007)

internet

.ms
country code

    users

  • 2,860
    total
  • 54.6
    % of population
  • 219
    global rank

energy

This entry doesn't have any available energy data.

transportation

air transport

    airports

  • 1
    total
  • 1
    paved

military

This entry doesn't have any available military data.