Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) - Montserrat (2006)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) z Montserrat (2006)

 British Indian Ocean Territory (2002)Montserrat (2006)
 British Indian Ocean TerritoryMontserrat
Administrative divisions - 3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter
Age structure - 0-14 years: 23.3% (male 1,125/female 1,079)


15-64 years: 65.7% (male 2,957/female 3,245)


65 years and over: 10.9% (male 532/female 501) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products - cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers; livestock products
Airports 1 (2001) 2 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
total: 2


under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Area total: 60 sq km


land: 60 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
total: 102 sq km


land: 102 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC
Background Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. 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 possesion 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 - 17.59 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget - revenues: $31.4 million


expenditures: $31.6 million; including capital expenditures of $8.4 million (1997 est.)
Capital - name: Plymouth


geographic coordinates: 16 44 N, 62 14 W


time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


note: Plymouth was abandoned in 1997 due to 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 tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation
Coastline 698 km 40 km
Constitution - effective 19 December 1989
Country name conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory


conventional short form: none


abbreviation: BIOT
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Montserrat
Death rate - 7.1 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external - $8.9 million (1997)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London 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 Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain 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 All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. 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 NA kWh 1.86 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military 2 million kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
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 NA 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 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001)


note: fixed rate since 1976
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)


head of government: Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK


cabinet: NA


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Deborah BARNES-JONES (since 10 May 2004)


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 (2004)
Fiscal year - 1 April - 31 March
Flag description white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag 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: 5.4%


industry: 13.6%


services: 81% (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - -1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 6 00 S, 71 30 E 16 45 N, 62 12 W
Geography - note archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility the island is entirely volcanic in origin and comprised of three major volcanic centers of differing ages
Highways total: NA km


paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia


unpaved: NA km
-
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 (2004)
Independence - none (overseas territory of the UK)
Industrial production growth rate - NA%
Industries - tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances
Infant mortality rate - total: 7.19 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 8.35 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 5.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 2.6% (2002 est.)
International organization participation - Caricom, CDB, ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UPU
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) -
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) 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 0 km 0 km
Land use arable land: NEGL


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (1998 est.)
arable land: 20%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 80% (2005)
Languages - 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: 78.85 years


male: 76.67 years


female: 81.14 years (2006 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school


total population: 97%


male: 97%


female: 97% (1970 est.)
Location Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico
Map references Political Map of the World Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 3 NM
territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 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 NA severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1995)
Natural resources coconuts, fish, sugarcane NEGL
Net migration rate - 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2002 est.)
9,439


note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line - NA%
Population growth rate - 1.05% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors Diego Garcia -
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios NA -
Religions - Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations
Sex ratio - at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available


domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet


international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
general assessment: modern and fully digitalized


domestic: NA


international: country code - 1-664
Telephones - main lines in use NA NA
Telephones - mobile cellular - 70 (1994)
Television broadcast stations 1 (1997) 1 (1997)
Terrain flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland
Total fertility rate - 1.77 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate - 6% (1998 est.)
Waterways none -
Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.