Montserrat

This article is about the island in the Caribbean. For other uses, see Montserrat (disambiguation).

Montserrat
Coat of arms
Motto: "Each Endeavouring, All Achieving"
Anthem: "God Save the Queen"
Capital		Plymouth (de jure) 1 Brades (de facto) 16°45′N 62°12′W
Official language(s)		English
Ethnic groups		West African, Mulatto Creoles, British, Irish
Government		British Overseas Territory (constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democratic dependency)
-	Monarch	H.M. Queen Elizabeth II
-	Governor	Adrian Davis
-	Premier	Reuben Meade
British overseas territory
-	English control established	1632
Area
-	Total	102 km2 (219th) 39 sq mi
-	Water (%)	negligible
Population
-	2008 estimate	5,879 (218th)
GDP (PPP)		2002 estimate
-	Total	$99 million (not ranked)
-	Per capita	$3,400 (not ranked)
HDI		n (unranked) (n/a)
Currency		East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
Time zone		(UTC−4)
Internet TLD		.ms
Calling code		+1-664
1	Abandoned in 1997 following a volcanic eruption. Government buildings are currently located in Brades, making it the de facto capital.
2	An estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; few have returned.

Topographic map of Montserrat showing the "exclusion zone" due to volcanic activity, and the new airport in the north. The roads and settlements in the exclusion zone have mostly been destroyed.

Montserrat ( /mɒntsəˈræt/) is a British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies. This island measures approximately 16 km (9.9 mi) long and 11 km (6.8 mi) wide, giving 40 kilometres (25 mi) of coastline. Montserrat is nicknamed the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean both for its resemblance to coastal Ireland and for the Irish ancestry of some of its inhabitants.

Montserrat's Georgian era historic capital city of Plymouth was destroyed and two-thirds of the island's population was forced to flee because of an eruption of the previously dormant 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, including its docking facilities and the former W. H. Bramble Airport, the remnants of which were buried by flows from volcanic activity on February 11, 2010. An "exclusion zone" extending from the south coast of the island north to parts of the Belham Valley has been imposed because of the size of the existing volcanic dome and the resulting potential for pyroclastic activity. Present visitors are not permitted entry into the exclusion zone, but an impressive view of the destruction of Plymouth can be seen from the top of Garibaldi Hill in Isles Bay. Relatively quiet since early 2010, the volcano continues to be closely monitored by the Montserrat Volcano Observatory.

While construction proceeds, the centre of government rests on a new town at Little Bay in the north of the island.

History

Montserrat was populated by Arawak and Carib native people when it was claimed by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage in 1493, naming the island Santa María de Montserrat, after the Monastery of Montserrat in Catalonia. The island fell under English control in 1632 when anti-Catholic violence in Nevis forced a group of Irish, many of whom had been unwillingly transported from Ireland as indentured servants, to settle in Montserrat. A neo-feudal colony developed. The importation of African slaves, common to most Caribbean islands, began early and an economy based on sugar, rum, arrowroot and Sea Island cotton was established using slave labour. By the late 1700s there were many plantations on the island. Many Irish people were also taken as slaves to the island, some of whom were political prisoners taken there by Cromwell.

In 1782, during the American Revolutionary War, Montserrat was briefly captured by France. It was returned to Great Britain under the Treaty of Paris which ended that conflict. A failed slave uprising on March 17, 1768 led to the celebration of St Patrick's Day as a public holiday in Montserrat, and festivities held that week celebrate the culture of Montserrat, through songs, dances, and traditional costumes and foods. Slavery was abolished in Montserrat in 1834.

Falling sugar prices during the nineteenth century had an adverse effect on the island's economy, and in 1857 the British philanthropist Joseph Sturge bought a sugar estate to prove that that it was economically viable to employ paid labour rather than slaves.

Various members of the Sturge family bought additional land and in 1869 established the Montserrat Company Limited and planted lime trees, started the commercial production of lime juice, set up a school, and sold parcels of land to the inhabitants of the island, with the result that much of Montserrat came to be owned by smallholders.

From 1871 to 1958 Montserrat was administered as part of the federal crown colony of the British Leeward Islands, becoming a province of the short-lived West Indies Federation from 1958 to 1962. In 1979, The Beatles producer George Martin’s AIR Studios Montserrat opened and the island attracted world-famous musicians who came to record in the peaceful, quiet and lush tropical surroundings of Montserrat. The last decade of the 20th century, however, brought two events which devastated the island.

In the early hours of September 17, 1989 Hurricane Hugo, a Category 4 storm, struck Montserrat with full force producing sustained winds of 140 miles per hour and damaging over 90 percent of the structures on the island. AIR Studios closed, and the tourist economy upon which the island depended was virtually wiped out. Within a few years the island had recovered considerably—only to be struck again by disaster in 1995.

Plymouth, the former capital city and major port of Montserrat, July 12, 1997, after pyroclastic flows burned much of what was not covered in ash.

