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

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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. The Soufriere Hills Volcano erupted in 1995, devastating much of the island; two thirds of the population fled abroad. Montserrat has endured volcanic activity since, with the last eruption occurring in 2013.


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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
Land: 102 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC
Country comparison total: 0 km

Land boundaries
Total: 0 km

Coastline: 40 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland

Elevation
Highest point: Soufriere Hills volcano pre-eruption height was 915 m; current lava dome is subject to periodic build up and collapse; estimated dome height was 1,050 m in 2015
Lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use
Agricultural land: 30% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 20% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 10% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land forest: 25% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land other: 45% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 0 km² (2022)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: volcanic eruptions; severe hurricanes (June to November)
Volcanism: Soufriere Hills volcano (915 m), has erupted continuously since 1995; a massive eruption in 1997 destroyed most of the capital, Plymouth, and resulted in approximately half of the island becoming uninhabitable; the island of Montserrat is part of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south

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


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Population
Distribution: only the northern half of the island is populated, the southern portion is uninhabitable due to volcanic activity
Total: 5,468
Male: 2,728
Female: 2,740 (2024 est.)
Note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned
Growth rate: 0.59% (2024 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Montserratian(s)
Adjective: Montserratian

Ethnic groups: African/Black 86.2%, mixed 4.8%, Hispanic/Spanish 3%, Caucasian/White 2.7%, East Indian/Indian 1.6%, other 1.8% (2018 est.)

Languages: English

Religions: Protestant 71.4% (includes Anglican 17.7%, Pentecostal/Full Gospel 16.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 15%, Methodist 13.9%, Church of God 6.7%, other Protestant 2%), Roman Catholic 11.4%, Rastafarian 1.4%, Hindu 1.2%, Jehovah's Witness 1%, Muslim 0.4%, other/not stated 5.1%, none 7.9% (2018 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 15.8% (male 446/female 420)
15-64 years: 76.1% (male 2,062/female 2,101)
65 years and over: 8% (2024 est.) (male 220/female 219)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 43.9
Youth dependency ratio: 19.2
Elderly dependency ratio: 24.7
Potential support ratio: 4 (2021)

Median age
Total: 36.8 years (2024 est.)
Male: 35.4 years
Female: 37.8 years

Population growth rate: 0.59% (2024 est.)

Birth rate: 11.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Death rate: 6 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

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

Urbanization
Urban population: 9.3% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.94% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 9.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 8 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 11.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.1 years (2024 est.)
Male: 76.9 years
Female: 75.3 years

Total fertility rate: 1.33 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: NA

Drinking water source
Improved urban: NA
Unimproved rural: NA
Unimproved total: 1.9% of population (2020 est.)
Unimproved urban: NA

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban: NA
Improved rural: NA
Improved total: NA
Unimproved urban: NA
Unimproved rural: NA
Unimproved total: NA

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: NA

Education expenditures: 5.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy
Total population: NA
Male: NA
Female: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 14 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 15 years (2019)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Montserrat
Etymology: island named by explorer Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 after the Benedictine abbey Santa Maria de Montserrat, near Barcelona, Spain

Government type: parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK

Capital
Name: 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
Geographic coordinates: 16 42 N, 62 13 W
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Etymology: now entirely deserted because of volcanic activity, the city was originally named after Plymouth, England; de jure, Plymouth remains the capital city of Montserrat; it is therefore the only ghost town that serves as the capital of a political entity

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, usually celebrated the Monday after the second Saturday in June (1926)

Constitution
History: previous 1960; latest put into force 20 October 2010 (The Montserrat Constitution Order 2010)
Amendments: amended 2011, 2020

Legal system: English common law

International law organization participation

Citizenship: see United Kingdom

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Sarah TUCKER (since 6 April 2023)
Head of government: Premier Easton TAYLOR-FARRELL (since 19 November 2019)
Cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, the premier, 3 other ministers, the attorney general, and the finance secretary
Elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually becomes premier
Note: effective with Constitution Order 2010, October 2010, the office of premier replaced the office of chief minister

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Legislative Assembly (12 seats; 9 members directly elected in a single constituency by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds to serve 5-year terms)
Elections: last held on 18 November 2019 (next to be held in 2024)
Elections results: percent of vote by party - MCAP 42.7%, PDM 29.9%, other 17.1%; seats by party - MCAP 5, PDM 3, independent 1; composition - men 8, women 4, percentage women 33.3%
Note: the Assembly elects the speaker from the outside for a 5-year term; the Assembly includes 2 ex-officio members, the attorney general and the financial secretary

Judicial branch
Highest courts: the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - consists of the Court of Appeal - headed by the chief justice and 4 judges - and the High Court with 18 judges; the Court of Appeal is itinerant, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 1 assigned to Montserrat; Montserrat is also a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice
Judge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, and independent body of judicial officials; Court of Appeal justices appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 65; High Court judges appointed for life with mandatory retirement at age 62
Subordinate courts: magistrate's court

Political parties and leaders: Movement for Change and Prosperity or MCAP , People's Democratic Movement or PDM

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas territory of the UK)
From the us embassy: none (overseas territory of the UK); alternate contact is the US Embassy in Barbados [1] (246) 227-4,000; US Embassy Bridgetown, Wildey Business Park, St. Michael BB 14,006, Barbados, WI

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 UK, 'God Save the King' is official (see United Kingdom)

National heritage


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Economy overview: formerly high-income economy; volcanic activity destroyed much of original infrastructure and economy; new capital and port is being developed; key geothermal and solar power generation; key music recording operations

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita: (2011)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 90.8% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 50.4% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 17.9% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: -0.1% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 29.5% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -88.6% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.9% (2017 est.)
Industry: 7.8% (2017 est.)
Services: 90.3% (2017 est.)

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

Industries: tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances

Industrial production growth rate: -21% (2017 est.)

Labor force

Unemployment rate: 5.6% (2017 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $55.651 million (2014 est.)
Expenditures: $43.652 million (2014 est.)
Note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.2% (2017 est.); -0.2% (2016 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance: -$15.4 million (2017 est.); -$12.2 million (2016 est.)

Exports: $11.9 million (2021 est.); $4.4 million (2017 est.); $5.2 million (2016 est.)
Partners: US 23%, France 21%, Antigua and Barbuda 19%, Ireland 15%, UK 7% (2022)
Partners note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Commodities: sand, gravel and crushed stone, packaged medicine, lead products, liquid pumps (2022)
Commodities note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Imports: $15.3 million (2021 est.); $39.44 million (2017 est.); $36.1 million (2016 est.)
Partners: US 54%, UK 8%, Singapore 4%, Antigua and Barbuda 4%, Trinidad and Tobago 4% (2022)
Partners note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Commodities: refined petroleum, machine parts, plastic products, machinery, natural gas (2022)
Commodities note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $47.58 million (31 December 2017 est.); $51.47 million (31 December 2015 est.)

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)
Installed generating capacity: 6,000 kW (2022 est.)
Consumption: 13.968 million kWh (2022 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 370,000 kWh (2022 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Coal
Imports: (2022 est.) less than 1 metric ton

Petroleum
Refined petroleum consumption: 200 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions: 26,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 26,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: (2019)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 3,000 (2020 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 67 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 5,000 (2020 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 110 (2020 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces: no regular military forces; Royal Montserrat Defense Force (ceremonial, civil defense duties), Montserrat Police Force (2024)

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: VP-M

Airports: 1 (2024)

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 on the north end of the island

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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