Paracel Islands (2001) | Montserrat (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | - | 3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter's |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years:
23.83% (male 907; female 898) 15-64 years: 64.66% (male 2,341; female 2,556) 65 years and over: 11.51% (male 464; female 408) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers; livestock products |
Airports | 1 (2000 est.) | 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total:
1 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Area | total:
NA sq km land: NA sq km water: 0 sq km |
total:
100 sq km land: 100 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | NA | about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | This archipelago is surrounded by productive fishing grounds and potentially large oil reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Prattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops captured a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. However, the islands are still claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan. | Much of this island has been devastated and two-thirds of the population has fled abroad due to the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano that began on 18 July 1995. |
Birth rate | - | 17.43 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues:
$31.4 million expenditures: $31.6 million, including capital expenditures of $8.4 million (1997 est.) |
Capital | - | Plymouth (abandoned in 1997 due to volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades, in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat) |
Climate | tropical | tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 518 km | 40 km |
Constitution | - | present constitution came into force 19 December 1989 |
Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Paracel Islands |
conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Montserrat |
Currency | - | East Caribbean dollar (XCD) |
Death rate | - | 7.53 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $8.9 million (1997) |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
Diplomatic representation from the US | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | occupied by China, but claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam | none |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $9.8 million (1995); note - about $100 million (1996-98) in reconstruction aid from the UK; Country Policy Plan (1999) is a three-year program for spending $122.8 million in British budgetary assistance |
Economy - overview | China announced plans in 1997 to open the islands for tourism. | 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 volcano and on public sector construction activity. The UK committed to a three year $125 million aid program in 1999 to help reconstruct the economy. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 9.3 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | - | 10 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
South China Sea 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 m |
lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Chances Peak (in the Soufriere Hills) 914 m |
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 - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976) |
Executive branch | - | chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Anthony John ABBOTT (since NA September 1997) head of government: Chief Minister David BRANDT (since 22 August 1997) 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; note - as a result of the last election, a coalition party was formed between NPP, NDP, and one of the independent candidates |
Exports | - | $1.5 million (1998) |
Exports - commodities | - | electronic components, plastic bags, apparel, hot peppers, live plants, cattle |
Exports - partners | - | US, Antigua and Barbuda (1993) |
Fiscal year | - | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | - | 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 - $31 million (1999 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture:
5.4% industry: 13.6% services: 81% (1996 est.) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $5,000 (1999 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | -1.5% (1999 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 16 30 N, 112 00 E | 16 45 N, 62 12 W |
Highways | - | total:
269 km paved: 203 km unpaved: 66 km (1995) |
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 | - | $26 million (1998) |
Imports - commodities | - | machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials |
Imports - partners | - | US, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada (1993) |
Independence | - | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
Industries | - | tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances |
Infant mortality rate | - | 8.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 5% (1998) |
International organization participation | - | Caricom, CDB, ECLAC (associate), ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, WCL |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 17 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1993) | NA sq km |
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 (1992); note - recently lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% |
arable land:
20% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 10% forests and woodland: 40% other: 30% (1993 est.) |
Languages | - | English |
Legal system | - | English common law and statutory law |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral Legislative Council (11 seats, 7 popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 11 November 1996 (next to be held by NA November 2001) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PPA 2, MNR 2, NPP 1, independent 2 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population:
78.03 years male: 75.95 years female: 80.22 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 97% male: 97% female: 97% (1970 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Asia, group of small islands and reefs in the South China Sea, about one-third of the way from central Vietnam to the northern Philippines | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico |
Map references | Southeast Asia | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | NA | exclusive fishing zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 3 NM |
Merchant marine | - | none (2000 est.) |
Military - note | occupied by China | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
Military branches | - | Police Force |
National holiday | - | Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926) |
Nationality | - | noun:
Montserratian(s) adjective: Montserratian |
Natural hazards | typhoons | severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (full-scale eruptions of the Soufriere Hills volcano occurred during 1996-97) |
Natural resources | none | NEGL |
Net migration rate | - | 123.98 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | Movement for National Reconstruction or MNR [Percival Austin BRAMBLE]; National Development Party or NDP [leader NA]; National Progressive Party or NPP [Reuben T. MEADE]; People's Progressive Alliance or PPA [John A. OSBORNE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: there are scattered Chinese garrisons (July 2001 est.) |
7,574
note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | 13.39% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded | Plymouth (abandoned), Little Bay (anchorages and ferry landing), Carr's Bay |
Radio broadcast stations | - | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | - | 7,000 (1997) |
Railways | - | 0 km |
Religions | - | Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations |
Sex ratio | - | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.14 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | - | general assessment:
NA domestic: NA international: NA |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 4,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 70 (1994) |
Television broadcast stations | - | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | mostly low and flat | volcanic islands, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland |
Total fertility rate | - | 1.82 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 20% (1996 est.) |
Waterways | none | none |