Volcano, exclusion zone, and transport

In July 1995, Montserrat's Soufriere Hills volcano, dormant for centuries, rumbled to life and began an eruption which eventually buried the island's capital, Plymouth, in more than 12 metres (39 ft) of mud, destroyed its airport and docking facilities, and rendered the southern part of the island (the "exclusion zone") uninhabitable and not safe to travel in. The southern part of the island was evacuated and visits are severely restricted. The exclusion zone also includes two sea areas adjacent to the land areas that have seen the most volcanic activity.[2] Following the destruction of Plymouth, more than half of the population left the island due to the economic disruption and lack of housing. After a period of regular eruptive events during the late 1990s, including one on June 25, 1997 in which nineteen people died when they were overtaken by a pyroclastic flow, subsequently for a number of years the volcano's activity consisted mostly of infrequent ventings of ash into the uninhabited areas in the south. The ash falls occasionally extended into the northern and western parts of the island.

The most recent period of increased activity at the Soufriere Hills volcano, from November 2009 through February 2010, saw ash venting, a vulcanian explosion which sent pyroclastic flows down several sides of the mountain, and on February 11, 2010 a partial collapse of the lava dome that sent a column of ash more than 20,000 feet (6,100 m) into the air, raining down on several nearby islands including Guadeloupe and Antigua. Since 2010, the volcano has been relatively quiet.

Despite the volcanic activity, much of Montserrat remains lush and green. In February 2005, The Princess Royal officially opened a new airport at Gerald's in the north (renamed the John A. Osborne Airport); As of 2011 it handles several flights daily operated by Fly Montserrat Airways. Docking facilities are in place at Little Bay, where a new capital town is being constructed. The new government centre is at Brades, a short distance away.

The people of Montserrat were granted full residency rights in the United Kingdom in 1998, and British citizenship was granted in 2002.

Parishes

Map of Montserrat's parishes: Saint Peter is shown in pale red, Saint Georges in green and Saint Anthony in blue.

Montserrat is divided into three parishes:

• Saint Anthony Parish
• Saint Georges Parish
• Saint Peter Parish

Only Saint Peter Parish is currently inhabited, having a population of between 4,000 and 6,000. Saint Peter Parish covers the north-west of the island, and was therefore least affected by the eruptions of Soufrière Hills, the island's volcano. The other two are too dangerous to live in because, as of 2012, the volcano is still active.

Villages

Villages and towns that are within the safe zone are shown in boldface. The villages and towns that are known to be within the exclusion zone are shown in parentheses, since they cannot be accessed and are abandoned.

• Baker Hill
• Banks
• Brades, the de facto capital
• (Bethel)
• (Bugby Hole)
• Cavalla Hill
• Cheap End
• (Cork Hill)
• Cudjoe Head
• Davy Hill
• Dick Hill
• Drummonds
• Dyers
• (Fairy Walk)
• Farells Yard
• Flemmings
• Fogarty
• (Gages)
• Gerald's, the new airport
• (Harris)
• Hope
• Jack Boy Hill
• Judy Piece
• Katy Hill
• Lawyers Mountain
• Little Bay, the new seaport and developing new town
• (Locust Valley)
• (Long Ground)
• Lookout
• (Morris)
• Mongo Hill
• New Windward Estate
• Old Towne
• Olveston
• (Plymouth, the official capital, abandoned)
• (Richmond)
• St John's
• Salem
• St Peter's
• Sweeney's
• (Trants)
• (Tuitts)
• Woodlands
• Upper Blakes
• Virgin Island

Geography

Main article: Geography of Montserrat

Montserrat's coastline

The island of Montserrat is located approximately 480 km (300 mi) east-southeast of Puerto Rico and 48 km (30 mi) southwest of Antigua. It comprises 104 km² (40 sq mi) but is currently gradually increasing in size owing to the buildup of volcanic deposits on the southeast coast. The island is 16 km (9.9 mi) long and 11 km (6.8 mi) wide, with rock cliffs rising 15 to 30 m (50–100 feet) above the sea and a number of smooth bottomed sandy beaches scattered among coves on the western (Caribbean) side of the island.

Montserrat has two islets, Little Redonda and Virgin, and Statue Rock.

Wildlife

Further information: Wildlife of Montserrat

Montserrat, like many isolated islands, is home to some exceptionally rare plant and animal species. Work undertaken by the Montserrat National Trust in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has centred on the conservation of pribby (Rondeletia buxifolia) in the Centre Hills region. Until 2006, this species was known only from one book about the vegetation of Montserrat. In 2006, conservationists also rescued several plants of the endangered Montserrat orchid (Epidendrum montserratense) from dead trees on the island and installed them in the security of the island’s botanic garden.

Montserrat is also home to the Critically Endangered Giant Ditch Frog (Leptodactylus fallax), known locally as the Mountain Chicken, found only in Montserrat and Dominica. The species has undergone catastrophic declines due to the amphibian disease Chytridiomycosis and the volcanic eruption in 1997. Experts from Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust have been working with the Montserrat Department of Environment to conserve the frog in-situ in a project called "Saving the Mountain Chicken", and an ex-situ captive breeding population has been set up in partnership with Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Zoological Society of London, North of England Zoological Society, Parken Zoo and the Governments of Montserrat and Dominica. Releases from this programme have already taken place in a hope to increase the numbers of the frog and reduce extinction risk from the ever present Chytridiomycosis.

