MONTSERRAT
MONTSERRAT MINT NEVER HINGED (MNH) DENOMINATION: PENCES Era: GEORGE VI (1936 - 1952) CARIBBEAN, WEST INDIES |
In 1493, Christopher Columbus named theisland Santa María de Montserrate, after the Virgin of Montserrat inthe Monastery ofMontserrat, on Montserrat mountain,near Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain.[15] "Montserrat" means"serrated mountain" in Catalan.
Archaeological field work in 2012, inMontserrat's Centre Hills indicated there was an Archaic (pre-Arawak) occupation between 2000–500 BCE.[16] Later coastal sites show thepresence of the Saladoid culture(until 550 CE).[17] The native Caribs are believedto have called the island Alliouagana, meaning 'Land of the PricklyBush'.[18]
In November 1493, Christopher Columbus passedMontserrat in his secondvoyage, after being told that the island was unoccupied due to raidsby the Caribs.[19][18]
A number of Irishmen settled inMonsterrat in 1632.[20] Most came from nearby Saint Kitts at the instigation of theisland's governor Thomas Warner,with more settlers arriving later from Virginia.[18] The first settlers"appear to have been cultivators, each working his own little farm".[21]
The preponderance of Irish in the firstwave of European settlers led a leading legal scholar to remark that a"nice question" is whether the original settlers took with them thelaw of the Kingdom of Ireland insofar as it differed from the law of the Kingdom of England.[22]
The Irish being historical allies ofthe French,especially in their dislike of the English, invited the French to claim theisland in 1666, although no troops were sent by France to maintain control.[20] However the French did attackand briefly occupy the island in the late 1660s;[23] it was captured shortly afterwardsby the English and English control of the island was confirmed under the Treaty of Breda thefollowing year.[20] Despite the seizing by forceof the island by the English, the island's legal status is that of a"colony acquired by settlement".[20]
A neo-feudal colony developed amongst theso-called "redlegs".[24] The colonists began totransport Sub-Saharan African slavesfor labour, as was common to most Caribbean islands.[18] The colonists built an economybased on the production of sugar, rum, arrowroot and sea island cotton, cultivated on largeplantations by slave labour. By the late 18th century, numerous plantations had been developed on theisland.
There was a brief French attack onMontserrat in 1712.[23] On 17 March 1768, a slaverebellion failed but their efforts were remembered.[25][23] Slavery was abolished in 1834.In 1985, the people of Montserrat made St Patrick's Day a ten-day public holidayto commemorate the uprising.[26] Festivities celebrate theculture and history of Montserrat in song, dance, food and traditional costumes.[27]
In 1782, during the AmericanRevolutionary War, as America's first ally, France captured Montserratin their war of support of the Americans.[26][23] The French, not intent ontruly colonising the island, then agreed to return the island to Great Britain underthe 1783 Treaty of Paris.[28]
The Irish constituted the largestproportion of the white population from the founding of the colony in 1628.Most were indentured servants;others were merchants or plantation owners. The geographer Thomas Jeffreyclaimed in The West India Atlas (1780) that the majority ofthose on Montserrat were either Irish or of Irish descent, "so that theuse of the Irish language ispreserved on the island, even among the Negroes."[29]
African slaves and Irish indenturedservants of all classes were in constant contact, with sexual relationshipsbeing common and a population of mixed descent appearing as a consequence.[30] The Irish were also prominentin Caribbean commerce, with their merchants importing Irish goods such as beef,pork, butter and herring, and also importing slaves.[31]
There is indirect evidence that the use ofthe Irish language continued in Montserrat until at least the middle of thenineteenth century. The Kilkenny diarist and Irish scholar Amhlaoibh ÓSúilleabháin noted in 1831 that he had heard that Irish wasstill spoken in Montserrat by both black and white inhabitants.[32]
In 1852, Henry H. Breen wrote in Notesand Queries: a Medium of Intercommunication for Literary Men, etc.,"The statement that 'the Irish language is spoken in the West IndiaIslands, and that in some of them it may be said to be almost vernacular,' istrue of the little Island of Montserrat, but has no foundation with respect tothe other colonies."[33]
In 1902, The Irish Times quoted the MontrealFamily Herald in a description of Montserrat, noting that "thenegroes to this day speak the old Irish Gaelic tongue, or English with an Irishbrogue. A story is told of a Connaught man who, on arriving at theisland, was, to his astonishment, hailed in a vernacular Irish by the blackpeople."[34]
A letter by W. F.Butler in TheAtheneum (15 July 1905) quotes an account by a Cork civil servant, C. Cremen, of what hehad heard from a retired sailor called John O'Donovan, a fluent Irish speaker:
He frequently told me that in the year1852, when mate of the brig Kaloolah, he went ashore on the island ofMontserrat which was then out of the usual track of shipping. He said he wasmuch surprised to hear the negroes actually talking Irish among themselves, andthat he joined in the conversation...[32]
The British phonetician John C. Wells conducted research intospeech in Montserrat in 1977–78 (which included also Montserratians resident inLondon).[35] He found media claims thatIrish speech, whether Anglo-Irish or Irish Gaelic, influenced contemporaryMontserratian speech were largely exaggerated.[35] He found little in phonology,morphology or syntax that could be attributed to Irish influence, and in Wells'report, only a small number of Irish words in use, one example being minseach [ˈmʲiɲʃəx] which he suggests is the noun goat.[35]
