Montserrat

§1. Montserrat Introduction

Background:
  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.

§2. Montserrat 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 km²
  land: 102 km²
  water: 0 km²

Area - 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
  highest point: Chances Peak (in the Soufriere Hills volcanic complex) 914 m

Natural resources:
  NEGL

Land use:
  arable land: 20%
  permanent crops: 0%
  other: 80% (2005)

Irrigated land:
  NA km²

Natural hazards:
  severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills
  volcano has erupted continuously since 1995)

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

Geography - note:
  the island is entirely volcanic in origin and contains seven active
  volcanoes

§3. Montserrat People

Population:
  9,439
  note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption
    of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned (July 2006 est.)

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/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  7.1 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 7.19 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 8.35 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 5.97 deaths/1,000 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.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  NA

Nationality:
  noun: Montserratian(s)
  adjective: Montserratian

Ethnic groups:
  black, white

Religions:
  Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist,
  other Christian denominations

Languages:
  English

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
  total population: 97%
  male: 97%
  female: 97% (1970 est.)

§4. Montserrat Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Montserrat

Dependency status:
  overseas territory of the UK

Government type:
  NA

Capital:
  Plymouth (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 John OSBORNE (since 5 April 2001)
  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:
  unicameral Legislative Council (11 seats, 9 popularly elected; members
  serve five-year terms)
  note: expanded in 2001 from 7 to 9 elected members with attorney general
    and financial secretary sitting as ex-officio members
  elections: last held April 2001 (next to be held by November 2006)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NPLM 7,
    NPP 2
  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

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:
  National Progressive Party or NPP [Reuben T. MEADE]; New People's
  Liberation Movement or NPLM [John A. OSBORNE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

International organization participation:
  Caricom, CDB, ICFTU, 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 coat
  of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow harp with her arm around
  a black cross

§5. Montserrat 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
  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.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $29 million (2002 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  NA

GDP - real growth rate:
  -1% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $3,400 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 5.4%
  industry: 13.6%
  services: 81% (1996 est.)

Labor force:
  4,521
  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%

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

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

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

Industries:
  tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances

Industrial production growth rate:
  NA%

Electricity - production:
  2 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  1.86 million kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  380 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Exports:
  $700,000 (2001)

Exports - commodities:
  electronic components, plastic bags, apparel, hot peppers, live plants,
  cattle

Exports - partners:
  US, Antigua and Barbuda (2004)

Imports:
  $17 million (2001)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods,
  fuels, lubricants, and related materials

Imports - partners:
  US, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada (2004)

Debt - external:
  $8.9 million (1997)

Economic aid - recipient:
  Country Policy Plan (2001) is a three-year program for spending $122.8
  million in British budgetary assistance (2002 est.)

Currency (code):
  East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Exchange rates:
  East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003),
  2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)
  note: fixed rate since 1976

Fiscal year:
  1 April - 31 March

§6. Montserrat Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  NA

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  70 (1994)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: modern and fully digitalized
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 1-664

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:
  1 (1997)

Internet country code:
  .ms

Internet hosts:
  363 (2005)

Internet users:
  NA

§7. Montserrat Transportation

Airports:
  1 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 1
  under 914 m: 1 (2005)

Roadways:
  total: 227 km (2003)

Ports and terminals:
  Plymouth

§8. Montserrat Military

Military branches:
  no regular military forces; Royal Montserrat Police Force (2005)

Military - note:
  defense is the responsibility of the UK

§9. Montserrat Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  none

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


<Factbook 2006>
