World Facts Index
 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.
Geography of Montserrat
|
Location:
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Caribbean, island in the
Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico |
|
Coordinates:
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16 45 N, 62 12 W |
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Area:
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total: 102 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 102 sq km |
|
Area comparative:
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about 0.6 times the size of
Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
|
Coastline:
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40 km |
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Maritime claims:
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exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM
territorial sea: 3 NM |
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Climate:
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tropical; little daily or
seasonal temperature variation |
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Terrain:
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volcanic island, mostly
mountainous, with small coastal lowland |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chances Peak (in the Soufriere Hills volcanic
complex) 914 m |
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Natural resources:
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NEGL |
|
Natural hazards:
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severe hurricanes (June to
November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted
continuously since 1996) |
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Environment current issues:
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land erosion occurs on
slopes that have been cleared for cultivation |
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Geography - note:
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the island is entirely
volcanic in origin and contains seven active volcanoes
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Population of Montserrat
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Population:
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5,079 (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 23.3% (male 1,125/female 1,079)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 2,957/female 3,245)
65 years and over: 10.9% (male 532/female 501) |
|
Median age:
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28.9 years |
|
Growth rate:
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1.05% |
|
Infant mortality:
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7.19 deaths/1,000 live births |
|
Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 78.85 years
male: 76.67 years
female: 81.14 years |
|
Fertility rate:
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1.77 children born/woman |
|
Nationality:
|
noun: Montserratian(s)
adjective: Montserratian |
|
Ethnic groups:
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black, white |
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Religions:
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Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic,
Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations |
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Languages:
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English |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over has ever
attended school
total : 97%
male: 97%
female: 97% (1970 est.)
|
Government
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Dependency status:
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overseas territory of the UK |
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Government type:
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NA |
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Capital:
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Plymouth (abandoned in 1997 due to 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) |
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Administrative divisions:
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3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges,
Saint Peter |
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Independence:
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none (overseas territory of the UK) |
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National holiday:
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Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second
Saturday in June (1926) |
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Constitution:
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present constitution came into force 19
December 1989 |
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Legal system:
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English common law and statutory law |
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal |
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6
February 1952); represented by Governor Peter A. WATERWORTH (since 27 July 2007)
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:
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unicameral Legislative Council (11 seats, 9 popularly
elected; members serve five-year terms) |
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Judicial branch:
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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) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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] |
Economy
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
airports 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. The UK has
launched a three-year $122.8 million aid program to help reconstruct the
economy. Half of the island is expected to remain uninhabitable for another
decade.
|
GDP:
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$29 million (2002 est.) |
|
GDP growth rate:
|
-1% (2002 est.) |
|
GDP per capita:
|
purchasing power parity -
$3,400 (2002 est.) |
|
GDP composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 5.4%
industry: 13.6%
services: 81% (1996 est.) |
|
Inflation rate:
|
2.6% (2002) |
|
Labor force:
|
4,521 ; note - lowered by
flight of people from volcanic activity |
|
Unemployment:
|
6% (1998 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $31.4
million
expenditures: $31.6 million, including capital expenditures of
$8.4 million (1997 est.) |
|
Electricity production by source:
|
fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 0% |
|
Industries:
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tourism, rum, textiles,
electronic appliances |
|
Agriculture:
|
cabbages, carrots,
cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers; livestock products |
|
Exports:
|
electronic components,
plastic bags, apparel, hot peppers, live plants, cattle |
|
Export partners:
|
US, Antigua and Barbuda (2004) |
|
Imports:
|
machinery and
transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels,
lubricants, and related materials |
|
Import partners:
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US, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada (2004) |
|
Currency:
|
East Caribbean dollar (XCD) |
SOURCES: The CIA World Factbook, U.S. Department of State, Area Handbook of the US Library of Congress
Copyright 2004 - 2008 worldfacts.us |