Montserrat

Introduction

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 2013.

Geography

Location

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico

Geographic coordinates

16 45 N, 62 12 W

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Area

total: 102 sq km
land: 102 sq km
water: 0 sq km
country comparison to the world: 226

Area - comparative

about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

40 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200nm

Climate

tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation

Terrain

volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland

Elevation

lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
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

Natural resources

NEGL

Land use

agricultural land: 30% (2011 est.)
arable land: 20% (2011 est.)/permanent crops: 0% (2011 est.)/permanent pasture: 10% (2011 est.)
forest: 25% (2011 est.)
other: 45% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2012)

Population distribution

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

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

Environment - current issues

land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation

Geography - note

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

People and Society

Population

5,315 (July 2018 est.)
note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned
country comparison to the world: 228

Nationality

noun: Montserratian(s)
adjective: Montserratian

Ethnic groups

African/black 88.4%, mixed 3.7%, hispanic/Spanish 3%, caucasian/white 2.7%, East Indian/Indian 1.5%, other 0.7% (2011 est.)

Languages

English

Religions

Protestant 67.1% (includes Anglican 21.8%, Methodist 17%, Pentecostal 14.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 10.5%, and Church of God 3.7%), Roman Catholic 11.6%, Rastafarian 1.4%, other 6.5%, none 2.6%, unspecified 10.8% (2001 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 15.99%(male 436 /female 414)
15-24 years: 21.39%(male 588 /female 549)
25-54 years: 47.58%(male 1,224 /female 1,305)
55-64 years: 8.81%(male 214 /female 254)
65 years and over: 6.23%(male 191 /female 140) (2018 est.)
population pyramid:

Median age

total: 33.8 years (2018 est.)
male: 33.1 years
female: 34.4 years
country comparison to the world: 90

Population growth rate

0.43% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159

Birth rate

10.5 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 186

Death rate

6.2 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 158

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93

Population distribution

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

Urbanization

urban population: 9.1% of total population(2019)
rate of urbanization: 0.64% annual rate of change(2015-20 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.84 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.36 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 11.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)
male: 9.4 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.5 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 116

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74.8 years (2018 est.)
male: 76.1 years
female: 73.5 years
country comparison to the world: 121

Total fertility rate

1.34 children born/woman (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 216

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 99% of population
rural: 99% of population
total: 99% of population
unimproved: urban: 1% of population
rural: 1% of population
total: 1% of population (2015 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 82.9% of population (2007 est.)
rural: 82.9% of population (2007 est.)
total: 82.9% of population (2007 est.)
unimproved: urban: 17.1% of population (2007 est.)
rural: 17.1% of population (2007 est.)
total: 17.1% of population (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

Education expenditures

5.1% of GDP (2009)
country comparison to the world: 59

Government

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

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK

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 and note: 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

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 effective 1 September 2010 (The Montserrat Constitution Order 2010)
amendments: amended 2011 (2018)

Legal system

English common law

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Andrew PEARCE (since 1 February 2018)
head of government: Premier Donaldson ROMERO (since 12 September 2014); note - effective with The Constitution Order 2010, effective October 2010, the office of premier replaced the office of chief minister
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

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Legislative Assembly (11 seats; 9 members directly elected in a single constituency by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds to serve 5-year terms and 2 ex-officio members - the attorney general and financial secretary)
elections: last held on 11 September 2014 (next scheduled for 30 September 2019)
election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 50.0%, MCAP 35.4%, other 14.6%; seats by party - PDM 7, MCAP 2; composition - men 7, women 2, percent of women 22.2%

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 [Easton Taylor FARRELL]
People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Donaldson ROMERO]

International organization participation

Caricom, CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UPU

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Diplomatic representation 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 anthem

note: as a territory of the UK, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)

Economy

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. Montserrat is tied to the EU through the UK. Although the UK is leaving the EU, Montserrat’s aid will not be affected as Montserrat maintains a direct agreement with the EU regarding aid.

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$167.4 million (2011 est.)
$155.9 million (2010 est.)
$162.7 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 223

GDP (official exchange rate)

$167.4 million(2011 est.) (2011 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

7.4% (2011 est.)
-4.2% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$34,000 (2011 est.)
$31,100 (2010 est.)
$32,300 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 60

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.)
country comparison to the world: 200

Labor force

4,521 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 222

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 1.4%
industry: 12.7%
services: 85.9% (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

5.6% (2017 est.)
6% (1998 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83

Population below poverty line

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA

Budget

revenues: 66.67 million (2017 est.)
expenditures: 47.04 million (2017 est.)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.2% (2017 est.)
-0.2% (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 66

Central bank discount rate

10.99% (31 December 2010)
6.5% (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 20

Commercial bank prime lending rate

6.95% (31 December 2017 est.)
7.21% (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120

Stock of narrow money

$28.33 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$23.04 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 192

Stock of broad money

$28.33 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$23.04 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 195

Stock of domestic credit

$5.185 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.481 million (31 December 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 190

Current account balance

-$15.4 million (2017 est.)
-$12.2 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 71

Exports

$4.4 million (2017 est.)
$5.2 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 218

Exports - partners

US 29%, France 23%, Saint Kitts and Nevis 22.2% (2017)

Exports - commodities

electronic components, plastic bags, apparel; hot peppers, limes, live plants; cattle

Imports

$39.44 million (2017 est.)
$36.1 million (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 221

Imports - commodities

machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants

Imports - partners

US 72.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 6%, UK 4.1% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$47.58 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$51.47 million (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187

Debt - external

$8.9 million (1997)
country comparison to the world: 200

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -
2.7 (2017 est.)
2.7 (2016 est.)
2.7 (2015 est.)
2.7 (2014 est.)
2.7 (2013 est.)

Energy

Electricity - production

24 million kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 211

Electricity - consumption

22.32 million kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 211

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176

Electricity - installed generating capacity

5,000 kW (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 213

Electricity - from fossil fuels

100% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 147

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 202

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 170

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 172

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 181

Refined petroleum products - consumption

400 bbl/day (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 212

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184

Refined petroleum products - imports

406 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 208

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 174

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 155

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 173

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

57,180 Mt (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 210

Communications

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 3,000
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 57 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 209

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 5,000
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 95 (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 214

Telephone system

general assessment: modern and fully digitalized; high dependency on tourism and offshore financial services; operators expand FttP (Fiber to Home) services; LTE launches and operators invest in mobile networks (2018)
domestic: fixed-line 57 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity 95 per 100 persons (2018)
international: country code - 1-664; landing point for the ECFS optic submarine cable with links to 14 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad (2019)

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

Internet users

total: 2,860
percent of population: 54.6% (July 2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 219

Military and Security

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Royal Montserrat Defence Force (ceremonial, civil defense duties),  Montserrat Police Force (2019)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Transportation

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 (2015)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3 (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

VP-M (2016)

Airports

1 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 229

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 (2017)
under 914 m: 1 (2017)

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

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Little Bay, Plymouth

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international

none

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe

Flag of Montserrat