Britain abolishedslavery in Montserrat and its other territories effectiveAugust 1834.[36][26][23]
During the nineteenth century, fallingsugar prices had an adverse effect on the island's economy, as Brazil and other nations competed in thetrade.[37][38]
The first lime tree orchards on the islandwere planted in 1852 by a local planter Mr Burke.[39] Later, in 1857, the Britishphilanthropist Joseph Sturge boughta sugar estate to prove it was economically viable to employ paid labour ratherthan slaves.[18] Numerous members of the Sturgefamily bought additional land. In 1869, the family established the MontserratCompany Limited and planted Key lime trees, started the commercialproduction of lime juice, with more than 100,000 gallons produced annually by1895, set up a school, and sold parcels of land to the inhabitants of theisland. The pure lime juice was transported in casks to England where it wasclarified and bottled by Evans, Sons & Co, of Liverpool, with a trade markon each bottle intended to guarantee quality to the public.[40]
Much of Montserrat came to be ownedby smallholders.[42][43]
From 1871 to 1958, Montserrat wasadministered as part of the federal crown colony of the British LeewardIslands, becoming a province of the short-lived West IndiesFederation from 1958 to 1962.[44][18] The first Chief Ministerof Montserrat was William Henry Bramble ofthe Montserrat LabourParty from 1960 to 1970; he worked to promote labour rights andboost tourism to the island, and Montserrat's original airport was named in hishonour.[45] However, Bramble's son Percival AustinBramble was critical of the way tourist facilities were beingconstructed, and he subsequently set up his own party (the ProgressiveDemocratic Party) which went on to win the 1970Montserratian general election, with Percival Bramble serving asChief Minister from 1970 to 1978.[46] The period 1978 to 1991 wasdominated politically by Chief Minister JohnOsborne and his People'sLiberation Movement; his brief flirtation with possibly declaringindependence never materialised.
Corruption allegations within the PLM partyresulted in the collapse of the Osborne government in 1991, with Reuben Meade becoming the new chiefminister.[47] As a result, early electionswere called.[47]
In 1995, Montserrat was devastated by thecatastrophic volcanic eruptions of the Soufrière Hills, which destroyed thecapital city of Plymouth,and necessitated the evacuation of a large part of the island. ManyMontserratians emigrated abroad, mainly to the United Kingdom, though in recentyears some have started returning. The eruptions rendered the entire southernhalf of the island uninhabitable, and it is currently designated an ExclusionZone with restricted access.
Criticism of the Montserratian government'sresponse to the disaster led to the resignation of Chief Minister Bertrand Osborne in 1997, after only ayear in office, and being replaced by David Brandt whoremained in office until 2001. Since leaving office, Brandt has been thesubject of multiple criminal investigation into alleged sex offences withminors.[48] He was found guilty of sixcounts of sexual exploitation and sentenced to fifteen years in July 2021. [49]
John Osborne returned as Chief Ministerfollowing victory in the 2001 election, being ousted by Lowell Lewis of the MontserratDemocratic Party in 2006. Reuben Meade returned to office in2009 to 2014;[50] during his term the post ofChief Minister was replaced with that of Premier.
In the fall of 2017, Montserrat was not hitby Hurricane Irma andsustained only minor damage from Hurricane Maria.[51]
Since November 2019, Easton Taylor-Farrell ofthe Movementfor Change and Prosperity party has been the island's Premier.
On 10 May 1991 the Caribbean Territoriesorder came into force, formally abolishing the death penalty formurder on Montserrat.[52]
Mainarticle: Politics ofMontserrat
Montserrat is an internallyself-governing overseasterritory of the United Kingdom.[53] The United Nations Committee onDecolonization includes Montserrat on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories.The island's head of state is Queen Elizabeth II,represented by an appointed Governor. Executive power is exercised by thegovernment, whereas the Premier is the head of government.The Premier is appointed by the Governor from among the members of theLegislative Assembly which consists of nine elected members. The leader of theparty with a majority of seats is usually the one who is appointed.[5] Legislative power is vested in boththe government and the LegislativeAssembly. The Assembly also includes two ex officio members, the attorney general and financial secretary.[5]
Military defence is the responsibility ofthe United Kingdom so the island has no regular army.
The Judiciary is independent of the executiveand the legislature.
The RoyalMontserrat Defence Force is the home defence unit of theBritish Overseas Territory of Montserrat. Raised in 1899, the unit is today areduced force of about forty volunteer soldiers, primarily concerned with civildefence and ceremonial duties. The unit has a historical association with theIrish Guards. As a British Overseas Territory, defence of Montserrat remainsthe responsibility of the United Kingdom.
For the purposes of local government,Montserrat is divided into three parishes.Going north to south, they are:
· Saint PeterParish
· SaintGeorges Parish
· SaintAnthony Parish
The locations of settlements on the islandhave been vastly changed since the volcanic activity began. Only Saint PeterParish in the northwest of the island is now inhabited, with a population ofbetween 4000 and 6000,[54][55] the other two parishes beingstill too dangerous to inhabit.
The island is served by landlinetelephones, fully digitalised, with 3000 subscribers and by mobile cellular,with an estimated number of 5000 handsets in use. An estimated 2860 users haveinternet access. These are July 2016 estimates. Public radio service isprovided by Radio Montserrat. There is a single television broadcaster, PTV.[56] Cable and satellite televisionservice is available.[5]
The UKPostcode for directing mail to Montserrat is MSR followed byfour digits according to the destination town, for example, the postcode forLittle Bay is MSR1120.[57]
The island of Montserrat is locatedapproximately 25 miles (40 km) south-west of Antigua, 13 miles (21 km) south-eastof Redonda (a small island owned by Antigua and Barbuda),and 35 miles (56 km) north-west of the French overseas region of Guadeloupe. Beyond Redonda lies Nevis (partof St Kitts and Nevis),about 30 miles (48 km) to the north-west. It comprises 104 km2 (40 sq mi)and is gradually increasing owing to the buildup of volcanic deposits on thesouth-east coast. The island is 16 km (9.9 mi) long and 11 km(6.8 mi) wide and consists of a mountainous interior surrounded by aflatter littoral region, with rock cliffs rising 15 to 30 m (49 to98 ft) above the sea and a number of smooth bottomed sandy beachesscattered among coves on the western (Caribbean Sea) sideof the island. The major mountains are (from north to south) SilverHill, KatyHill in the Centre Hills range, the Soufrière Hills andthe SouthSoufrière Hills.[26] The Soufrière Hills volcano is the island's highest point;its pre-1995 height was 915 metres (3,002 ft), however it has now growndue post-eruption due to the creation of a lava dome, with its current height beingestimated at 1,050 metres (3,440 ft).[5]
The 2011 estimate by the CIA indicates that30% of the island's land is classified as agricultural, 20% as arable, 25% asforest and the balance as "other".[5]
Montserrat has a few tiny off-shoreislands, such as LittleRedonda off its north coast and Pinnacle Rock and StatueRock off its east.
In July 1995, Montserrat's Soufrière Hills volcano,dormant for centuries, erupted and soon buried the island's capital, Plymouth,in more than 12 metres (39 ft) of mud, destroyed its airport and dockingfacilities, and rendered the southern part of the island, now termed theexclusion zone, uninhabitable and not safe for travel. The southern part of theisland was evacuated and visits are severely restricted.[58] The exclusion zone alsoincludes two sea areas adjacent to the land areas of most volcanic activity.[8]
After the destruction of Plymouth anddisruption of the economy, more than half of the population left the island,which also lacked housing. During the late 1990s, additional eruptionsoccurred. On 25 June 1997, a pyroclastic flow travelled down Mosquito Ghaut. This pyroclastic surge could not be restrainedby the ghaut and spilled out of it, killing 19 people who were in the(officially evacuated) Streatham village area. Several others in the areasuffered severe burns.
In recognition of the disaster, in 1998,the people of Montserrat were granted full residency rights in the UnitedKingdom, allowing them to migrate if they chose. British citizenship wasgranted in 2002.[59]
For a number of years in the early 2000s,the volcano's activity consisted mostly of infrequent ventings of ash into the uninhabited areas in thesouth. The ash falls occasionally extended into the northern and western partsof the island. In the most recent period of increased activity at the SoufrièreHills volcano, from November 2009 through February 2010, ash vented and therewas a vulcanian explosion thatsent pyroclastic flows downseveral sides of the mountain. Travel into parts of the exclusion zone wasoccasionally allowed, though only by a licence from the Royal Montserrat PoliceForce.[60] Since 2014 the area has beensplit into multiple subzones with varying entry and use restrictions, based onvolcanic activity: some areas even being (in 2020) open 24 hours and inhabited.The most dangerous zone, which includes the former capital, remains forbiddento casual visitors due to volcanic and other hazards, especially due to thelack of maintenance in destroyed areas. It is legal to visit this area whenaccompanied by a government-authorized guide.[61][62][63]
The northern part of Montserrat has largelybeen unaffected by volcanic activity, and remains lush and green. In February2005, Princess Anne officiallyopened what is now called the John A. OsborneAirport in the north. Since 2011, it handles several flightsdaily operated by Fly Montserrat Airways.Docking facilities are in place at Little Bay, where the new capital town isbeing constructed; the new government centre is at Brades, a short distanceaway.
Furtherinformation: List of birdsof Montserrat, List of mammalsof Montserrat, and Listof amphibians and reptiles of Montserrat
Montserrat, like many isolated islands, ishome to rare, endemic plant andanimal species. Work undertaken by the Montserrat National Trust incollaboration with the Royal BotanicGardens, Kew has centred on the conservation of pribby (Rondeletiabuxifolia) in the Centre Hills region. Until 2006, this species was knownonly from one book about the vegetation of Montserrat.[64] In 2006, conservationists alsorescued several plants of the endangered Montserrat orchid (Epidendrummontserratense) from dead trees on the island and installed them in thesecurity of the island's botanic garden.
Montserrat is also home to the criticallyendangered giant ditch frog (Leptodactylusfallax), known locally as the mountain chicken, found only in Montserratand Dominica. The species has undergonecatastrophic declines due to the amphibian disease Chytridiomycosis and the volcaniceruption in 1997. Experts from DurrellWildlife Conservation Trust have been working with theMontserrat Department of Environment to conserve the frog in-situ ina project called "Saving the Mountain Chicken",[65] and an ex-situ captivebreeding population has been set up in partnership with DurrellWildlife Conservation Trust, ZoologicalSociety of London, Chester Zoo, Parken Zoo, and the Governmentsof Montserrat and Dominica. Releases from this programme have already takenplace in a hope to increase the numbers of the frog and reduce extinction riskfrom Chytridiomycosis.
