Montserrat | Facts, Map, & History (2024)

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What is Montserrat?

Montserrat is an island in the West Indies and an overseas territory of the United Kingdom.

Who discovered Montserrat?

In 1493 Christopher Columbus became the first European to sight and name Montserrat, but indigenous peoples lived on the island before its European discovery.

Who lives on Montserrat?

Thepopulation of Montserrat consists largely of people with Black African ancestry but also includes small numbers of people with white European or mixed ancestry.

What is the government of Montserrat like?

Montserrat is an internally self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom. Because of the economic and social instability resulting from volcanic eruptions in the 1990s and 2000s, Montserrat’s political parties and leadership have changed rapidly.

Montserrat, island and overseas territory of the United Kingdom. The pear-shaped island, part of the Lesser Antilles chain, is known as the “Emerald Isle of the Caribbean,” in part because of its formerly large population of people who originated from Ireland. Montserrat is located about 27 miles (43 km) southwest of Antigua and about 30 miles (50 km) northwest of Guadeloupe.

Plymouth, on the southwestern coast, was the capital and only port of entry until 1997, when volcanic eruptions destroyed much of the town and the island’s most-spectacular vegetation. Government activities were subsequently relocated to Brades Estate (usually called Brades) and neighbouring areas, in the northwestern part of the island. The de facto capital is thus in and around Brades. Sighted and named by Christopher Columbus in 1493, Montserrat is a rich admixture of African, North American, and European influences. Its physical and human landscapes have been battered but not obliterated by the series of natural disasters that beset the island. Area 40 square miles (103 square km). Pop. (2001) 4,491; (2011) 4,922.

Land

Montserrat is 11 miles (18 km) long and 7 miles (11 km) wide. The island’s rugged volcanic landscape is molded by three mountainous areas—the Silver Hills, the Centre Hills, and the Soufrière Hills—which are in turn cut by narrow valleys and gorges known locally as ghauts. The Silver Hills, in the north, and the Centre Hills are forested at higher elevations but have secondary scrub on their gentler lower contours. Chances Peak, in the Soufrière Hills, was, at 3,000 feet (915 metres), the highest point on the island until the mid-1990s, when the first volcanic eruptions in Montserratian history dramatically changed the landscape. In July 1995 a series of eruptions began in which volcanic domes in the Soufrière Hills alternately grew and collapsed. In June 1997, 19 people were killed, and in late December of that year, nearly 2.7 square miles (7 square km) of forests, agricultural land, and villages were flattened by debris and pyroclastic flow after a volcanic explosion.

Montserrat has a narrow coastal plain. Its few beaches have mainly gray or brown sand because of their volcanic origins. The single white-sand beach is at Rendezvous Bay in the north. Coral reefs line parts of the northern shore. Approximately one-fifth of the island is forested. Though Montserrat’s most-lush vegetation, in the southern highlands, was destroyed in the eruptions, the Centre Hills remained largely unaffected. Among the island’s rare and endangered animals are Montserrat orioles (Icterus oberi), Montserrat galliwasps (Diploglossus montisserrati, a type of lizard), and “mountain chickens” (Leptodactylus fallax), large frogs found in the lowlands that were a traditional delicacy but were near extinction in the early 21st century because of habitat loss, overexploitation, and an introduced fungal disease.

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The climate is tropical and mild, and there is little seasonal variation in temperature or precipitation. Average temperatures range from lows of 70–76 °F (21–24 °C) to highs of 80–86 °F (27–30 °C). The warmest period is from June to November, which is also the hurricane (tropical cyclone) season. Annual precipitation averages about 57 inches (1,448 mm). The island is often in the path of hurricanes; Hurricane Hugo in 1989 was particularly devastating.

People

The population is largely of African ancestry (black), with small numbers of people of European descent (white) and of mixed descent. The official language is English, but most Montserratians also speak a Creole language similar to that spoken in Jamaica. The main religious denominations are Christian: Anglicanism, Methodism, Pentecostalism, Roman Catholicism, and Seventh-day Adventism.

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Prior to the mid-1990s, Montserrat’s population was relatively stable because of emigration and a low birth rate. Plymouth and its environs were the main centres of settlement. The island’s population exceeded 10,000 in the early 1990s, but during the volcano crisis more than two-thirds of Montserratians departed for the United Kingdom, neighbouring Antigua, and other parts of the Caribbean region. Some had returned by the late 1990s; however, renewed eruptions discouraged resettlement, and access to the southern two-thirds of the island has since been restricted. There are about a dozen small settlements in the western and northern coastal regions, including Look Out, Brades, St. John’s, St. Peter’s, and Davy Hill.

Economy

Tourism and agriculture were formerly the main economic activities. The damage caused by Hurricane Hugo and the volcanic activity of the 1990s devastated the economy, which virtually collapsed when Plymouth, the main commercial centre, was abandoned in 1995–96. Montserrat has since relied heavily on British and Canadian aid to build a new transportation infrastructure and provide services. The largest sources of employment in the early 21st century were public services and construction. Montserrat’s currency, the Eastern Caribbean dollar, is issued by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (headquartered in Saint Kitts and Nevis), which also regulates rates of credit and foreign exchange.

