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.

Geographic coordinates: 16 45 N 62 12 W

Area
Rank: 226
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
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation

Terrain: volcanic island mostly mountainous with small coastal lowland

Elevation
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
Permanent crops: 0%
Other: 80% (2011)

Irrigated land: NA

Natural hazards: volcanic eruptions; severe hurricanes (June to November)
Volcanism: Soufriere Hills volcano (elev. 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

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

Population: 5,189 (July 2013 est.)
Rank: 231
Growth rate: 0.48% (2013 est.)
Growth rate rank: 152
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Adjective: Montserratian

Ethnic groups: black white

Languages: English

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

Age structure
15-24 years: 13.5% (male 357/female 341)
25-54 years: 47.9% (male 1174/female 1309)
55-64 years: 6.3% (male 156/female 171)
65 years and over: 6.2% (male 199/female 122) (2013 est.)

Median age
Male: 30.3 years
Female: 31.3 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.48% (2013 est.)
Rank: 152

Birth rate: 11.37 births/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 172

Death rate: 6.55 deaths/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 149

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 96

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 2.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

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

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.55 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 117
Male: 10.86 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 17.62 deaths/1000 live births (2013 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 120
Male: 75.31 years
Female: 71.91 years (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.28 children born/woman (2013 est.)
Rank: 216

Drinking water source:

Sanitation facility access:

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

Education expenditures: 5.8% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 43

Literacy
Total population: 97%
Male: 97%
Female: 97% (1970 est.)

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

Country name
Conventional short form: Montserrat

Government type: NA

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 16 42 N 62 13 W
Time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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: previous 1960; latest effective 1 September 2010; amended 2011 (2012)

Legal system: English common law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: Premier Rueben T. MEADE (since 27 September 2011); note - the office of premier came into effect with the new Constitution Order; he replaces the Chief Minister
Cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor the premier 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 premier

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: note - Montserrat is also a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice
Judge selection and term of office: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court chief justice appointed by Her Majesty Queen ELIZABETH II; other justices and judges appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; 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:

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

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. In January 2013 the EU announced the disbursement of a $55.2 million aid package to Montserrat in order to boost the country's economic recovery with a specific focus on public finance management public sector reform and prudent economic management.

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

Real gdp growth rate: 3.5% (2008 est.)
Rank: 99

Real gdp per capita: $8,500 (2006 est.)
Rank: 128

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 47.3%
Investment in fixed capital: 25.2%
Investment in inventories: 0%
Exports of goods and services: 23.8%
Imports of goods and services: -84.7%: (2012 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 23.2%
Services: 75.2% (2012 est.)

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

Industries: tourism rum textiles electronic appliances

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 4,521 (2012)
Rank: 223

Unemployment rate: 6% (1998 est.)
Rank: 63

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Budget
Expenditures: $41.48 million (2012 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.7% (2011 est.)
Rank: 142

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

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 8.56% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 109

Stock of narrow money: $15.25 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 189

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

Stock of domestic credit: $5.185 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 179

Exports: $2.5 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 217
Commodities: electronic components plastic bags apparel; hot peppers limes live plants; cattle

Imports: $29.7 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 218
Commodities: machinery and transportation equipment foodstuffs manufactured goods fuels lubricants and related materials

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $24.81 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 168

Debt external: $8.9 million (1997)
Rank: 198

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 24 million kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 213
Consumption: 22.32 million kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 213
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 99
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 211
Installed generating capacity: 10,000 kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 204
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 23
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 133
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 182
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 199

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 191
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 150
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 89
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 159

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 202
Products consumption: 1000 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 201
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 194
Products imports: 568.5 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 203

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 162
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 168
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 142
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 93
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2013 es)
Proven reserves rank: 166

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 87,860 Mt (2011 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 206

Telephones
Main lines in use: 3,000 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 214
Mobile cellular: 4,000 (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 214

Telephone system
Domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 100 per 100 persons
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 (2011)

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

Airports: 1 (2013)
Rank: 225
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Ports and terminals: Little Bay Plymouth

Disputes international: none

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