Montserrat

Montserrat is a Caribbean island and a British Overseas Territory in the Leeward Islands, part of the Lesser Antilles. The territory covers about 102 square kilometers (39 square miles) and lies southeast of Antigua and Barbuda. The island’s interior is mountainous and volcanically active; the Soufrière Hills volcano dominates the southern region and has produced ongoing activity since the mid-1990s. The climate is tropical maritime, with a wet season from May to November and generally warm temperatures year-round.

Historically, Montserrat was inhabited by the Kalinago (Carib) and Arawak peoples before European contact. It became a British colony in the colonial era and remained an agricultural economy centered on sugar until the volcanic eruption began in 1995. The eruption devastated the southern part of the island, destroyed the capital Plymouth, and prompted evacuation and relocation. Since then, government functions have operated from Brades, while the northern area has remained the most populated region. The Montserrat Volcano Observatory monitors activity in cooperation with international agencies.

Governance is that of a self-governing British Overseas Territory with a locally elected Legislative Assembly; defense and foreign affairs are handled by the United Kingdom. The currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar, and English is the official language. The economy is small and diversified, relying on agriculture, limited tourism, and international aid and remittances from the Montserratian diaspora. Environmental and cultural programs are pursued to support resilience amid ongoing volcanic risk and to preserve the island’s natural and cultural heritage.