Akrotiri (2006) | Montserrat (2007) | |
Administrative divisions | - | 3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 23.5% (male 1,144/female 1,094)
15-64 years: 65.7% (male 2,989/female 3,281) 65 years and over: 10.8% (male 527/female 503) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers; livestock products |
Airports | - | 2 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
Area | total: 123 sq km
note: includes a salt lake and wetlands |
total: 102 sq km
land: 102 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC | about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers - Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smallest of these is the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Western Sovereign Base Area. | 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. Much of this island was devastated and two-thirds of the population fled abroad because of the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano that began on 18 July 1995. Montserrat has endured volcanic activity since, with the last eruption occurring in July 2003. |
Birth rate | - | 17.51 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $31.4 million
expenditures: $31.6 million (1997 est.) |
Capital | name: Episkopi Cantonment; also serves as capital of Dhekelia
geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
name: Plymouth
geographic coordinates: 16 42 N, 62 13 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Plymouth was abandoned in 1997 because of volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat |
Climate | temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters | tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 56.3 km | 40 km |
Constitution | Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960 | effective 19 December 1989 |
Country name | conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Akrotiri |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Montserrat |
Death rate | - | 7.02 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $8.9 million (1997) |
Dependency status | overseas territory of UK; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus | overseas territory of the UK |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | - | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | Country Policy Plan (2001) is a three-year program for spending $122.8 million in British budgetary assistance (2002 est.) |
Economy - overview | Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and manufactured goods must be imported. | Severe volcanic activity, which began in July 1995, has put a damper on this small, open economy. A catastrophic eruption in June 1997 closed the airports and seaports, causing further economic and social dislocation. Two-thirds of the 12,000 inhabitants fled the island. Some began to return in 1998, but lack of housing limited the number. The agriculture sector continued to be affected by the lack of suitable land for farming and the destruction of crops. Prospects for the economy depend largely on developments in relation to the volcanic activity and on public sector construction activity. The UK has launched a three-year $122.8 million aid program to help reconstruct the economy. Half of the island is expected to remain uninhabitable for another decade. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 18.6 million kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | - | 20 million kWh (2005) |
Elevation extremes | - | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: lava dome in English's Crater (in the Soufriere Hills volcanic complex) estimated at over 930 m (2006) |
Environment - current issues | shooting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base | land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation |
Ethnic groups | - | black, white |
Exchange rates | - | East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002)
note: fixed rate since 1976 |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Richard LACEY (since 26 April 2006); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defence elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is appointed by the monarch |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Peter A. WATERWORTH (since 27 July 2007)
head of government: Chief Minister Lowell LEWIS (since 2 June 2006) cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, the chief minister, three other ministers, the attorney general, and the finance secretary elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually becomes chief minister |
Exports | - | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | - | electronic components, plastic bags, apparel; hot peppers, limes, live plants; cattle |
Exports - partners | - | US, Antigua and Barbuda (2006) |
Fiscal year | - | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | the flag of the UK is used | 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 coat of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 1.2%
industry: 23.1% services: 75.7% (1999 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | -1% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 34 37 N, 32 58 E | 16 45 N, 62 12 W |
Geography - note | British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus | the island is entirely volcanic in origin and comprised of three major volcanic centers of differing ages |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe |
Imports | - | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | - | machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials |
Imports - partners | - | US, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada (2006) |
Independence | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | - | tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: 7.03 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.15 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 2.6% (2002 est.) |
International organization participation | - | Caricom, CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UPU |
Irrigated land | - | NA |
Judicial branch | - | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia, one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court) |
Labor force | - | 4,521
note: lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | total: 47.4 km
border countries: Cyprus 47.4 km |
0 km |
Land use | - | arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 0% other: 80% (2005) |
Languages | English, Greek | English |
Legal system | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply | English common law and statutory law |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral Legislative Council (11 seats, 9 popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)
note: expanded in 2001 from 7 to 9 elected members with attorney general and financial secretary sitting as ex-officio members elections: last held 31 May 2006 (next to be held by 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - MCAP 36.1%, NPLM 29.4%, MDP 24.4%, independents 10.1%; seats by party - MCAP 4, NPLM 3, MDP 1, independents 1 note: in 2001, the Elections Commission instituted a single constituency/voter-at-large system whereby all eligible voters cast ballots for all nine seats of the Legislative Council |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 79 years
male: 76.8 years female: 81.31 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 97% male: 97% female: 97% (1970 est.) |
Location | peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico |
Map references | Middle East | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | - | territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Military - note | Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British Forces on Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | - | no regular military forces; Royal Montserrat Police Force (2005) |
National holiday | - | Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926) |
Nationality | - | noun: Montserratian(s)
adjective: Montserratian |
Natural hazards | - | severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1995) |
Natural resources | - | NEGL |
Net migration rate | - | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | Montserrat Democratic Party or MDP [Lowell LEWIS]; Movement for Change and Prosperity or MCAP [Roselyn CASSELL-SEALY]; New People's Liberation Movement or NPLM [John A. OSBORNE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,300 military personnel are on the base; there are another 5,000 British citizens who are families of military personnel or civilian staff on both Akrotiri and Dhekelia; Cyprus citizens work on the base, but do not live there |
9,538
note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | 1.048% (2007 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | FM 1
note: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia (2006) |
AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Religions | - | Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.046 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.911 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.048 male(s)/female total population: 0.955 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | - | general assessment: modern and fully digitalized
domestic: NA international: country code - 1-664 |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | NA |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | NA |
Television broadcast stations | British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia (2006) | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | - | volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland |
Total fertility rate | - | 1.77 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 6% (1998 est.) |