Montserrat

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. The Soufriere Hills Volcano erupted in 1995, devastating much of the island; two thirds of the population fled abroad. Montserrat has endured volcanic activity since, with the last eruption occurring in 2013.

16 45 N, 62 12 W

volcanic eruptions; severe hurricanes (June to November)

Volcanism: Soufrière Hills volcano (915 m) has erupted continuously since 1995; a massive eruption in 1997 destroyed most of the capital, Plymouth, and made about half of the island 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

about 0.6 times the size of Washington, D.C.

land erosion on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation

tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation

40 km

Total: 0 km

Agricultural land: 30% (2023 est.)

Arable land: 20% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)

Permanent pasture: 10% (2023 est.)

Forest: 24.2% (2023 est.)

Other: 45.8% (2023 est.)

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

NEGL

the island is entirely volcanic in origin and composed of three major volcanic centers of differing ages

volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland

Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico

Central America and the Caribbean

0 sq km (2022)

only the northern half of the island is populated; the southern portion is uninhabitable due to volcanic activity

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

Total : 102 sq km

Land: 102 sq km

Water: 0 sq km

0-14 years: 15.8% (male 446/female 420)

15-64 years: 76.1% (male 2,062/female 2,101)

65 years and over: 8% (2024 est.) (male 220/female 219)

At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female

Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Noun: Montserratian(s)

Adjective: Montserratian

Urban population: 9.3% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization: 0.94% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Improved:

Total: 98.1% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved:

Total: 1.9% of population (2022 est.)

Improved:

Total: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)

Unimproved:

Total: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)

African/Black 86.2%, mixed 4.8%, Hispanic/Spanish 3%, Caucasian/White 2.7%, East Indian/Indian 1.6%, other 1.8% (2018 est.)

Protestant 71.4% (includes Anglican 17.7%, Pentecostal/Full Gospel 16.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 15%, Methodist 13.9%, Church of God 6.7%, other Protestant 2%), Roman Catholic 11.4%, Rastafarian 1.4%, Hindu 1.2%, Jehovah's Witness 1%, Muslim 0.4%, other/not stated 5.1%, none 7.9% (2018 est.)

English

Total dependency ratio: 31.3 (2024 est.)

Youth dependency ratio: 20.8 (2024 est.)

Elderly dependency ratio: 10.5 (2024 est.)

Potential support ratio: 9.5 (2024 est.)

35.8% (2023 est.)

Total: 5,468 (2024 est.)

Male: 2,728

Female: 2,740

Total population: 76.1 years (2024 est.)

Male: 76.9 years

Female: 75.3 years

7.2% of GDP (2023 est.)

5.7% national budget (2025 est.)

0.65 (2025 est.)

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Total: 37.1 years (2025 est.)

Male: 35.4 years

Female: 37.8 years

1.34 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Total: 9.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Male: 8 deaths/1,000 live births

Female: 11.6 deaths/1,000 live births

6.18 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

11.64 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

0.55% (2025 est.)

24,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

From petroleum and other liquids: 24,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

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

3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter

Name: Plymouth

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 named after Plymouth, England

Note: Plymouth was abandoned in 1997 because of volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate, the de facto capital, at the northwest end of Montserrat

History: Previous 1960; latest put into force 20 October 2010 (The Montserrat Constitution Order 2010)

Chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Sarah TUCKER (since 6 April 2023)

Head of government: Premier Easton TAYLOR-FARRELL (since 19 November 2019)

Cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, the premier, 3 other ministers, the attorney general, and the finance secretary

Election/appointment process: The monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually becomes premier

Description: Blue with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the right half of the flag; the arms show a woman in a green dress standing beside a yellow harp and embracing a large, dark-brown cross with her right arm

Meaning: The woman is Erin, the female personification of Ireland, the harp is an Irish symbol, and the cross represents the Christian faith; blue stands for awareness, trustworthiness, determination, and righteousness

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Highest court(s): The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC is headquartered on St. Lucia and 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 travels to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; Montserrat is a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice

