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 July 2003.
Location
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico
Geographic coordinates
16 45 N, 62 12 W
Map references
Central America and the Caribbean
Area
total
102 sq km
land
102 sq km
water
0 sq km
Area - comparative
about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries
0 km
Coastline
40 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
3 nm
exclusive fishing zone
200 nm
Climate
tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation
Terrain
volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland
Elevation extremes
lowest point
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point
lava dome in English's Crater (in the Soufriere Hills volcanic complex) estimated at over 930 m (2006)
Natural resources
NEGL
Land use
arable land
20%
permanent crops
0%
other
80% (2005)
Irrigated land
NA
Natural hazards
severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1995)
Environment - current issues
land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation
Geography - note
the island is entirely volcanic in origin and comprised of three major volcanic centers of differing ages
Population
9,538
note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
23.5% (male 1,144/female 1,094)
15-64 years
65.7% (male 2,989/female 3,281)
65 years and over
10.8% (male 527/female 503) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
29.3 years
male
28.9 years
female
29.7 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
1.048% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
17.51 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
7.02 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.046 male(s)/female
15-64 years
0.911 male(s)/female
65 years and over
1.048 male(s)/female
total population
0.955 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
7.03 deaths/1,000 live births
male
8.15 deaths/1,000 live births
female
5.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
79 years
male
76.8 years
female
81.31 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.77 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
Nationality
noun
Montserratian(s)
adjective
Montserratian
Ethnic groups
black, white
Religions
Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations
Languages
English
Literacy
definition
age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population
97%
male
97%
female
97% (1970 est.)
Country name
conventional long form
none
conventional short form
Montserrat
Dependency status
overseas territory of the UK
Government type
NA
Capital
name
Plymouth
geographic coordinates
16 44 N, 62 14 W
time difference
UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note
Plymouth was abandoned in 1997 because of volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat
Administrative divisions
3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter
Independence
none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday
Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)
Constitution
effective 19 December 1989
Legal system
English common law and statutory law
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Deborah BARNES-JONES (since 10 May 2004)
head of government
Chief Minister Lowell LEWIS (since 2 June 2006)
cabinet
Executive Council consists of the governor, the chief minister, three other ministers, the attorney general, and the finance secretary
elections
the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually becomes chief minister
Legislative branch
unicameral Legislative Council (11 seats, 9 popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)
note: expanded in 2001 from 7 to 9 elected members with attorney general and financial secretary sitting as ex-officio members
elections: last held 31 May 2006 (next to be held by 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - MCAP 36.1%, NPLM 29.4%, MDP 24.4%, independents 10.1%; seats by party - MCAP 4, NPLM 3, MDP 1, independents 1
note: in 2001, the Elections Commission instituted a single constituency/voter-at-large system whereby all eligible voters cast ballots for all nine seats of the Legislative Council
Judicial branch
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia, one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court)
Political parties and leaders
Montserrat Democratic Party or MDP [Lowell LEWIS]; Movement for Change and Prosperity or MCAP [Roselyn CASSELL-SEALY]; New People's Liberation Movement or NPLM [John A. OSBORNE]
Political pressure groups and leaders
NA
International organization participation
Caricom, CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US
none (overseas territory of the UK)
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 coat of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross
Economy - overview
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$29 million (2002 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
NA
GDP - real growth rate
-1% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$3,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
1.2%
industry
23.1%
services
75.7% (1999 est.)
Labor force
4,521
note: lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate
6% (1998 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
NA%
highest 10%
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.6% (2002 est.)
Budget
revenues
$31.4 million
expenditures
$31.6 million; including capital expenditures of $8.4 million (1997 est.)
