| 'Montserrat' | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
| Anthem: "God Save the Queen" | |||||
 | |||||
| Capital | Plymouth (de jure) 1 Brades (de facto) 16°45′N 62°12′W / 16.75°N 62.2°W | ||||
| Official language(s) | English | ||||
| Ethnic groups | West African, Mulatto Creoles, British, Irish[1] | ||||
| Government | British Overseas Territory | ||||
| - | Monarch | Queen Elizabeth II | |||
| - | Governor | Adrian Davis | |||
| - | Chief Minister | Reuben Meade | |||
| British overseas territory | |||||
| - | British control established | 1632 | |||
| Area | |||||
| - | Total | 102 km2 (219th) 39 sq mi | |||
| - | Water (%) | negligible | |||
| Population | |||||
| - | July 2006 estimate | 4,655[2] (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. | ||||
Montserrat (
/mɒntsəˈræt/) is a British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. This island measures approximately 16 km (10 miles) long and 11 km (7 miles) wide, giving 40 kilometres (25 mi) of coastline.[3] Christopher Columbus gave Montserrat its name on his second voyage to the New World in 1493, after Montserrat mountain located in Catalonia. Montserrat is nicknamed the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean, both for its resemblance to coastal Ireland and for the Irish descent of its inhabitants.
Montserrat has an active volcano, which is monitored by the Montserrat Volcano Observatory. The volcano had been long dormant until the early 1990s when it began showing signs of erupting; now it is active, and closely watched. Montserrat's Georgian era historic capital city of Plymouth was destroyed and two-thirds of the island's population were forced to flee abroad by an eruption of the previously dormant Soufriere Hills volcano that began on July 18, 1995.[4] 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. At present visitors are not permitted entry into Plymouth, but an impressive view of the destruction can be had from the top of Garibaldi Hill in Isles Bay.
The village of Brades currently serves as the temporary centre of government while construction proceeds on a new town at Little Bay in the north of the island.
Contents[hide] |
[edit] History
Montserrat was populated by Arawak and Carib people when it was claimed by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage in 1493, naming the island Santa María de Montserrat, after the Blessed Virgin of the Monastery of Montserrat. The island fell under English control in 1632[5] when a group of Irish suffering anti-Catholic violence in Nevis, many of whom had been forcibly removed from Ireland as indentured servants, settled in Montserrat. The import of African slaves, common to most Caribbean islands, began early. An economy based on sugar, rum, arrowroot and Sea Island cotton was established. By the late 1700s there were many plantations on the island.
In 1782, during the American Revolutionary War, Montserrat was briefly captured by France. It was returned to the United Kingdom under the Treaty of Paris which ended that conflict. A failed slave uprising on 17 March 1768[6] led to Montserrat becoming one of only three places in the world that celebrates St Patrick's Day as a public holiday, the other two being Ireland and Newfoundland and Labrador. Festivities held that week celebrate the early 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 1869 the British philanthropist Joseph Sturge formed the Montserrat Company to buy sugar estates that were no longer economically viable. The company 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.[7]
From 1871 to 1958 Montserrat was administered as part of the Federal Colony of the Leeward Islands, becoming a province of the short-lived West Indies Federation from 1958 to 1962. In 1979, Beatles producer George Martin’s AIR Studios Montserrat opened and the island attracted world-famous musicians who came to record in the peace and quiet and lush tropical surroundings of Montserrat.[8]
The last decade of the 20th century, however, brought two events which devastated the island. In the early hours of September 17, 1989, the Category 4 Hurricane Hugo struck Montserrat with sustained winds of 140 miles per hour, 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, which last erupted over 400 years ago, 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 half of the island uninhabitable. 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 19 people died when they were overtaken by a pyroclastic flow, the volcano's activity in recent years has been confined mostly to infrequent ventings of ash into the uninhabited areas in the south. However, this ash venting does occasionally extend into the populated areas of the northern and western parts of the island. The southern part of the island has been evacuated and visits are severely restricted.[9]
Early 2010 saw increased activity at the Soufriere Hills volcano. On January 8, 2010, pyroclastic flows reached the sea through Aymers Ghaut. On February 5, a vulcanian explosion sent pyroclastic flows down several sides of the mountain, and on February 11 a partial collapse of the lava dome sent a column of ash more than 20,000 feet (6,100 m) into the air that rained down on several nearby islands including Guadeloupe and Antigua. Due to favorable winds, the inhabited areas of Montserrat itself received very little ash from either event. Since the February events, the mountain has been relatively quiet.[10]
Despite the volcanic activity, more than half of Montserrat remains lush and green. A new airport at Gerald's in the north (renamed the John A. Osborne Airport in 2008) was opened officially by Princess Anne, the Princess Royal in February 2005. Docking facilities are in place at Little Bay, where the new capital is being constructed.
The people of Montserrat were granted full residency rights in the United Kingdom in 1998, and citizenship was granted in 2002.
[edit] Parishes
Montserrat is divided into three parishes:
Only Saint Peter Parish is currently inhabited, having a population of between 4,000 and 6,000.[11] Saint Peter Parish covers the north-west of the island,[12] and was therefore least affected by the eruptions of Soufrière Hills, the island's volcano.
[edit] Villages
- Cudjoe Head
- Baker Hill
- Banks
- Brades (de facto capital)
- Cork Hill
- Davy Hill
- Dyers
- Farells Yard
- Flemmings
- Gerald's
- Hope
- Little Bay
- Look Out
- Old Towne
- Olveston
- Plymouth (official capital, abandoned)
- Cavalla Hill
- Mongo Hill
- Saint John's
- Judy Piece
- Salem
- Sweeney's
- Woodlands
- St Peter's
- Virgin Island
- Drummonds
- Cheap End
[edit] Geography
The island of Montserrat is located approximately 480 km (300 miles) east-southeast of Puerto Rico and 48 km (30 miles) southwest of Antigua. It comprises only 104 km² (40 square miles) and is increasing gradually owing to volcanic deposits on the southeast coast of the island; it is 16 km (10 miles) long and 11 km (7 miles) wide, with dramatic rock faced cliffs rising 15 to 30 m (50–100 feet) above the sea and smooth bottomed sandy beaches scattered among coves on the west side of the island. Montserrat has been a quiet haven of extraordinary scenic beauty.
Montserrat has two islets: Little Redonda and Virgin, and Statue Rock.
[edit] Wildlife
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.[13] 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 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.[14][15]
[edit] Economy
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.
[edit] 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[16]
- Alphonsus "Arrow" Cassell MBE — musician, known for his soca song "Hot Hot Hot" which has sold over 4 million copies[17]
- Maizie Williams - musician, member of musical group Boney M
- Ellary White - international footballer
[edit] Demographics
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.)
[edit] Culture
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.[18]
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 199th place in the FIFA world rankings with eight other teams, including American Samoa and Guam. In 2002, the team competed in a friendly 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.
(copy of wikipedia)
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