Montserrat

40 km

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

0 sq km (2022)

total: 0 km

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

Central America and the Caribbean

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

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

volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland

35.8% (2023 est.)

total dependency ratio: 31.7 (2025 est.) youth dependency ratio: 20.9 (2025 est.) elderly dependency ratio: 10.8 (2025 est.) potential support ratio: 9.2 (2025 est.)

0.65 (2025 est.)

total: 9.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.) male: 8 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.6 deaths/1,000 live births

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

total: 37.1 years (2025 est.) male: 35.4 years female: 37.8 years

noun: Montserratian(s) adjective: Montserratian

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

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

breakdown

{"male":{"value":2744,"unit":"people","formatted":"2,744","name":"Male Population"},"female":{"value":2755,"unit":"people","formatted":"2,755","name":"Female Population"}}

meta

{"year":2025}

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.)

1.34 children born/woman (2025 est.)

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

tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation

land erosion on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation

agricultural land: 30% (2023 est.) arable land: 20% (2023 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.) permanent pasture: 10% (2023 est.) forest: 24.2% (2023 est.) other: 45.8% (2023 est.)

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

3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter

name

Plymouth

geo

{"lat":16.7,"lng":-62.2167}

timezone

{"difference":"UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)","note":null,"dst":null}

meta

{}

note

Plymouth was abandoned in 1997 because of volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate, the de facto capital, at the northwest end of Montserrat

see United Kingdom

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

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

overseas territory of the UK

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 election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually becomes premier

description: blue with the UK flag in the upper-left quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the right half of the flag; the arms show a woman in a green dress standing beside a yellow harp and embracing a large, dark-brown cross with her right arm meaning: the woman is Erin, the female personification of Ireland, the harp is an Irish symbol, and the cross represents the Christian faith; blue stands for awareness, trustworthiness, determination, and righteousness

parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK

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

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

title: "Motherland" lyrics/music: Howard FERGUS/George IRISH history: adopted 2013; used as a local anthem and for sporting events and local ceremonies title: "God Save the King" lyrics/music: unknown history: official anthem, as a UK territory

Montserrat's coat of arms dates back to 1909 and reflects the country's Irish settlers, who first arrived in 1632; the woman in the green dress is Erin, the personification of Ireland, and she holds Ireland's symbol, a gold harp; the cross represents Christianity, Monserrat's predominant religion

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

18 years of age; universal

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

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

East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - Exchange rates: 2.7 (2024 est.) 2.7 (2023 est.) 2.7 (2022 est.) 2.7 (2021 est.) 2.7 (2020 est.)

4% (2022 est.) 1.7% (2021 est.) -1.9% (2020 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

$89.254 million (2024 est.) $86.875 million (2023 est.) $80.972 million (2022 est.) note: data in 2015 dollars

electrification - total population: 100% (2020)

installed generating capacity: 6,000 kW (2023 est.) consumption: 15.968 million kWh (2023 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 370,000 kWh (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption: 200 bbl/day (2023 est.)

55 (2018 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)

.ms

percent of population: 54.6% (2011 est.)

total subscriptions: 5,020 (2022 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 113 (2022 est.)

1 (2025)

VP-M

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

defense is the responsibility of the UK