Overview
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.
Geography
- Location
- Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico
- Total Area
- 102 sq km
- Climate
- tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation
- Terrain
- volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland
- Natural Resources
- NEGL
- Coastline
- 40 km
- Land Borders
- 0 km
People & Society
- Population
- 5,468 (2024 est.)
- Languages
- English
- Religions
- 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.)
- Ethnic Groups
- African/Black 86.2%, mixed 4.8%, Hispanic/Spanish 3%, Caucasian/White 2.7%, East Indian/Indian 1.6%, other 1.8% (2018 est.)
- Life Expectancy
- 76.1 years (2024 est.)
- Urbanization
- 9.3% of total population (2023)
Government
- Government Type
- parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK
- Capital
- Plymouth
- Independence
- none (overseas territory of the UK)
- Constitution
- previous 1960; latest put into force 20 October 2010 (The Montserrat Constitution Order 2010)
- Legal System
- English common law
- Executive Branch
- King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor Sarah TUCKER (since 6 April 2023)
Economy
- Economic Overview
- 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
- GDP (Official Rate)
- $84.537 million (2024 est.)
- Major Industries
- tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances