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.
Dependency status: overseas territory of the UK
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)
Currency: 1 East Caribbean dollar (EC$) = 100 cents
Geography of Montserrat
Location: Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico
Geographic coordinates: 16 45 N, 62 12 W
Area:
total: 100 sq km
land: 100 sq km
water: 0 sq km
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 sq km
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.
Geography - note: the island is entirely volcanic in origin and
contains seven active volcanoes.
People of Montserrat
Population: 9,341 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.83%
15-64 years: 64.66%
65 years and over: 11.51%
Population growth rate: 13.39%
Birth rate: 17.43 births/1,000 population
Death rate: 7.53 deaths/1,000 population
Net migration rate: 123.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population
Infant mortality rate: 8.19 deaths/1,000 live births
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.03 years
male: 75.95 years
female: 80.22 years
Total fertility rate: 1.82 children born/woman
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.)
SOURCE: The World Factbook |