Montserrat

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 2,700 (2018 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 55 (2018 est.)

Broadcast media

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)

Internet country code

.ms

Internet users

total: 2,473 (2021 est.) percent of population: 56.2% (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: telecom market one of growth in Caribbean and fully digitalized; high dependency on tourism and offshore financial services; operators expand FttP (Fiber to Home) services; LTE launches and operators invest in mobile networks; effective competition in all sectors (2020) domestic: fixed-line is 67 per 100 and mobile-cellular teledensity is 110 per 100 persons (2020) international: country code - 1-664; landing point for the ECFS optic submarine cable with links to 14 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 3,000 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 67 (2020 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 5,000 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 110 (2020 est.)

Agricultural products

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

Budget

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

Credit ratings

Standard & Poors rating: BBB- (2020) note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Current account balance

-$15.4 million (2017 est.) -$12.2 million (2016 est.)

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

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2023 est.) 2.7 (2022 est.) 2.7 (2021 est.) 2.7 (2020 est.) 2.7 (2019 est.)

Exports

$11.9 million (2021 est.) $4.4 million (2017 est.) $5.2 million (2016 est.)

Exports - commodities

sand, gravel and crushed stone, packaged medicine, lead products, liquid pumps (2022) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

US 23%, France 21%, Antigua and Barbuda 19%, Ireland 15%, UK 7% (2022) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

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.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 1.9% (2017 est.) industry: 7.8% (2017 est.) services: 90.3% (2017 est.)

Imports

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

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, machine parts, plastic products, machinery, natural gas (2022) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

US 54%, UK 8%, Singapore 4%, Antigua and Barbuda 4%, Trinidad and Tobago 4% (2022) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

-21% (2017 est.)

Industries

tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.2% (2017 est.) -0.2% (2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$47.58 million (31 December 2017 est.) $51.47 million (31 December 2015 est.)

Unemployment rate

5.6% (2017 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

26,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 26,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

imports: (2022 est.) less than 1 metric ton

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 6,000 kW (2022 est.) consumption: 13.968 million kWh (2022 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 370,000 kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption: 200 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Climate

tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation

Environment - current issues

land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation

Land use

agricultural land: 30% (2018 est.) arable land: 20% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 10% (2018 est.) forest: 25% (2018 est.) other: 45% (2018 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 9.3% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.94% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Area

total : 102 sq km land: 102 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

40 km

Elevation

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

Geographic coordinates

16 45 N, 62 12 W

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

0 sq km (2022)

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 30% (2018 est.) arable land: 20% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 10% (2018 est.) forest: 25% (2018 est.) other: 45% (2018 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Central America and the Caribbean

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

volcanic eruptions; severe hurricanes (June to November) volcanism: Soufriere Hills volcano (915 m), has erupted continuously since 1995; a massive eruption in 1997 destroyed most of the capital, Plymouth, and resulted in approximately half of the island becoming 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

Natural resources

NEGL

Population distribution

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

Terrain

volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland

Administrative divisions

3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter

Capital

name: Plymouth; note - Plymouth was abandoned in 1997 because of volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate, the de facto capital, in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat 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 originally named after Plymouth, England; de jure , Plymouth remains the capital city of Montserrat; it is therefore the only ghost town that serves as the capital of a political entity

Citizenship

see United Kingdom

Constitution

history: previous 1960; latest put into force 20 October 2010 (The Montserrat Constitution Order 2010) amendments: amended 2011, 2020

Country name

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Montserrat etymology: island named by explorer Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 after the Benedictine abbey Santa Maria de Montserrat, near Barcelona, Spain

Dependency status

overseas territory of the UK

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of the UK)

Executive branch

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 elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually becomes premier note: effective with Constitution Order 2010, October 2010, the office of premier replaced the office of chief minister

Flag description

blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the arms feature a woman in green dress, Erin, the female personification of Ireland, standing beside a yellow harp and embracing a large dark cross with her right arm; Erin and the harp are symbols of Ireland reflecting the territory's Irish ancestry; blue represents awareness, trustworthiness, determination, and righteousness

Government type

parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK

Independence

none (overseas territory of the UK)

International organization participation

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

Judicial branch

highest court(s): the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) is the superior court of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; the ECSC - headquartered on St. Lucia - 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 is itinerant, traveling to member states on a schedule to hear appeals from the High Court and subordinate courts; High Court judges reside in the member states, with 1 assigned to Montserrat; Montserrat is also a member of the Caribbean Court of Justice judge selection and term of office: chief justice of Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court appointed by the Her Majesty, Queen ELIZABETH II; 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

Legal system

English common law

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Legislative Assembly (12 seats; 9 members directly elected in a single constituency by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds to serve 5-year terms) elections: last held on 18 November 2019 (next to be held in 2024) election results: percent of vote by party - MCAP 42.7%, PDM 29.9%, other 17.1%; seats by party - MCAP 5, PDM 3, independent 1; composition - men 8, women 4, percentage women 33.3% 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

National anthem

note: as a territory of the UK, "God Save the King" is official (see United Kingdom)

National holiday

Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, usually celebrated the Monday after the second Saturday in June (1926)

Political parties

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

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.

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; Royal Montserrat Defense Force (ceremonial, civil defense duties), Montserrat Police Force (2024)

Age structure

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)

Birth rate

11.9 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

NA

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

35.8% (2023 est.)

Death rate

6 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 43.9 youth dependency ratio: 19.2 elderly dependency ratio: 24.7 potential support ratio: 4 (2021)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 98.1% of population unimproved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 1.9% of population (2020 est.)

Education expenditures

5.4% of GDP (2020 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.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.63 (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 9.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.) male: 8 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.6 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

English

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 76.1 years (2024 est.) male: 76.9 years female: 75.3 years

Literacy

total population: NA male: NA female: NA

Median age

total: 36.8 years (2024 est.) male: 35.4 years female: 37.8 years

Nationality

noun: Montserratian(s) adjective: Montserratian

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Physician density

NA

Population

total: 5,468 male: 2,728 female: 2,740 (2024 est.) note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

0.59% (2024 est.)

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.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: NA rural: NA total: NA unimproved: urban: NA rural: NA total: NA

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 14 years male: 13 years female: 15 years (2019)

Sex ratio

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.)

Total fertility rate

1.33 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 9.3% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 0.94% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe

Airports

1 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

VP-M

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3

Roadways

note: volcanic eruptions that began in 1995 destroyed most of the 227 km road system; a new road infrastructure has been built on the north end of the island