Compare Paracel Islands (2003) - Montserrat (2007)

The Paracel Islands are surrounded by productive fishing grounds and by potential oil and gas reserves. In 1932, French Indochina annexed the islands and set up a weather station on Pattle Island; maintenance was continued by its successor, Vietnam. China has occupied the Paracel Islands since 1974, when its troops seized a South Vietnamese garrison occupying the western islands. The islands are claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam.

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: 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

tropical

tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

518 km

40 km

Constitution

-

effective 19 December 1989

Country name

conventional long form: none

conventional short form: Paracel Islands

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 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

-

Country Policy Plan (2001) is a three-year program for spending $122.8 million in British budgetary assistance (2002 est.)

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 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: South China Sea 0 m

highest point: unnamed location on Rocky Island 14 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 (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); 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

-

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

16 30 N, 112 00 E

16 45 N, 62 12 W

Geography - note

composed of 130 small coral islands and reefs divided into the northeast Amphitrite Group and the western Crescent Group

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

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

Land use

arable land: 0%

permanent crops: 0%

other: 100% (1998 est.)

arable land: 20%

permanent crops: 0%

other: 80% (2005)

Languages

-

English

Legal system

-

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

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

territorial sea: 3 nm

exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm

Military - note

occupied by China

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

typhoons

severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1995)

Natural resources

none

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: there are scattered Chinese garrisons (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%

Population growth rate

-

1.048% (2007 est.)

Ports and harbors

small Chinese port facilities on Woody Island and Duncan Island being expanded

-

Radio broadcast stations

-

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