The eruptions damaged or made inaccessible most of the island’s agricultural land, but some potatoes, onions, and other vegetables are still produced for the domestic market. (A further significant eruption in 2003 destroyed additional land then under cultivation.) In the early 20th century Sea Island cotton was Montserrat’s major export; however, production subsequently declined, and from the 1970s the government’s attempts to revive the industry largely failed. Until the 1990s most workers in the Plymouth area were employed in services (notably tourism) and trade, light manufacturing (food processing, plastic bags, textiles, automotive and electronic components), and construction (mainly building tourist facilities and retirement housing). Most of the island’s tourists were long-term visitors such as North American retirees intent on escaping cold winters.

After the closure of the port at Plymouth in 1997, a new facility was constructed at Little Bay, on the northwest coast of the island. W.H. Bramble Airport, on the east coast, was destroyed by the volcanic activity and also closed in 1997; John A. Osborne Airport, which opened in 2005 in the north-central part of the island, provides air service to regional destinations. The nearest international airport is in Antigua, to which Montserrat is linked via helicopter service and a ferry terminal at Little Bay. Since the disastrous period of volcanic activity, the road network has been restricted to the northern third of the island. Montserrat is a member of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

Montserrat | Facts, Map, & History (2024)

FAQs

Montserrat | Facts, Map, & History? ›

Montserrat is 11 miles (18 km) long and 7 miles (11 km) wide. The island's rugged volcanic landscape is molded by three mountainous areas—the Silver Hills, the Centre Hills, and the Soufrière Hills—which are in turn cut by narrow valleys and gorges known locally as ghauts.

What was Montserrat famous for? ›

Montserrat, however, may be best known for its contribution to music and is home to calypso royalty. Alphonsus Cassell, better known as Arrow, hails from Wall Street just outside the island's capital, Plymouth and in 1983 released the international blockbuster, Hot! Hot!

Is Montserrat still a British colony? ›

The British overseas territories (formerly known as British dependent territories or Crown colonies) are: Anguilla; Bermuda; British Antarctic Territory; British Indian Ocean Territory; British Virgin Islands; Cayman Islands; Falkland Islands; Gibraltar; Montserrat; Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands; St ...

Why was Montserrat abandoned? ›

In 1995–1999, Montserrat was devastated by catastrophic volcanic eruptions in the Soufrière Hills, which destroyed the capital city of Plymouth, and necessitated the evacuation of a large part of the island. Many Montserratians emigrated abroad, mainly to the United Kingdom, although some have returned.

Where did the slaves in Montserrat come from? ›

Slaves from Africa were probably first taken to Montserrat in large numbers in the 1660s. Their population grew to some 1,000 in 1678 and 7,000 in 1810, when they greatly outnumbered white settlers. Montserrat's plantation system declined after slavery was abolished in 1834 and the price of sugar fell on world markets.

Does anyone still live on Montserrat? ›

Today, two-thirds of the island is a designated exclusion zone, and the remaining one-third is home to 5,000 people who enjoy the rich verdant environment that the island is renowned for. Christopher Columbus named the island Montserrat when, in 1493, he was the first European to discover it.

Why did the French destroy Montserrat? ›

Napoleon's disregard for religion saw the French destroy the buildings and kill the monks during the Wars of Independence of 1811.

What is the controversy with Montserrat? ›

Santa Maria de Montserrat, a Benedictine abbey, is one churches where priests have been accused of sex abuse. The abbey is located on the mountain of Montserrat, in Monistrol de Montserrat, in Catalonia, Spain.

What is the ethnicity of Montserrat? ›

The population is largely of African ancestry (black), with small numbers of people of European descent (white) and of mixed descent. The official language is English, but most Montserratians also speak a Creole language similar to that spoken in Jamaica.

How many people died at Montserrat? ›

A major eruption in 1997 killed 19 people, devastating the south of the island and burying the capital, Plymouth. More than half the population left.

Why is the Virgin of Montserrat black? ›

They attribute the change—from a lighter tone to black—either to prolonged exposure to candle smoke or a chemical reaction caused by a varnish used as a paint sealant. The statue was repainted black by successive generations of restorers.

What language do they speak in Montserrat? ›

The official language of Montserrat is English. Montserrat Creole is a dialect of Leeward Caribbean Creole English or Antiguan and Barbudan Creole spoken in Montserrat.

Why are there so many Irish in Montserrat? ›

Indentured servants accounted for the majority of people migrating to Montserrat. Almost fifty to sixty percent of the labour flow from Britain to its many colonies during the early seventeenth century were servants. Many Irish migrants were attracted to the large supply of employment available in the sugar industry.

What is the significance of Montserrat? ›

The mountain of Montserrat has been of religious significance since pre-Christian times, when the Romans built a temple to honor the Roman goddess Venus. By one account, the image of the Madonna was moved to Montserrat in 718, to avoid the danger posed by invading Saracens.

What is an interesting fact about Montserrat? ›

Montserrat is 11 miles (18 km) long and 7 miles (11 km) wide. The island's rugged volcanic landscape is molded by three mountainous areas—the Silver Hills, the Centre Hills, and the Soufrière Hills—which are in turn cut by narrow valleys and gorges known locally as ghauts.

What happened at the monastery of Montserrat? ›

In 1811 and in 1812, during Napoleon's invasion of Spain, the abbey was twice burned down and sacked by Napoleon's troops, and many of its treasures were lost. In 1835, the abbey was closed until restoration in 1844. In 1880, Montserrat celebrated 1000 years of existence.

How many died in Montserrat eruption? ›

A large eruption on 25 June 1997 resulted in the deaths of nineteen people. The island's airport was directly in the path of the main pyroclastic flow and was completely destroyed. Montserrat's tourist industry also collapsed, although it began partially to recover within fifteen years.

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