Montserrat (overseas territory of the UK)

§1. Montserrat Introduction

Background:
  Much of this island has been devastated and two-thirds of the population
  has fled abroad due to the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano that
  began on 18 July 1995.

§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: 100 kmē
  land: 100 kmē
  water: 0 kmē

Area - comparative:
  about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
  0 km

Coastline:
  40 km

Maritime claims:
  exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM

Climate:
  tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation

Terrain:
  volcanic islands, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Chances Peak (in the
    Soufriere Hills) 914 m

Natural resources:
  NEGL

Land use:
  arable land: 20%
  permanent crops: 0%
  permanent pastures: 10%
  forests and woodland: 40%
  other: 30% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:
  NA kmē

Natural hazards:
  severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (full-scale
  eruptions of the Soufriere Hills volcano occurred during 1996-97)

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

§3. Montserrat People

Population:
  7,574
  note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption
    of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 23.83% (male 907; female 898)
  15-64 years: 64.66% (male 2,341; female 2,556)
  65 years and over: 11.51% (male 464; female 408) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:
  13.39% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:
  17.43 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:
  7.53 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:
  123.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Sex ratio:
  at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
  under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
  15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
  65 years and over: 1.14 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  8.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 78.03 years male: 75.95 years
  female: 80.22 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  1.82 children born/woman (2001 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, in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity
  at the northwest end of Montserrat)

Administrative divisions:
  3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter's

Independence:
  none (overseas territory of the UK)

National holiday:
  Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)

Constitution:
  present constitution came into force 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 Anthony John ABBOTT (since NA September 1997)
  head of government: Chief Minister David BRANDT (since 22 August 1997)
  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; note - as a result of the last election, a
    coalition party was formed between NPP, NDP, and one of the independent
    candidates

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Legislative Council (11 seats, 7 popularly elected; members
  serve five-year terms)
  elections: last held 11 November 1996 (next to be held by NA November 2001)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPA 2,
    MNR 2, NPP 1, independent 2

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:
  Movement for National Reconstruction or MNR [Percival Austin BRAMBLE];
  National Development Party or NDP [leader NA]; National Progressive Party
  or NPP [Reuben T. MEADE]; People's Progressive Alliance or PPA [John A.
  OSBORNE]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

International organization participation:
  Caricom, CDB, ECLAC (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, WCL

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 volcano and on public sector construction
  activity. The UK committed to a three year $125 million aid program in 1999
  to help reconstruct the economy.

GDP:
  purchasing power parity - $31 million (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  -1.5% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita:
  purchasing power parity - $5,000 (1999 est.)

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

Population below poverty line:
  NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  5% (1998)

Labor force:
  4,521 (1992); note - recently lowered by flight of people from volcanic
  activity

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Unemployment rate:
  20% (1996 est.)

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

Industries:
  tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances

Industrial production growth rate:
  NA%

Electricity - production:
  10 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source:
  fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0%
  nuclear: 0%
  other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption:
  9.3 million kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports:
  0 kWh (1999)

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

Exports:
  $1.5 million (1998)

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

Exports - partners:
  US, Antigua and Barbuda (1993)

Imports:
  $26 million (1998)

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

Imports - partners:
  US, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada (1993)

Debt - external:
  $8.9 million (1997)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $9.8 million (1995); note - about $100 million (1996-98) in reconstruction
  aid from the UK; Country Policy Plan (1999) is a three-year program for
  spending $122.8 million in British budgetary assistance

Currency:
  East Caribbean dollar (XCD)

Currency code:
  XCD

Exchange rates:
  East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)

Fiscal year:
  1 April - 31 March

§6. Montserrat Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  4,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  70 (1994)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA domestic: NA
  international: NA

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

Radios:
  7,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
  1 (1997)

Televisions:
  3,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
  .ms

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
  17 (2000)

Internet users:
  NA

§7. Montserrat Transportation

Railways:
  0 km

Highways:
  total: 269 km
  paved: 203 km
  unpaved: 66 km (1995)

Waterways:
  none

Ports and harbors:
  Plymouth (abandoned), Little Bay (anchorages and ferry landing), Carr's Bay

Merchant marine:
  none (2000 est.)

Airports:
  1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)

§8. Montserrat Military

Military branches:
  Police Force

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
