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 possesion 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.

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

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

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

Population
Note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned (July 2006 est.)
Growth rate: 1.05% (2006 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Montserratian
Adjective: Montserratian

Ethnic groups: black white

Age structure
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) (2006 est.)

Median age
Total: 28.9 years
Male: 28.6 years
Female: 29.2 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.05% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 17.59 births/1000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 7.1 deaths/1000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2006 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male/female
65 years and over: 1.06 male/female
Total population: 0.96 male/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 7.19 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 8.35 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 5.97 deaths/1000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78.85 years
Male: 76.67 years
Female: 81.14 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.77 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: 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 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

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
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
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

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 ICFTU 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 coat of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross

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.)

Real gdp growth rate: -1% (2002 est.)

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

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 5.4%
Industry: 13.6%
Services: 81% (1996 est.)

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

Industries: tourism rum textiles electronic appliances

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force
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%

Budget
Revenues: $31.4 million
Expenditures: $31.6 million; including capital expenditures of $8.4 million (1997 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

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

Exports: $700,000 (2001)
Commodities: electronic components plastic bags apparel; hot peppers limes live plants; cattle
Partners: US Antigua and Barbuda (2004)

Imports: $17 million (2001)
Commodities: machinery and transportation equipment foodstuffs manufactured goods fuels lubricants and related materials
Partners: US UK Trinidad and Tobago Japan Canada (2004)

Debt external: $8.9 million (1997)

Exchange rates
Note: fixed rate since 1976

Electricity
Production: 2 million kWh (2003)
Consumption: 1.86 million kWh (2003)
Exports: 0 kWh (2003)
Imports: 0 kWh (2003)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2003 est.)
Consumption: 0 m³ (2003 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: NA
Mobile cellular: 70 (1994)

Telephone system
General assessment: modern and fully digitalized
Domestic: NA
International: country code - 1-664

Internet
Country code: .ms
Hosts: 386 (2006)
Users: NA

Airports: 2 (2006)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Roadways
Total: 227 km
Note: volcanic eruptions that began in 1995 destroyed most of the road system (2003)

Ports and terminals: Plymouth

Disputes international: none

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