Montserrat - MS - MSR - Central America and the Caribbean

overseas territory of the UK

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

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)

16 45 N, 62 12 W

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.)

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

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.

land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation

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

3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter

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

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

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

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

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

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation

40 km

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

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar -

Exchange rates:
2.7 (2023 est.)
2.7 (2022 est.)
2.7 (2021 est.)
2.7 (2020 est.)
2.7 (2019 est.)

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

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

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

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

none (overseas territory of the UK)

tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances

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

total: 0 km

agricultural land: 30% (2022 est.)

arable land: 20% (2022 est.)

permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)

permanent pasture: 10% (2022 est.)

forest: 25% (2022 est.)

other: 45% (2022 est.)

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

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

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

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

noun: Montserratian(s)

adjective: Montserratian

NEGL

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

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

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

18 years of age; universal

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)

volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland

parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK

defense is the responsibility 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

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

Central America and the Caribbean

0 sq km (2022)

none (overseas territory of the UK)

percent of population: 56.2% (2021 est.)

.ms

urban population: 9.3% of total population (2023)

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

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)

improved:

urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 98.1% of population

unimproved:

urban: NA

rural: NA

total: 1.9% of population (2020 est.)

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

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.)

see United Kingdom

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

number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3

VP-M

improved:

urban: NA

rural: NA

total: NA

unimproved:

urban: NA

rural: NA

total: NA

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

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

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

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

NA

total population: NA

male: NA

female: NA

total dependency ratio: 43.9

youth dependency ratio: 19.2

elderly dependency ratio: 24.7

potential support ratio: 4 (2021)

total: 14 years

male: 13 years

female: 15 years (2019)

electrification - total population: 100% (2020)

Standard & Poors rating: BBB- (2020)

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

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.)

0.63 (2024 est.)

35.8% (2023 est.)

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

total: 36.8 years (2024 est.)

male: 35.4 years

female: 37.8 years

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

1.33 children born/woman (2024 est.)

5.6% (2017 est.)

total: 5,468 (2024 est.)

male: 2,728

female: 2,740

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

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

total : 102 sq km

land: 102 sq km

water: 0 sq km

1 (2025)

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

total subscriptions: 5,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 110 (2020 est.)

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

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

(2011)
(2010)
(2009)

total: 2,700 (2018 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 55 (2018 est.)

(2019)

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

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

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

consumption: 15.968 million kWh (2023 est.)

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

NA

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

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

total subscriptions: 3,000 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 67 (2020 est.)

total population: 76.1 years (2024 est.)

male: 76.9 years

female: 75.3 years

-21% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 1.9% (2017 est.)

industry: 7.8% (2017 est.)

services: 90.3% (2017 est.)

5.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

0.59% (2024 est.)