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Montserrat

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Central & South American
Countries; Countries

                               Montserrat

   Flag of Montserrat Coat of arms of Montserrat
   Flag               Coat of arms
   Motto: Each Endeavouring, All Achieving
   Anthem: God Save the Queen
   Location of Montserrat
          Capital        Plymouth^1
    Official languages   English
   Government            Overseas territory of the U.K.
    - Queen              Elizabeth II
    - Governor           Deborah Barnes-Jones
    - Chief Minister     Lowell Lewis
      Non- sovereign     Overseas territory of the U.K.
    - British control    1632
                                  Area
    - Total              102 km² ( 219th)
                         39 sq mi
    - Water (%)          Negligible
                               Population
    - July 2005 estimate 4,488 ^2 ( 225th)
    - Density            44/km² ( 153rd)
                         114/sq mi
        GDP ( PPP)       2002 estimate
    - Total              $29 million ( not ranked)
    - Per capita         $3,400 (2002 est.) ( not ranked)
        HDI  (2003)      n/a (unranked) ( n/a)
         Currency        East Caribbean dollar ( XCD)
         Time zone       ( UTC-4)
       Internet TLD      .ms
       Calling code      + 1-664
   1.) Abandoned in 1997 gov't buildings currently at 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; some have returned.

   Montserrat is a lush, mountainous island in the Caribbean Sea, located
   in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser
   Antilles. It measures approximately 16 km (10 miles) long and 11 km (7
   miles) wide, giving 40km of coastline. Montserrat was given its name by
   Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the New World in 1493,
   after its namesake located in Catalonia, Spain. Montserrat is often
   referred to as the Emerald Island of the Caribbean, due both to its
   resemblance to coastal Ireland and to the Irish descent of most of its
   early European settlers.

   Montserrat is an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. Its official
   name is the Crown Colony of Montserrat. Its Georgian-era capital city
   of Plymouth was destroyed and two-thirds of the island's population
   forced to flee abroad owing to the eruption of the Soufriere Hills
   volcano that began on July 18, 1995. 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. An exclusion zone, open during the day, extends from the south
   coast of the island north to parts of the Belham Valley and provides
   visitors with a spectacular view of the volcano and the destruction it
   has wrought upon the town. A new airport at Geralds in the northern
   part of the island opened in 2005.

History

   Montserrat was populated by Arawak and Carib peoples when it was
   claimed by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage for Spain in 1493,
   naming the island 'Santa María de Montserrat'. The island fell under
   English control in 1632 when a group of Irish fleeing anti- Roman
   Catholic sentiment in Saint Kitts and Nevis were forcibly settled
   there. The import of slaves, common to most Caribbean islands, mainly
   coming from West Africa, followed during the 17th and 18th centuries
   and an economy based on sugar, rum, arrowroot and Sea Island cotton was
   established.

   In 1782, during the American Revolutionary War, Montserrat was briefly
   captured by France. It was returned to the United Kingdom under the
   Treaty of Versailles which ended that conflict. From 1871 to 1958 it
   was administered as part of the Federal Colony of the Leeward Islands,
   and then it became a province of the short-lived West Indies Federation
   from 1958 to 1962.
   A Montserrat sunset.
   Enlarge
   A Montserrat sunset.
   Montserrat's unspoiled coastline.
   Enlarge
   Montserrat's unspoiled coastline.

   With the advent of Beatles producer George Martin’s AIR Studios
   Montserrat in the 1970s, the island attracted world-famous musicians
   who came to record in the peace and quiet and lush tropical
   surroundings of Montserrat. The last ten years of the twentieth
   century, however, brought two events which devastated the island.

   In September 1989, Hurricane Hugo struck Montserrat with full force,
   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.
   Volcano eruption from space
   Enlarge
   Volcano eruption from space

   In July 1995, Montserrat's Soufriere Hills volcano, dormant throughout
   recorded history, rumbled to life and began an eruption which
   eventually buried the island's capital, Plymouth, in more than 40 feet
   (12 m) of mud, destroyed its airport and docking facilities, and
   rendered the southern half of the island uninhabitable, forcing more
   than half of the population to flee the island owing to lack of
   housing. After a period of regular eruptive events during the late
   1990s including one on June 25, 1997 in which 19 people lost their
   lives, the volcano's activity in recent years has been confined mostly
   to infrequent ventings of ash into the uninhabited areas in the south,
   although the nuisance occasionally extends into the populated areas of
   the northern and western parts of the island, for instance the May 20,
   2006 collapse of a lava dome that had been slowly building resulted in
   an ashfall of about an inch (2.5 cm) in Old Towne and parts of
   Olveston. There were no injuries or significant property damage, and
   the last such incident had been nearly three years before.
   Montserrat's Soufriere Hills Volcano.
   Enlarge
   Montserrat's Soufriere Hills Volcano.

   Montserrat today remains lush and green. A new airport, opened
   officially by the Princess Royal Princess Anne in February 2005,
   received its first commercial flights on July 11, 2005, and docking
   facilities are in place at Little Bay where a new capital is being
   constructed out of reach of any further volcanic activity.

   The people of Montserrat were granted full residency rights in the
   United Kingdom in 1998, and citizenship was granted in 2002.

Politics

   Montserrat is a British overseas territory (formerly a crown colony).
   The monarch, Elizabeth II, is represented by the Governor, Deborah
   Barnes-Jones.

   The United Nations Committee on Decolonization includes Montserrat on
   the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.

   The current Chief Minister of the island is Lowell Lewis, of the
   Montserrat Democratic Party, replacing the outgoing Chief Minister,
   John Osborne of the New People's Liberation Party. The New People's
   Liberation Party, after losing its majority in the Legislative Council
   of Montserrat because of its poor showing in the 2006 election,
   supported Lewis for Chief Minister. Moves towards full independence
   have been effectively halted by the volcano and the consequent
   evacuation.

   Montserrat is a full and participating member of the Caribbean
   Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
   (OECS).

Colleges and universities

     * American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) was
       founded in Montserrat in 1978. With the aid of the government, a
       medical campus was built on a 25-acre site. After the eruption of
       the Soufriere Hills volcano in 1995, AUC moved its facilities to
       its present location on St. Maarten. The University of the West
       Indies also offers courses on the island.

Parishes

   Montserrat is divided into three parishes:
     * Saint Anthony Parish
     * Saint Georges Parish
     * Saint Peter Parish

Geography

   Map of Montserrat
   Enlarge
   Map of Montserrat

   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 due to volcanic deposits on the southeast coast of the
   island), 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 and near perfect climate to the mainly Canadian, British and US
   expatriates who sought privacy in its cliffside villas and estates.

   Montserrat has only two islets: Little Redonda and Virgin.

Economy

   It was formerly the home of a branch of George Martin's AIR Studios
   (and other amenities) that made the island popular with working and
   vacationing musicians and other celebrities.

Famous Montserratians

   Arrow:

   Alphonsus “Arrow” Cassell MBE born in Montserrat is most well known for
   his Soca song "hot hot hot". The song is very well known all over the
   world and has sold over 4 million copies.

Demographics

Culture

Operation Montserrat

   Currently, American middle school students are eligible to participate
   in an Operation Montserrat live simulation. This is a videoconference
   program based on events of 1996 in which a hurricane approaches and a
   volcanic eruption occur nearly at the same time. The students are
   responsible for rescuing all of the people. In the weeks leading up to
   this, they practice the skills they need in their classroom.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montserrat"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
