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.
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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 - comparative
about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC
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
Land use
agricultural land: 30% (2018 est.)
arable land: 20% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 10% (2018 est.)
forest: 25% (2018 est.)
other: 45% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
0 sq km (2022)
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
Geography - note
the island is entirely volcanic in origin and comprised of three major volcanic centers of differing ages
People and Society
Population
5,414 (2022 est.)
note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned
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.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 15.87% (male 442/female 417)
15-24 years: 19.67% (male 556/female 509)
25-54 years: 47.09% (male 1,217/female 1,313)
55-64 years: 10.47% (male 258/female 309)
65 years and over: 7.15% (male 209/female 178) (2022 est.)
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: 34.8 years
male: 34.1 years
female: 35.6 years (2020 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.)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.92 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 10.36 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.37 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 75.7 years
male: 76.66 years
female: 74.7 years (2022 est.)
Drinking water source
improved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 98.1% of population
unimproved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 1.9% of population (2020 est.)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: NA
unimproved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: NA
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)
Environment
Environment - current issues
land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation
Climate
tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation
Land use
agricultural land: 30% (2018 est.)
arable land: 20% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 10% (2018 est.)
forest: 25% (2018 est.)
other: 45% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 9.3% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.94% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
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
Government type
parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK
Dependency status
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
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
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 Andrew PEARCE (since 1 February 2018)
head of government: Premier Easton TAYLOR-FARRELL (since 19 November 2019); note - effective with the Constitution Order 2010, 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 (12 seats; 9 members directly elected in a single constituency by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds to serve 5-year terms; the speaker, normally elected from the outside by the Assembly for a 5-year term, and 2 ex-officio members - the attorney general and financial secretary)
elections: last held on 18 November 2019 (next scheduled for 2024)
election 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, including the speaker and 2 ex-officio members - men 8, women 4, percent of women 33.3%
Judicial branch
highest court(s): 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 [Paul LEWIS]
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
embassy: none (overseas territory of the UK); alternate contact is the US Embassy in Barbados [1] (246) 227-4000; US Embassy Bridgetown, Wildey Business Park, St. Michael BB 14006, 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
Economy
Economic 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.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$167.4 million (2011 est.)
$155.9 million (2010 est.)
$162.7 million (2009 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$34,000 (2011 est.)
$31,100 (2010 est.)
$32,300 (2009 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$167.4 million (2011 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.2% (2017 est.)
-0.2% (2016 est.)
Credit ratings
Standard & Poors rating: BBB- (2020)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 1.9% (2017 est.)
industry: 7.8% (2017 est.)
services: 90.3% (2017 est.)
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.)
Agricultural products
cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers; livestock products
Industries
tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 1.4%
industry: 12.7%
services: 85.9% (2017 est.)
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
Current account balance
-$15.4 million (2017 est.)
-$12.2 million (2016 est.)
Exports - partners
Antigua and Barbuda 19%, United States 18%, France 17%, Singapore 14%, Belgium 9%, Netherlands 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities
sand, iron products, seats, medical instruments, fish (2019)
Imports - partners
United States 70%, United Kingdom 6% (2019)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, cars, oranges, electric motors, broadcasting equipment (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$47.58 million (31 December 2017 est.)
$51.47 million (31 December 2015 est.)
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
installed generating capacity: 5,000 kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 21.56 million kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 1 million kWh (2019 est.)
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 200 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
33,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 33,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 3,000 (2018 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 60 (2018 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 5,000 (2018 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 101 (2019 est.)
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: telecom market one of growth in Caribbean 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; effective competition in all sectors (2020)
domestic: fixed-line roughly 60 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity nearly 101 per 100 persons (2019)
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)
note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services
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 users
total: 2,744 (2019 est.)
percent of population: 55% (2019 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 2,700 (2018 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 55 (2018 est.)
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3
Airports - with paved runways
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2021)
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
Military and Security
Military and security forces
no regular military forces; Royal Montserrat Defense Force (ceremonial, civil defense duties), Montserrat Police Force
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of the UK
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
none identified
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe