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- This article is about the Carribean island nation of Montserrat. For the Spanish mountain and monastery of the same name, see Montserrat (mountain).
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| National motto: Each Endeavouring, All Achieving | |||||
Image:LocationMontserrat.png Location of Montserrat |
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| Official language | English | ||||
| Political status | Non-sovereign, Overseas territory of the U.K | ||||
| Capital | Plymouth (abandoned) | ||||
| Governor | Deborah Barnes Jones | ||||
| Chief Minister | John Osborne | ||||
| Area - Total - % water |
Ranked n/a 91 km² Negligible |
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| Population - Total (2003) - Density |
Ranked n/a - 9,000 - 102/km² |
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| Currency | East Caribbean dollar | ||||
| Time zone | UTC -4 | ||||
| National anthem | God Save the Queen | ||||
| Internet TLD | .ms | ||||
| Calling Code | 1-664 | ||||
Montserrat is a lush-mountainous island in the Caribbean Sea, located in the Leeward Islands, it is also found in the chain of islands that are sometimes called the Lesser Antilles. The Caribbean island of Montserrat was given its name by Christopher Columbus in 1493, after a mountain of the same name located in Spain. Today, Montserrat is often given the nickname of the Emerald Island of the Caribbean, because the islands' large slopes are covered by lush green tropical vegetation, and through the connection to Ireland of many of its early settlers.
Montserrat is currently an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. The United Nations Committee on Decolonization includes Montserrat on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.
Montserrat's Georgian-era capital city of Plymouth was destroyed and two-thirds of the island's population forced to flee abroad due to the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano that began on July 18, 1995. The eruption continues today on a much reduced scale, the damage being confined to the areas around Plymouth and the southeast coast near the old airport. An exclusion zone, open during the day, extends from south coast of the island north to parts of the Belham Valley and provides visitors with a spectacular view of the volcano and the destruction it wreaked upon the town.
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History
Main article: History of Montserrat
Montserrat was populated by Arawak and Carib peoples when it was claimed by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage for Spain in 1493, naming the island 'Santa María de Montserrat'. The island fell under British control in 1632 when a group of Irish fleeing anti-Catholic sentiment in Saint Kitts and Nevis settled there. The import of slaves common to most Caribbean islands, mainly coming from West Africa followed during the 17th and 18th centuries and an economy based on sugar, rum, arrowroot and Sea Island cotton was established.
In 1782, during the American Revolutionary War, Montserrat was briefly captured by France. It was returned to Britain under the Treaty of Versailles which ended that conflict. From 1871 to 1958 it was administered as part of the Federal Colony of the Leeward Islands, and then it became a province of the short-lived West Indies Federation from 1958 to 1962.
Montserrat's east coast (photo: T. Gilligan)The island of Montserrat is located approximately 300 miles ESE of Puerto Rico and 27 miles SW of Antigua. It comprises only 39 square miles, 10 miles long and 7 miles wide, with dramatic rock faced cliffs rising 50 to 100 feet above the sea and smooth bottomed sandy beaches scattered among coves on the west side of the island. Known as The Emerald Island of the Caribbean for its lush green hills' resemblance to Ireland as well as for its history of Irish settlement, Montserrat has been a quiet haven of extraordinary scenic beauty and near perfect climate to the mainly Canadian, British and US expatriates who sought privacy in its cliffside villas and estates.
A Montserrat sunset (photo: T. Gilligan)With the advent of Beatles producer George Martin’s AIR Studios Montserrat in the 1970s, the island attracted world famous musicians who came to record in the total peace and quiet and lush tropical surroundings of Montserrat. The last ten years of the twentieth century, however, brought two events which devastated the island.
In September 1989, Hurricane Hugo struck Montserrat with full force, damaging over 90 percent of the structures on the island. AIR Studios closed, and the tourist trade upon which the island depended was nearly wiped out. Within a few years, however, the island had recovered considerably - only to be struck again by disaster.
In July 1995, Montserrat's Soufriere Hills volcano, dormant throughout recorded history, rumbled to life and began an eruption which eventually buried the island's capitol, Plymouth, in more than 40 feet of mud, destroyed its airport and docking facilities, and rendered the southern half of the island uninhabitable, forcing more than half of the population to flee the island due to lack of housing. After a period of regular eruptive events during the late 1990s including one on June 25, 1997 in which 19 people lost their lives, the volcano's activity in recent years has been confined mostly to infrequent ventings of ash into the uninhabited areas, although the nuisance occasionally extends into the populated areas of the northern part of the island.
Montserrat today remains lush and green. A new airport, opened officially by the Princess Royal Princess Anne in February 2005, received its first commercial flights on July 11, 2005, and docking facilities are in place at Little Bay where a new capital is being constructed out of reach of any further volcanic activity.
The people of Montserrat were granted full residency rights in the United Kingdom in 1998, and citizenship was granted in 2002.
Montserrat's Soufriere Hills Volcano (photo: T. Gilligan)Politics
Main article: Politics of Montserrat
Montserrat is a British overseas territory (formerly a crown colony). The monarch, Elizabeth II, is represented by the Governor, Deborah Barnes-Jones.
The current Chief Minister of the island is John Osborne, of the New People's Liberation Movement. Moves towards full independence have been effectively halted by the volcano and the consequent evacuation.
Montserrat is a full & participating member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
Parishes
Main article: Parishes of Montserrat
Geography
Main article: Geography of Montserrat
Economy
It was formerly the home of a branch of George Martin's AIR Studios (and other amenities) that made the island popular with working and vacationing musicians and other celebrities.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Montserrat
Culture
Main article: Culture of Montserrat
Many of the last names are of Irish origin, as the Irish and African slaves intermarried. Many of the place names on the island are also Irish. Upon entry, the passport is even stamped with a green shamrock. The crest on the flag has Lady Erin (Ireland) on it as well as the ancient Irish harp.
Miscellaneous topics
External Links
- Government of Montserrat
- Official release archive
- Montserrat Tourist Board
- Montserrat Reporter news site
- Montserrat Travel Information
- Montserrat Volcano Observatory
- Montserrat Webdirectory
| Countries in the Caribbean |
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Antigua and Barbuda | Bahamas | Barbados | Cuba | Dominica | Dominican Republic | Grenada | Haiti | Jamaica | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Lucia | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Trinidad and Tobago |
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Dependencies: Anguilla | Aruba | British Virgin Islands | Cayman Islands | Guadeloupe | Martinique | Montserrat | Navassa Island | Netherlands Antilles | Puerto Rico | Turks and Caicos Islands | U.S. Virgin Islands |
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Flag of the Caribbean Community |
|---|---|
| Antigua and Barbuda | Bahamas¹ | Barbados | Belize | Dominica | Grenada | Guyana | Haiti | Jamaica | Montserrat | Saint Kitts and Nevis | Saint Lucia | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Suriname | Trinidad and Tobago | |
| Associate members: Anguilla | Bermuda | Cayman Islands | British Virgin Islands | Turks and Caicos Islands | |
| Observer status: Aruba | Colombia | Dominican Republic | Mexico | Netherlands Antilles | Puerto Rico | Venezuela | |
| ¹ member of the community but not the Caribbean (CARICOM) Single Market and Economy. | |