Judge selection and term of office: Chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the British monarch; 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

English common law

Legislature name: Legislative Assembly

Legislative structure: Unicameral

Number of seats: 12 (directly elected)

Electoral system: Plurality/majority

Scope of elections: Full renewal

Term in office: 5 years

Most recent election date: 11/18/2019

Parties elected and seats per party: MCAP (5); PDM (3); independent (1)

Percentage of women in chamber: 33.3%

Expected date of next election: 2024

Note: The Assembly elects the speaker from the outside for a 5-year term; the Assembly includes 2 ex-officio members, the attorney general and the financial secretary

Caricom, CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UPU

Official birthday of King Charles III, usually celebrated the second Saturday in June (1948)

Movement for Change and Prosperity or MCAP 
People's Democratic Movement or PDM

18 years of age; universal

parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK

Conventional long form: None

Conventional short form: Montserrat

Etymology: Explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the island in 1493 after the Benedictine abbey Santa Maria de Montserrat, near Barcelona, Spain

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Title: "Motherland"

Lyrics/music: Howard FERGUS/George IRISH

History: Adopted 2013; used as a local anthem and for sporting events and local ceremonies

Title: "God Save the King"

Lyrics/music: Unknown

History: Official anthem, as a UK territory

see United Kingdom

gravel and crushed stone, sand (2023)

Note: Top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000

USA 25%, Antigua & Barbuda 13%, Guyana 13%, Egypt 12%, France 10% (2023)

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers; livestock products

Revenues: $55.651 million (2014 est.)

Expenditures: $43.652 million (2014 est.)

note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

refined petroleum, electric generating sets, cars, stone processing machines, x-ray equipment (2023)

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates:
2.7 (2024 est.)
2.7 (2023 est.)
2.7 (2022 est.)
2.7 (2021 est.)
2.7 (2020 est.)

tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances

formerly high-income economy; volcanic activity destroyed much of original infrastructure and economy; new capital and port is being developed; key geothermal and solar power generation; key music recording operations

$84.537 million (2024 est.)

Note: Data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Household consumption: 90.8% (2017 est.)

Government consumption: 50.4% (2017 est.)

Investment in fixed capital: 17.9% (2017 est.)

Investment in inventories: -0.1% (2017 est.)

Exports of goods and services: 29.5% (2017 est.)

Imports of goods and services: -88.6% (2017 est.)

USA 62%, Antigua & Barbuda 6%, UK 5%, Belgium 4%, Trinidad & Tobago 3% (2023)

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

$89.254 million (2024 est.)
$86.875 million (2023 est.)
$80.972 million (2022 est.)

Note: Data in 2015 dollars

4% (2022 est.)
1.7% (2021 est.)
-1.9% (2020 est.)

Note: Annual % change based on consumer prices

$19,300 (2024 est.)
$18,200 (2023 est.)
$16,200 (2022 est.)

Note: Data in 2015 dollars

$15.3 million (2021 est.)
$39.44 million (2017 est.)
$36.1 million (2016 est.)

Electrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Fossil fuels: 87.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Solar: 12.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Refined petroleum consumption: 200 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Installed generating capacity: 6,000 kW (2023 est.)

Consumption: 15.968 million kWh (2023 est.)

Transmission/distribution losses: 370,000 kWh (2023 est.)

Percent of population: 54.6% (2011 est.)

.ms

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)

Total subscriptions: 5,000 (2020 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 110 (2020 est.)

Total: 2,700 (2018 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 55 (2018 est.)

Total subscriptions: 3,000 (2020 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 67 (2020 est.)

VP-M

1 (2025)

no regular military forces; Royal Montserrat Defense Force (ceremonial, civil defense duties), Montserrat Police Force (2025)

defense is the responsibility of the UK

overseas territory of the UK

Montserrat's coat of arms dates back to 1909 and reflects the country's Irish settlers, who first arrived in 1632; the woman in the green dress is Erin, the personification of Ireland, and she holds Ireland's symbol, a gold harp; the cross represents Christianity, Monserrat's predominant religion