Montserrat
parliamentary democracyIndependence none (overseas territory of the UK)
Montserrat as the 2021 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 137 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico
17 fieldsLand useshare of 102 sq km
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
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
27 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2020 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2021 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2018 est.)
Religions(2018 est.)
Population distribution
only the northern half of the island is populated, the southern portion is uninhabitable due to volcanic activity
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.03 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 1.1 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 0.93 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 0.88 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 1.26 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Environment
4 fieldsLand use(2018 est.)
Urbanization
- urban population:
- 9.2% of total population (2021)
- rate of urbanization:
- 0.94% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Government
Parliamentary democracy; Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Premier Easton TAYLOR-FARRELL (since 19 November 2019)
20 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Legislative Assembly, 9 seats, elected 18 November 2019one dot, one seat
Percent of vote
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
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
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
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 Easton TAYLOR-FARRELL (since 19 November 2019);
- 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 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
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]
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
National anthem
note: as a territory of the UK, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)
Economy
Severe volcanic activity, which began in July 1995, has put a damper on this small, open economy.
29 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2017 est.)
By end use% of GDP · (2017 est.)
Budget(2017 est.)
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.
Exports - partners
Antigua and Barbuda 19%, United States 18%, France 17%, Singapore 14%, Belgium 9%, Netherlands 5% (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
22 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 5,000 kW(2016 est.)
Communications
7 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2017–21 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 60 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity 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 downturn, particularly in mobile device production;
many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes;
the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments
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)
Transportation
6 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3
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
Military and Security
No regular military forces; Royal Montserrat Defence Force (ceremonial, civil defense duties), Montserrat Police Force
2 fieldsMilitary and security forces
no regular military forces; Royal Montserrat Defence Force (ceremonial, civil defense duties), Montserrat Police Force
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsCite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Montserrat.” The World Factbook 2021. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/montserrat/2021.