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  Montserrat  
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  Introduction
  Geography
  People
  Government
  Economy
  Communications
  Transportation
  Military
  Transnational Issues

In general, information available as of 1 January, 2004
was used in the preparation of The World Factbook 2004.


This page was last updated on 27 January, 2005


Map of Montserrat

Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Montserrat
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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.
   Geography    Montserrat
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
16 45 N, 62 12 W
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Central America and the Caribbean
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 102 sq km
land: 102 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
40 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Chances Peak (in the Soufriere Hills volcanic complex) 914 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
negligible
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 80% (2001)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA sq km
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1995)
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
the island is entirely volcanic in origin and contains seven active volcanoes
   People    Montserrat
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
9,245
note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned (July 2004 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 23.3% (male 1,092; female 1,062)
15-64 years: 65.5% (male 2,889; female 3,162)
65 years and over: 11.2% (male 543; female 497) (2004 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 28.2 years
male: 28 years
female: 28.4 years (2004 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
1.03% (2004 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
17.63 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7.36 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.09 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 7.56 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.8 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 78.53 years
male: 76.39 years
female: 80.78 years (2004 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1.79 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Montserratian(s)
adjective: Montserratian
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
black, white
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
English
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 97% (1970 est.)
   Government    Montserrat
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Montserrat
Dependency status:
Definition Field Listing
overseas territory of the UK
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
present constitution came into force 19 December 1989
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
English common law and statutory law
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
National Progressive Party or NPP [Reuben T. MEADE]; New People's Liberation Movement or NPLM [John A. OSBORNE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
NA
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
Caricom, CDB, ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), OECS
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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
   Economy    Montserrat
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
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 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:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $29 million (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
-1% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $3,400 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 5.4%
industry: 13.6%
services: 81% (1996 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.6% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4,521 ; note - lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6% (1998 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $31.4 million
expenditures: $31.6 million, including capital expenditures of $8.4 million (1997 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers, livestock products
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.5 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.325 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2001)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
400 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA (2001)
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA (2001)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$700,000 (2001)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
electronic components, plastic bags, apparel, hot peppers, live plants, cattle
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US, Antigua and Barbuda
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$17 million (2001)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$8.9 million (1997)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
Country Policy Plan (2001) is a three-year program for spending $122.8 million in British budgetary assistance (2002 est.)
Currency:
Definition Field Listing
East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Currency code:
Definition Field Listing
XCD
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
1 April - 31 March
   Communications    Montserrat
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
70 (1994)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-664
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
1 (1997)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.ms
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
   Transportation    Montserrat
Highways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 227 km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km
note: volcanic eruptions beginning in 1995 destroyed most of the road system (2003)
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
Plymouth (abandoned), Little Bay (anchorages and ferry landing), Carr's Bay
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing
none
Airports:
Definition Field Listing
1 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
   Military    Montserrat
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
no regular indigenous military forces; Police Force
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
defense is the responsibility of the UK
   Transnational Issues    Montserrat
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
none
Illicit drugs:
Definition Field Listing
transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe

This page was last updated on 27 January, 2005


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