Compare British Virgin Islands (2003) - Montserrat (2008)

Compare British Virgin Islands (2003) z Montserrat (2008)

	British Virgin Islands (2003)	Montserrat (2008)

Administrative divisions	none (overseas territory of the UK)	3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter
Age structure	0-14 years: 21.9% (male 2,401; female 2,358) 15-64 years: 73.1% (male 8,181; female 7,709) 65 years and over: 5% (male 578; female 503) (2003 est.)	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	fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish	cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers; livestock products
Airports	3 (2002)	2 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2002)	total: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)	-
Area	total: 153 sq km land: 153 sq km water: 0 sq km note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada	total: 102 sq km land: 102 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC	about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC
Background	First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were annexed in 1672 by the English. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency.	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	15 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	17.51 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $121.5 million expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997)	revenues: $31.4 million expenditures: $31.6 million (1997 est.)
Capital	Road Town	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	subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds	tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation
Coastline	80 km	40 km
Constitution	1 June 1977	effective 19 December 1989
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Montserrat
Currency	US dollar (USD)	-
Death rate	4.46 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	7.02 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$36.1 million (1997)	$8.9 million (1997)
Dependency status	overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing	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	none
Economic aid - recipient	NA%	Country Policy Plan (2001) is a three-year program for spending $122.8 million in British budgetary assistance (2002 est.)
Economy - overview	The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1998. Tourism suffered in 2002 because of the lackluster US economy. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, is expected to make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the dollar as its currency since 1959.	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	35.43 million kWh (2001)	18.6 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	38.1 million kWh (2001)	20 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Sage 521 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	limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments)	land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation
Ethnic groups	black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed	black, white
Exchange rates	the US dollar is used	East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003) note: fixed rate since 1976
Executive branch	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Tom MACAN (since 14 October 2002) head of government: Chief Minister Orlando SMITH (since 17 June 2003) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor	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 (2001)	0 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities	rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand	electronic components, plastic bags, apparel; hot peppers, limes, live plants; cattle
Exports - partners	Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US	US, Antigua and Barbuda (2006)
Fiscal year	1 April - 31 March	1 April - 31 March
Flag description	blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful)	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	purchasing power parity - $320 million (2002 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 1.8% industry: 6.2% services: 92% (1996 est.)	agriculture: 1.2% industry: 23.1% services: 75.7% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2002 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	1% (2002 est.)	-1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	18 30 N, 64 30 W	16 45 N, 62 12 W
Geography - note	strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico	the island is entirely volcanic in origin and comprised of three major volcanic centers of differing ages
Highways	total: 177 km paved: 177 km unpaved: 0 km (2000)	-
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs	transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center	transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe
Imports	NA (2001)	458 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities	building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery	machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials
Imports - partners	Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US	US, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada (2006)
Independence	none (overseas territory of the UK)	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Industrial production growth rate	NA	NA%
Industries	tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center	tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances
Infant mortality rate	total: 18.8 deaths/1,000 live births male: 21.86 deaths/1,000 live births female: 15.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)	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)	2.5% (2002)	2.6% (2002 est.)
International organization participation	Caricom (associate), CDB, ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate)	Caricom, CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UPU
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	16 (2000)	-
Irrigated land	NA sq km	NA
Judicial branch	Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction	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	4,911 (1980)	4,521 note: lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%	-
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 20% permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (1998 est.)	arable land: 20% permanent crops: 0% other: 80% (2005)
Languages	English (official)	English
Legal system	English law	English common law and statutory law
Legislative branch	unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NDP 8, VIP 5	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: 76.06 years male: 75.07 years female: 77.1 years (2003 est.)	total population: 79 years male: 76.8 years female: 81.31 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA% female: NA%	definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 97% male: 97% female: 97% (1970 est.)
Location	Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico	Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean	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
Merchant marine	total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) 19,203 GRT/28,864 DWT ships by type: cargo 1 (2002 est.)	-
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of the UK	defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches	-	no regular military forces; Royal Montserrat Police Force (2005)
National holiday	Territory Day, 1 July	Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)
Nationality	noun: British Virgin Islander(s) adjective: British Virgin Islander	noun: Montserratian(s) adjective: Montserratian
Natural hazards	hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)	severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1995)
Natural resources	NEGL	NEGL
Net migration rate	10.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders	Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL]	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	NA
Population	21,730 (July 2003 est.)	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%	NA%
Population growth rate	2.1% (2003 est.)	1.048% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors	Road Town	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways	0 km	-
Religions	Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991)	Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.15 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2003 est.)	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	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: worldwide telephone service domestic: NA international: submarine cable to Bermuda	general assessment: modern and fully digitalized domestic: NA international: country code - 1-664; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad
Telephones - main lines in use	10,000 (1996)	NA
Telephones - mobile cellular	NA	NA
Television broadcast stations	1 (plus one cable company) (1997)	1 (1997)
Terrain	coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly	volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland
Total fertility rate	1.72 children born/woman (2003 est.)	1.77 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	3% (1995)	6% (1998 est.)
Waterways	none	-

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