The national bird is the endemic Montserrat oriole (Icterus oberi).[66] The IUCN Red List classifies it asvulnerable, having previously listed it as critically endangered.[67] Captive populations are heldin several zoos in the UK including: Chester Zoo, London Zoo, Jersey Zoo and Edinburgh Zoo.
The Montserrat galliwasp (Diploglossusmontisserrati), a type of lizard, is endemic to Montserrat and is listed onthe IUCN Red List as critically endangered.[68][69] A species action plan has beendeveloped for this species.[70]
In 2005, a biodiversity assessment for theCentre Hills was conducted. To support the work of local conservationists, ateam of international partners, including Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust,Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, RoyalSociety for the Protection of Birds and Montana StateUniversity, carried out extensive surveys and collected biologicaldata.[71] Researchers from Montana StateUniversity found that the invertebrate fauna was particularly rich on theisland. The report found that the number of invertebrate species known to occurin Montserrat is 1241. The number of known beetle species is 718 species from63 families. It is estimated that 120 invertebrates are endemic to Montserrat.[71]
Montserrat is known for its coral reefs andits caves along the shore. These caves house many species of bats, and effortsare underway to monitor and protect the ten species of bats from extinction.[72][73]
The Montserrat tarantula (Cyrtopholis femoralis) is the onlyspecies of tarantula native to the island. It was first bred in captivity atthe Chester Zoo in August 2016.[74]
Montserrat's economy was devastated by the1995 eruption and its aftermath;[26] currently the island'soperating budget is largely supplied by the British government and administeredthrough the Departmentfor International Development (DFID) amounting to approximately£25 million per year. Additional amounts are secured through income andproperty taxes, licence and other fees as well as customs duties levied onimported goods.
The limited economy of Montserrat, with apopulation under 5000, consumes 2.5 MW of electric power,[75] produced by five dieselgenerators.[76] Two exploratory geothermal wells have found goodresources and the pad for a third geothermal well was prepared in 2016.[77] Together the geothermal wellsare expected to produce more power than the island requires.[78] A 250 kW solar PV stationwas commissioned in 2019, with plans for another 750 kW.[75]
A report published by the CIA indicatesthat the value of exports totalled the equivalent of US$5.7 million (2017est.), consisting primarily of electronic components, plastic bags, apparel,hot peppers, limes, live plants and cattle. The value of imports totalledUS$31.02 million (2016 est.), consisting primarily of machinery andtransportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels and lubricants.[5]
In 1979, The Beatles producer George Martin opened AIR Studios Montserrat,[79] making the island popular withmusicians who often went there to record while taking advantage of the island'sclimate and beautiful surroundings.[80] In the early hours of 17September 1989, Hurricane Hugo passedthe island as a Category 4 hurricane, damaging more than 90% of thestructures on the island.[18] AIR Studios Montserrat closed,and the tourist economy was virtually wiped out.[81] The slowly recovering touristindustry was again wiped out with the eruption of the Soufrière HillsVolcano in 1995, although it began partially to recover withinfifteen years.[82]
John A. OsborneAirport is the only airport on the island. Scheduled serviceto Antigua isprovided by FlyMontserrat[83] and ABM Air.[84] Charter flights are alsoavailable to the surrounding islands.
Ferry service to the island is provided bythe Jaden Sun Ferry. It runs from Heritage Quay in St. John's,Antigua and Barbuda to Little Bay onMontserrat. The ride is about an hour and a half and operates five days a week.[85]
This service stopped in 2019 due to beingfinancially unsustainable and the only access to Montserrat now is by air.
Mainarticle: Demographics ofMontserrat
Montserrat had a population of 7,119 in1842.[86]
The island had a population of 5,879(according to a 2008 estimate). An estimated 8,000 refugees left the island (primarilyto the UK) following the resumption of volcanic activity in July1995; the population was 13,000 in 1994. The 2011 Montserrat census indicated apopulation of 4,922.[87] In early 2016, the estimatedpopulation had reached nearly 5,000 primarily due to immigration from otherislands.[9]
Age structure (2003 estimates):
· up to 14years: 23.4% (male 1,062; female 1,041)
· 15 to 64years: 65.3% (male 2,805; female 3,066)
· 65 years andover: 11.3% (male 537; female 484)
The median age of the population was 28.1as of 2002 and the sex ratio was 0.96 males/female as of 2000.
The population growth rate is 6.9% (2008est.), with a birth rate of 17.57 births/1,000 population, death rate of 7.34deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.), and net migration rate of 195.35/1,000population (2000 est.) There is an infant mortality rate of 7.77 deaths/1000live births (2003 est.). The life expectancy at birth is 78.36 years: 76.24 formales and 80.59 for females (2003 est.). The total fertility rate is 1.8children born/woman (2003 est.).
According to a United Nations estimate, the populationas of April 2018 was 5,197 (for a density of 52 per square kilometre or 135people per square mile), with just over 90% living in non-urban areas.[88]
In 2001, the CIA estimated the primaryreligion as Protestant (67.1%, including Anglican 21.8%, Methodist 17%,Pentecostal 14.1%, Seventh-day Adventist 10.5%, and Church of God 3.7%), withCatholics constituting 11.6%, Rastafarian 1.4%, other 6.5%, none 2.6%,unspecified 10.8%.[5]
Residents of Montserrat are known asMontserratians. The population is predominantly, but not exclusively, of mixedAfrican-Irish descent.[89] It is not known with certaintyhow many African slaves and indentured Irish labourers were brought to the WestIndies, though according to one estimate some 60,000 Irish were"Barbadosed" by Oliver Cromwell,[90] some of whom would havearrived in Montserrat.
