Map of Montserrat | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

top of page


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.


top of page


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

Geographic coordinates: 16 45 N 62 12 W

Map reference

Area
Rank: 226
Comparative: about 0.6 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 40 km

Maritime claims

Climate: tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: volcanic island mostly mountainous with small coastal lowland

Elevation

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use

Irrigated land: NA

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: volcanic eruptions; severe hurricanes (June to November)

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


top of page


Population: 5,164 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 230
Growth rate: 0.484% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 151
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: black white

Languages: English

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

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.484% (2012 est.)
Rank: 151

Birth rate: 11.62 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 167

Death rate: 6.78 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 140

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 97

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 116

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 120

Total fertility rate: 1.27 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 217

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access:
Unimproved:

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: 121

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name

Government type: NA

Capital

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: Montserrat Constitution Order 2010 effective 1 September 2011

Legal system: English common law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

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)

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

National heritage


top of page


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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $43.78 million (2006 est.)
Rank: 225

Real gdp growth rate: 3.5% (2008 est.)
Rank: 97

Real gdp per capita: $8,500 (2006 est.)
Rank: 123

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

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

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 4,521 (2012)
Rank: 222

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

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.7% (2011 est.)
Rank: 89

Central bank discount rate: 6.5% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 53

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 8.56% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 111

Stock of narrow money: $15.25 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 190

Stock of broad money: $63.19 million (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 191

Stock of domestic credit: $12.59 million (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 190

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $1.26 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 218
Commodities: electronic components plastic bags apparel; hot peppers limes live plants; cattle

Imports: $26.32 million (2011 est.)
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: 198

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


top of page


Electricity
Production: 22 million kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 212
Consumption: 20.46 million kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 212
Exports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 96
Imports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 211
Installed generating capacity: 10,000 kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 203
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 25
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 134
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 183
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 155

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 162
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 149
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 92
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 161

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 172
Products consumption: 1000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 201
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 198
Products imports: 572.6 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 202

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 162
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 169
Exports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 112
Imports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 95
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 166

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 147,100 Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 203

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones
Main lines in use: 2,600 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 216
Mobile cellular: 4,200 (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 213

Telephone system

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
Country code: .ms
Hosts: 2,431 (2012)
Hosts rank: 160
Users: 1200 (2009)
Users rank: 213

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 1 (2012)
Rank: 211

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals: Little Bay Plymouth


top of page


Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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