Montserrat is known for its coral reefs and its caves along the shore. These caves house many species of bats, and efforts are underway to monitor and protect the ten species of bats from extinction.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Montserrat

From 1979 to 1989 Montserrat was home to a branch of George Martin's AIR Studios which made the island popular with working musicians who often went there to record while taking advantage of the island's climate and beautiful surroundings.

Since the devastations of Hurricane Hugo and the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano, the Montserratian economy has been effectively halted. Export businesses currently based in Montserrat deal primarily in the selling and shipping of aggregate for construction. Imports include virtually everything available for sale on the island.

The island's operating budget is largely supplied by the British government and administered through the Department for International Development (DFID) amounting to approximately £25 million per year. Additional amounts are secured through income and property taxes, license and other fees as well as customs duties levied on imported goods.

Famous Montserratians

• Jim Allen – former cricketer who represented the World Series Cricket West Indians
• Lionel Baker – the first Montserratian to represent the West Indies in international cricket
• Alphonsus "Arrow" Cassell MBE – musician, known for his soca song "Hot Hot Hot" which sold over 4 million copies
• M. P. Shiel – writer
• Maizie Williams – musician, member of musical group Boney M
• Keithroy Marcellus Maynard – firefighter, New York City Fire Department, Engine 33, perished in the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Montserrat

Population: 5,879 (2008 estimate)

Note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island (primarily to the UK) following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; few have returned. Pre-eruption population was 13,000 in 1994.

Age structure:

• 0–14 years: 23.4% (male 1,062; female 1,041)
• 15–64 years: 65.3% (male 2,805; female 3,066)
• 65 years and over: 11.3% (male 537; female 484) (2003 est.)

Median age:

• total: 28.1 years
• male: 27.9 years
• female: 28.3 years (2002)

Population growth rate: 6.9% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 17.57 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Death rate: 7.34 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Net migration rate: 195.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:

• at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
• under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
• 15–64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
• 65 years and over: 1.11 male(s)/female
• total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

• total: 7.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
• female: 6.43 deaths/1,000 live births
• male: 9.05 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:

• total population: 78.36 years.
• male: 76.24 years.
• female: 80.59 years (2003 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Nationality:

• noun: Montserratian(s)
• adjective: Montserratian

Ethnic groups: Black, White, Mulatto, Creole. The island's population is mainly a mix of British, Irish and Africans with other minorities.

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.)

Culture

See also: Music of Montserrat and Cricket in the West Indies

Cricket is a popular sport in Montserrat. Players from Montserrat are in fact eligible to play for the West Indies cricket team. Jim Allen was the first to play for West Indies and he represented the World Series Cricket West Indians. No other player from Montserrat had gone on to represent West Indies until Lionel Baker made his One Day International debut against Pakistan in November 2008.

Saint Patrick's Day is a public holiday in Montserrat.

Montserrat has its own FIFA affiliated football team, and has twice competed in the World Cup qualifiers. A field for the team was built near the airport by FIFA. The Montserrat team are currently tied for 203rd place in the FIFA world rankings with 4 other teams, including American Samoa and San Marino. In 2002, the team competed in a friendly match with the second-lowest-ranked team in FIFA at that time, Bhutan, in The Other Final- the same day as the final of the 2002 World Cup. Bhutan won 4-0.

See also

• Outline of Montserrat
• Bibliography of Montserrat
• Index of Montserrat-related articles
• British Overseas Territories
• Caribbean Sea
• Leeward Islands

External links

Government

• Government of Montserrat
• Montserrat National Trust
• Montserrat Hospitality Association
• Premier of Montserrat

General information

• Montserrat entry at The World Factbook
• Montserrat from UCB Libraries GovPubs
• Montserrat at the Open Directory Project
• Montserrat Webdirectory
• Wikimedia Atlas of Montserrat
• Brief history with a commemorative coin of Montserrat

News media

• Montserrat Reporter news site
• Radio Montserrrat—ZJB Listen live online

Travel

• Montserrat Tourist Board
• Montserrat travel guide from Wikitravel
• Montserrat Travel Information

Health Reports

• Toxicity of volcanic ash from Montserrat by RT Cullen, AD Jones, BG Miller, CL Tran, JMG Davis, K Donaldson, M Wilson, V Stone, and A Morgan. Institute of Occupational Medicine Research Report TM/02/01
• A Health Survey of Workers on the Island of Montserrat by HA Cowie, MK Graham, A Searl, BG Miller, PA Hutchison, C Swales, S Dempsey, and M Russell. Institute of Occupational Medicine Research Report TM/02/02
• A Health Survey of Montserratians Relocated to the UK by HA Cowie, A Searl, PJ Ritchie, MK Graham, PA Hutchison, and A Pilkington. Institute of Occupational Medicine Research Report TM/01/07

Other

• Satellite image of Montserrat from Google Maps
• Montserrat Volcano Observatory
• Official release archive
• Volcanism of Montserrat
• Antigua, Montserrat and Virgin Islands Gazette, with full page images and full searchable text is freely and openly available in the Digital Library of the Caribbean