Data published by the CentralIntelligence Agency indicates the ethnic group mix as follows(2011 est.):[5]
88.4%:African/black
Further information: Education inMontserrat
Education in Montserrat is compulsory forchildren between the ages of 5 and 14, and free up to the age of 17. Theonly secondary school (pre-16years of age) on the island is the MontserratSecondary School (MSS) in Salem.[91] MontserratCommunity College (MCC) is a community college (post-16 and tertiaryeducational institution) in Salem.[92] The University ofthe West Indies maintains its Montserrat Open Campus.[93] Universityof Science, Arts and Technology is a private medical schoolin Olveston.[94]
For more than a decade, George Martin's AIRMontserrat studio played host to recording sessions by many well known rockmusicians, including Dire Straits, ThePolice, Rush, Elton John, Michael Jackson and The Rolling Stones.[80] After the volcanic eruptionsof 1995 through 1997, and until his death in 2016, George Martin raised fundsto help the victims and families on the island. The first event was astar-studded event at London's Royal Albert Hall in September 1997 (Music for Montserrat)featuring many artists who had previously recorded on the island including PaulMcCartney, Mark Knopfler,Elton John, Sting, PhilCollins, Eric Clapton and Midge Ure. The event raised £1.5 million.[95] All the proceeds from the showwent towards short-term relief for the islanders.[80]
Martin's second major initiative was torelease five hundred limited edition lithographs of his score for the Beatlessong "Yesterday".Complete with mistakes and tea stains, the lithographs are numbered and signedby Paul McCartney and Martin. The lithograph sale raised more thanUS$1.4 million which helped fund the building of a new cultural andcommunity centre for Montserrat and provided a much needed focal point to helpthe re-generation of the island.[80]
Many albums of note were recorded at AIRStudios, including Rush's Power Windows,Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms; Duran Duran's Seven and theRagged Tiger, The Police's Synchronicity and Ghostin the Machine (videos for "EveryLittle Thing She Does Is Magic" and "Spirits inthe Material World" were filmed in Montserrat), and Jimmy Buffett's Volcano (namedfor Soufrière Hills).[80] Ian Anderson (of Jethro Tull)recorded the song "Montserrat" on The SecretLanguage of Birds in tribute to the volcanic difficultiesand feeling among residents of being abandoned by the UK government.
In 2017, Montserrat was used to film muchof the 2020 film Wendy.[96]
Montserrat has one national radio station,ZJB. The station offers a wide selection of music and news within the islandand also on the internet for Montserratians living overseas.
Notable shows include the MorningShow with Basil Chambers and Rose Willock's Cultural Show.
Main article: Cuisine of Montserrat
Montserrat's national dish is goat water, a thick goat meat stew served withcrusty bread rolls.[9] Montserrat cuisine resemblesthe general British and Caribbean cuisines, as it is situated in the Caribbeanzone and it is a British territory. The cuisine includes a wide range of lightmeats, like fish, seafood and chicken, which are mostly grilled or roasted.Being a fusion of numerous cultures, such as Spanish, French, African, Indianand Amerindian, the Caribbean cuisine is unique and complex. More sophisticatedmeals include the Montserrat jerk shrimp, with rum, cinnamon bananas andcranberry. In other more rural areas, people prefer to eat homemade food, likethe traditional mahi mahi and local breads.
Montserrat is home to the MontserratYachting Association.[97]
Montserrat has competed in every Commonwealth Games since1994.[98]
Miguel Francis who now representsthe United Kingdom andpreviously represented Antigua and Barbuda wasborn in Montserrat. He holds the Antiguan National record over 200m in19.88.[99][100]
Basketball is growing in popularity inMontserrat with the country now setting up their own basketball league.[101][102] The league contains sixteams, which are the Look-Out Shooters, Davy Hill Ras Valley, Cudjoe HeadRenegades, St. Peters Hilltop, Salem Jammers and MSS School Warriors.[103] They have also built a new800 seater complex which cost $1.5 million.
In common with many Caribbeanislands, cricket is a very popular sport inMontserrat. Players from Montserrat are eligible to play for the West Indiescricket team. Jim Allen wasthe first to play for the West Indies and he represented the World Series Cricket WestIndians, although, with a very small population, no other player fromMontserrat had gone on to represent the West Indies until Lionel Baker made his One DayInternational debut against Pakistan in November 2008.[104]
The Montserrat cricketteam forms a part of the LeewardIslands cricket team in regional domestic cricket, however itplays as a separate entity in minor regional matches,[105] as well having previouslyplayed Twenty20 cricket in the Stanford 20/20.[106] Two grounds on the islandhave held first-class matchesfor the Leeward Islands, the first and most historic was Sturge Park in Plymouth, which had beenin use since the 1920s. This was destroyed in 1997 by the volcanic eruption. Anew ground, the Salem Oval, wasconstructed and opened in 2000. This has also held first-class cricket. Asecond ground has been constructed at Little Bay.[107]
Main articles: Football inMontserrat, MontserratFootball Association, and Montserratnational football team
Montserrat has its own FIFA affiliated footballteam, and has competed in the World Cup qualifiers five times butfailed to advance to the finals from 2002 to 2018. A field for the team wasbuilt near the airport by FIFA. In 2002, the team competed in a friendly matchwith the second-lowest-ranked team in FIFA at that time, Bhutan,in The Other Final,the same day as the final of the 2002 World Cup. Bhutan won 4–0. Montserrat hasfailed to qualify for any FIFA World Cup. They have also failed to everqualify for the Gold Cup and Caribbean Cup. The current national teamrelies mostly on the diaspora residentin England and in the last World Cupqualification game against Curaçao nearlyall the squad members played and lived in England.[citationneeded]
Montserrat has a club league, the MontserratChampionship, which has played sporadically since 1974. The leaguewas most recently on hiatus from 2005 until 2015 but restarted play in 2016.
Carrll Robilotta, whose parents moved fromthe United States to Montserrat in 1980, was responsible for pioneering thesport of surfing on the island. He and his brother Gary explored, discovered,and named the surf spots on the island during the 80's and early 90's.[108]
MONTSERRAT
2021 USPS Postage Rates and Prices
REGISTERED MAIL FEE is $16.30 +
INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE is $2.24 (2 oz)
INTERNATIONAL POSTAGE is $3.28 (3 oz)
TOTAL POSTAGE and FEES equal $19.58
d the southern part of the island, now termed theexclusion zone, uninhabitable and not safe for travel. The southern part of theisland was evacuated and visits are severely restricted.[58] The exclusion zone alsoincludes two sea areas adjacent to the land areas of most volcanic activity.[8]
After the destruction of Plymouth anddisruption of the economy, more than half of the population left the island,which also lacked housing. During the late 1990s, additional eruptionsoccurred. On 25 June 1997, a pyroclastic flow travelled down Mosquito Ghaut. This pyroclastic surge could not be restrainedby the ghaut and spilled out of it, killing 19 people who were in the(officially evacuated) Streatham village area. Several others in the areasuffered severe burns.
In recognition of the disaster, in 1998,the people of Montserrat were granted full residency rights in the UnitedKingdom, allowing them to migrate if they chose. British citizenship wasgranted in 2002.[59]
For a number of years in the early 2000s,the volcano's activity consisted mostly of infrequent ventings of ash into the uninhabited areas in thesouth. The ash falls occasionally extended into the northern and western partsof the island. In the most recent period of increased activity at the SoufrièreHills volcano, from November 2009 through February 2010, ash vented and therewas a vulcanian explosion thatsent pyroclastic flows downseveral sides of the mountain. Travel into parts of the exclusion zone wasoccasionally allowed, though only by a licence from the Royal Montserrat PoliceForce.[60] Since 2014 the area has beensplit into multiple subzones with varying entry and use restrictions, based onvolcanic activity: some areas even being (in 2020) open 24 hours and inhabited.The most dangerous zone, which includes the former capital, remains forbiddento casual visitors due to volcanic and other hazards, especially due to thelack of maintenance in destroyed areas. It is legal to visit this area whenaccompanied by a government-authorized guide.[61][62][63]
The northern part of Montserrat has largelybeen unaffected by volcanic activity, and remains lush and green. In February2005, Princess Anne officiallyopened what is now called the John A. OsborneAirport in the north. Since 2011, it handles several flightsdaily operated by Fly Montserrat Airways.Docking facilities are in place at Little Bay, where the new capital town isbeing constructed; the new government centre is at Brades, a short distanceaway.
Furtherinformation: List of birdsof Montserrat, List of mammalsof Montserrat, and Listof amphibians and reptiles of Montserrat
Montserrat, like many isolated islands, ishome to rare, endemic plant andanimal species. Work undertaken by the Montserrat National Trust incollaboration with the Royal BotanicGardens, Kew has centred on the conservation of pribby (Rondeletiabuxifolia) in the Centre Hills region. Until 2006, this species was knownonly from one book about the vegetation of Montserrat.[64] In 2006, conservationists alsorescued several plants of the endangered Montserrat orchid (Epidendrummontserratense) from dead trees on the island and installed them in thesecurity of the island's botanic garden.
Montserrat is also home to the criticallyendangered giant ditch frog (Leptodactylusfallax), known locally as the mountain chicken, found only in Montserratand Dominica. The species has undergonecatastrophic declines due to the amphibian disease Chytridiomycosis and the volcaniceruption in 1997. Experts from DurrellWildlife Conservation Trust have been working with theMontserrat Department of Environment to conserve the frog in-situ ina project called "Saving the Mountain Chicken",[65] and an ex-situ captivebreeding population has been set up in partnership with DurrellWildlife Conservation Trust, ZoologicalSociety of London, Chester Zoo, Parken Zoo, and the Governmentsof Montserrat and Dominica. Releases from this programme have already takenplace in a hope to increase the numbers of the frog and reduce extinction riskfrom Chytridiomycosis.
The national bird is the endemic Montserrat oriole (Icterus oberi).[66] The IUCN Red List classifies it asvulnerable, having previously listed it as critically endangered.[67] Captive populations are heldin several zoos in the UK including: Chester Zoo, London Zoo, Jersey Zoo and Edinburgh Zoo.
The Montserrat galliwasp (Diploglossusmontisserrati), a type of lizard, is endemic to Montserrat and is listed onthe IUCN Red List as critically endangered.[68][69] A species action plan has beendeveloped for this species.[70]
In 2005, a biodiversity assessment for theCentre Hills was conducted. To support the work of local conservationists, ateam of international partners, including Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust,Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, RoyalSociety for the Protection of Birds and Montana StateUniversity, carried out extensive surveys and collected biologicaldata.[71] Researchers from Montana StateUniversity found that the invertebrate fauna was particularly rich on theisland. The report found that the number of invertebrate species known to occurin Montserrat is 1241. The number of known beetle species is 718 species from63 families. It is estimated that 120 invertebrates are endemic to Montserrat.[71]
Montserrat is known for its coral reefs andits caves along the shore. These caves house many species of bats, and effortsare underway to monitor and protect the ten species of bats from extinction.[72][73]
The Montserrat tarantula (Cyrtopholis femoralis) is the onlyspecies of tarantula native to the island. It was first bred in captivity atthe Chester Zoo in August 2016.[74]
Montserrat's economy was devastated by the1995 eruption and its aftermath;[26] currently the island'soperating budget is largely supplied by the British government and administeredthrough the Departmentfor International Development (DFID) amounting to approximately£25 million per year. Additional amounts are secured through income andproperty taxes, licence and other fees as well as customs duties levied onimported goods.
The limited economy of Montserrat, with apopulation under 5000, consumes 2.5 MW of electric power,[75] produced by five dieselgenerators.[76] Two exploratory geothermal wells have found goodresources and the pad for a third geothermal well was prepared in 2016.[77] Together the geothermal wellsare expected to produce more power than the island requires.[78] A 250 kW solar PV stationwas commissioned in 2019, with plans for another 750 kW.[75]
A report published by the CIA indicatesthat the value of exports totalled the equivalent of US$5.7 million (2017est.), consisting primarily of electronic components, plastic bags, apparel,hot peppers, limes, live plants and cattle. The value of imports totalledUS$31.02 million (2016 est.), consisting primarily of machinery andtransportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels and lubricants.[5]
In 1979, The Beatles producer George Martin opened AIR Studios Montserrat,[79] making the island popular withmusicians who often went there to record while taking advantage of the island'sclimate and beautiful surroundings.[80] In the early hours of 17September 1989, Hurricane Hugo passedthe island as a Category 4 hurricane, damaging more than 90% of thestructures on the island.[18] AIR Studios Montserrat closed,and the tourist economy was virtually wiped out.[81] The slowly recovering touristindustry was again wiped out with the eruption of the Soufrière HillsVolcano in 1995, although it began partially to recover withinfifteen years.[82]
John A. OsborneAirport is the only airport on the island. Scheduled serviceto Antigua isprovided by FlyMontserrat[83] and ABM Air.[84] Charter flights are alsoavailable to the surrounding islands.
Ferry service to the island is provided bythe Jaden Sun Ferry. It runs from Heritage Quay in St. John's,Antigua and Barbuda to Little Bay onMontserrat. The ride is about an hour and a half and operates five days a week.[85]
This service stopped in 2019 due to beingfinancially unsustainable and the only access to Montserrat now is by air.
Mainarticle: Demographics ofMontserrat
Montserrat had a population of 7,119 in1842.[86]
The island had a population of 5,879(according to a 2008 estimate). An estimated 8,000 refugees left the island (primarilyto the UK) following the resumption of volcanic activity in July1995; the population was 13,000 in 1994. The 2011 Montserrat census indicated apopulation of 4,922.[87] In early 2016, the estimatedpopulation had reached nearly 5,000 primarily due to immigration from otherislands.[9]
Age structure (2003 estimates):
· up to 14years: 23.4% (male 1,062; female 1,041)
· 15 to 64years: 65.3% (male 2,805; female 3,066)
· 65 years andover: 11.3% (male 537; female 484)
The median age of the population was 28.1as of 2002 and the sex ratio was 0.96 males/female as of 2000.
The population growth rate is 6.9% (2008est.), with a birth rate of 17.57 births/1,000 population, death rate of 7.34deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.), and net migration rate of 195.35/1,000population (2000 est.) There is an infant mortality rate of 7.77 deaths/1000live births (2003 est.). The life expectancy at birth is 78.36 years: 76.24 formales and 80.59 for females (2003 est.). The total fertility rate is 1.8children born/woman (2003 est.).
According to a United Nations estimate, the populationas of April 2018 was 5,197 (for a density of 52 per square kilometre or 135people per square mile), with just over 90% living in non-urban areas.[88]
In 2001, the CIA estimated the primaryreligion as Protestant (67.1%, including Anglican 21.8%, Methodist 17%,Pentecostal 14.1%, Seventh-day Adventist 10.5%, and Church of God 3.7%), withCatholics constituting 11.6%, Rastafarian 1.4%, other 6.5%, none 2.6%,unspecified 10.8%.[5]
Residents of Montserrat are known asMontserratians. The population is predominantly, but not exclusively, of mixedAfrican-Irish descent.[89] It is not known with certaintyhow many African slaves and indentured Irish labourers were brought to the WestIndies, though according to one estimate some 60,000 Irish were"Barbadosed" by Oliver Cromwell,[90] some of whom would havearrived in Montserrat.
Data published by the CentralIntelligence Agency indicates the ethnic group mix as follows(2011 est.):[5]
88.4%:African/black
Further information: Education inMontserrat
Education in Montserrat is compulsory forchildren between the ages of 5 and 14, and free up to the age of 17. Theonly secondary school (pre-16years of age) on the island is the MontserratSecondary School (MSS) in Salem.[91] MontserratCommunity College (MCC) is a community college (post-16 and tertiaryeducational institution) in Salem.[92] The University ofthe West Indies maintains its Montserrat Open Campus.[93] Universityof Science, Arts and Technology is a private medical schoolin Olveston.[94]
For more than a decade, George Martin's AIRMontserrat studio played host to recording sessions by many well known rockmusicians, including Dire Straits, ThePolice, Rush, Elton John, Michael Jackson and The Rolling Stones.[80] After the volcanic eruptionsof 1995 through 1997, and until his death in 2016, George Martin raised fundsto help the victims and families on the island. The first event was astar-studded event at London's Royal Albert Hall in September 1997 (Music for Montserrat)featuring many artists who had previously recorded on the island including PaulMcCartney, Mark Knopfler,Elton John, Sting, PhilCollins, Eric Clapton and Midge Ure. The event raised £1.5 million.[95] All the proceeds from the showwent towards short-term relief for the islanders.[80]
Martin's second major initiative was torelease five hundred limited edition lithographs of his score for the Beatlessong "Yesterday".Complete with mistakes and tea stains, the lithographs are numbered and signedby Paul McCartney and Martin. The lithograph sale raised more thanUS$1.4 million which helped fund the building of a new cultural andcommunity centre for Montserrat and provided a much needed focal point to helpthe re-generation of the island.[80]
Many albums of note were recorded at AIRStudios, including Rush's Power Windows,Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms; Duran Duran's Seven and theRagged Tiger, The Police's Synchronicity and Ghostin the Machine (videos for "EveryLittle Thing She Does Is Magic" and "Spirits inthe Material World" were filmed in Montserrat), and Jimmy Buffett's Volcano (namedfor Soufrière Hills).[80] Ian Anderson (of Jethro Tull)recorded the song "Montserrat" on The SecretLanguage of Birds in tribute to the volcanic difficultiesand feeling among residents of being abandoned by the UK government.
In 2017, Montserrat was used to film muchof the 2020 film Wendy.[96]
Montserrat has one national radio station,ZJB. The station offers a wide selection of music and news within the islandand also on the internet for Montserratians living overseas.
Notable shows include the MorningShow with Basil Chambers and Rose Willock's Cultural Show.
Main article: Cuisine of Montserrat
Montserrat's national dish is goat water, a thick goat meat stew served withcrusty bread rolls.[9] Montserrat cuisine resemblesthe general British and Caribbean cuisines, as it is situated in the Caribbeanzone and it is a British territory. The cuisine includes a wide range of lightmeats, like fish, seafood and chicken, which are mostly grilled or roasted.Being a fusion of numerous cultures, such as Spanish, French, African, Indianand Amerindian, the Caribbean cuisine is unique and complex. More sophisticatedmeals include the Montserrat jerk shrimp, with rum, cinnamon bananas andcranberry. In other more rural areas, people prefer to eat homemade food, likethe traditional mahi mahi and local breads.
Montserrat is home to the MontserratYachting Association.[97]
Montserrat has competed in every Commonwealth Games since1994.[98]
Miguel Francis who now representsthe United Kingdom andpreviously represented Antigua and Barbuda wasborn in Montserrat. He holds the Antiguan National record over 200m in19.88.[99][100]
Basketball is growing in popularity inMontserrat with the country now setting up their own basketball league.[101][102] The league contains sixteams, which are the Look-Out Shooters, Davy Hill Ras Valley, Cudjoe HeadRenegades, St. Peters Hilltop, Salem Jammers and MSS School Warriors.[103] They have also built a new800 seater complex which cost $1.5 million.
In common with many Caribbeanislands, cricket is a very popular sport inMontserrat. Players from Montserrat are eligible to play for the West Indiescricket team. Jim Allen wasthe first to play for the West Indies and he represented the World Series Cricket WestIndians, although, with a very small population, no other player fromMontserrat had gone on to represent the West Indies until Lionel Baker made his One DayInternational debut against Pakistan in November 2008.[104]
The Montserrat cricketteam forms a part of the LeewardIslands cricket team in regional domestic cricket, however itplays as a separate entity in minor regional matches,[105] as well having previouslyplayed Twenty20 cricket in the Stanford 20/20.[106] Two grounds on the islandhave held first-class matchesfor the Leeward Islands, the first and most historic was Sturge Park in Plymouth, which had beenin use since the 1920s. This was destroyed in 1997 by the volcanic eruption. Anew ground, the Salem Oval, wasconstructed and opened in 2000. This has also held first-class cricket. Asecond ground has been constructed at Little Bay.[107]
Main articles: Football inMontserrat, MontserratFootball Association, and Montserratnational football team
Montserrat has its own FIFA affiliated footballteam, and has competed in the World Cup qualifiers five times butfailed to advance to the finals from 2002 to 2018. A field for the team wasbuilt near the airport by FIFA. In 2002, the team competed in a friendly matchwith the second-lowest-ranked team in FIFA at that time, Bhutan,in The Other Final,the same day as the final of the 2002 World Cup. Bhutan won 4–0. Montserrat hasfailed to qualify for any FIFA World Cup. They have also failed to everqualify for the Gold Cup and Caribbean Cup. The current national teamrelies mostly on the diaspora residentin England and in the last World Cupqualification game against Curaçao nearlyall the squad members played and lived in England.[citationneeded]
Montserrat has a club league, the MontserratChampionship, which has played sporadically since 1974. The leaguewas most recently on hiatus from 2005 until 2015 but restarted play in 2016.
Carrll Robilotta, whose parents moved fromthe United States to Montserrat in 1980, was responsible for pioneering thesport of surfing on the island. He and his brother Gary explored, discovered,and named the surf spots on the island during the 80's and early 90's.[108]
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