Map of Montserrat | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Background: 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.


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Location: Caribbean island in the Caribbean Sea southeast of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates: 16 45 N 62 12 W

Map reference: Central America and the Caribbean

Area
Total: 102 km²
Rank: 225
Land: 102 km²
Water: 0 km²
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
Extremes 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

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1995)

Geography
Note: the island is entirely volcanic in origin and comprised of three major volcanic centers of differing ages


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Population: 5,118
Rank: 229
Note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned (July 2010 est.)
Growth rate: 0.391% (2010 est.)
Growth rate rank: 163
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Montserratian
Adjective: Montserratian

Ethnic groups: black white

Languages: English

Religions: Anglican Methodist Roman Catholic Pentecostal Seventh-Day Adventist other Christian denominations

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 27.6%
15-64 years: 65.5% (male 1599/female 1738)
65 years and over: 6.9% (male 232/female 119) (2010 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 29.1 years
Male: 28.8 years
Female: 29.4 years (2010 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.391% (2010 est.)
Rank: 163

Birth rate: 11.72 births/1000 population (2010 est.)
Rank: 167

Death rate: 7.82 deaths/1000 population (July 2010 est.)
Rank: 110

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population
Rank: 115

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 14% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 2.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.033 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.09 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 2.03 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 15.8 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 119
Male: 11.9 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 19.88 deaths/1000 live births (2010 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.91 years
Rank: 119
Male: 74.82 years
Female: 70.91 years (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.25 children born/woman (2010 est.)
Rank: 217

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 3.3% of GDP (2004)
Rank: 138

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
Total population: 97%
Male: 97%
Female: 97% (1970 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 17 years (2007)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Montserrat

Government type: NA

Capital
Name: Plymouth
Geographic coordinates: 16 42 N 62 13 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

Dependent areas

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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II ; represented by Governor Peter A. WATERWORTH (since 27 July 2007)
Head of government: Chief Minister Rueben MEADE (since 10 September 2009)
Cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor the chief minister 3 other ministers the attorney general and the finance secretary
Elections: the monarchy 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 members popularly elected to serve five-year terms; the attorney general and financial secretary sit as ex-officio members)
Elections: last held on 8 September 2009 (next to be held by 2014)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MCAP 6 independents 3

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]

International organization participation: Caricom CDB Interpol (subbureau) OECS UPU

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas territory of the UK)
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 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

National symbols

National anthem
Note: as a territory of the United Kingdom 'God Save the Queen' is official

National heritage


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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 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $29 million (2002 est.)
Rank: 224

Real gdp growth rate: -1% (2002 est.)
Rank: 200

Real gdp per capita: $3,400 (2002 est.)
Rank: 164

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.2%
Industry: 23.1%
Services: 75.7% (1999 est.)

Agriculture products: cabbages carrots cucumbers tomatoes onions peppers; livestock products

Industries: tourism rum textiles electronic appliances

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: NA

Unemployment rate: 6% (1998 est.)
Rank: 58

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.6% (2002 est.)
Rank: 82

Central bank discount rate: 6.5% (31 December 2008)
Rank: 67

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 9.89% (31 December 2008 est.)
Rank: 94

Stock of narrow money: $14.51 million (31 December 2008)
Rank: 188

Stock of broad money: $62.13 million (31 December 2008)
Rank: 186

Stock of domestic credit: $5.537 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 183

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $700,000 (2001 est.)
Rank: 219
Commodities: electronic components plastic bags apparel; hot peppers limes live plants; cattle

Imports: $17 million (2001); $17 million
Rank: 219
Commodities: machinery and transportation equipment foodstuffs manufactured goods fuels lubricants and related materials

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $8.9 million (1997)
Rank: 191

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007) 2.7 (2006) 2.7 (2005) 2.7 (2004) 2.7 (2003)
Note: fixed rate since 1976


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Electricity
Production: 22 million kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 205
Consumption: 20.46 million kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 205
Exports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2008 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Production rank: 143
Consumption: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 134
Exports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Exports rank: 92
Imports: 0 m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 152
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2010 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 116

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 2,700 (2009)
Main lines in use rank: 220
Mobile cellular: 3,000 (2008)
Mobile cellular rank: 213

Telephone system
General assessment: modern and fully digitalized
Domestic: fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone systems available
International: country code - 1-664; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad

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 are obtainable (2007)

Internet
Country code: .ms
Hosts: 552 (2010)
Hosts rank: 177
Users: 1200 (2009)
Users rank: 212

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 2 (2010)
Rank: 205
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 2 (2010)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Note: volcanic eruptions that began in 1995 destroyed most of the 227 km road system; a new road infrastructure has been built in the north end of the island

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Little Bay Plymouth


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe