Montserrat

Airports

1 with permanent-surface runways 1,036 m

Highways

280 km total; about 200 km paved, 80 km gravel and earth

Ports

Plymouth

Telecommunications

3,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 8 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV

Branches

Police Force

Note

defense is the responsibility of the UK

Agriculture

accounts for 4% of GDP; small-scale farming; food crops - tomatoes, onions, peppers; not self-sufficient in food, especially livestock products

Budget

revenues $12.1 million; expenditures $14.3 million, including capital expenditures of $3.2 million (1988)

Currency

East Caribbean dollar (plural - dollars); 1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $90 million

Electricity

5,271 kW capacity; 12 million kWh produced, 960 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates

East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1 - 2.70 (fixed rate since 1976)

Exports

$2.3 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.) commodities: electronic parts, plastic bags, apparel, hot peppers, live plants, cattle partners: NA

External debt

$2.05 million (1987)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $54.2 million, per capita $4,500 (1988); real growth rate 10% (1990 est.)

Imports

$30 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.) commodities: machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials partners: NA

Industrial production

growth rate 8.1% (1986); accounts for 10% of GDP

Industries

tourism; light manufacturing - rum, textiles, electronic appliances

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6.8% (1990)

Overview

The economy is small and open with economic activity centered on tourism and construction. Tourism is the most important sector and accounted for 20% of GDP in 1986. Agriculture accounted for about 4% of GDP and industry 10%. The economy is heavily dependent on imports, making it vulnerable to fluctuations in world prices. Exports consist mainly of electronic parts sold to the US.

Unemployment rate

3.0% (1987)

Climate

tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation

Coastline

40 km

Comparative area

about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC

Disputes

none

Environment

subject to severe hurricanes from June to November

Land area

100 km2

Land boundaries

none

Land use

arable land 20%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 10%; forest and woodland 40%; other 30%

Maritime claims

Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 3 nm

Natural resources

negligible

Note

located 400 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea

Terrain

volcanic islands, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland

Total area

100 km2

Administrative divisions

3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter

Capital

Plymouth

Constitution

1 January 1960

Diplomatic representation

none (dependent territory of the UK)

Elections

Legislative Council: last held on 8 October 1991; results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (11 total, 7 elected) NPP 4, NDP 1, PLM 1, independent 1

Executive branch

monarch, governor, Executive Council (cabinet), chief minister

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

Independence

none (dependent territory of the UK)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Leaders

Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor David TAYLOR (since NA 1990) Head of Government: Chief Minister Reuben T. MEADE (since October 1991)

Legal system

English common law and statute law

Legislative branch

unicameral Legislative Council

Long-form name

none

Member of

CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC (associate), ICFTU, OECS, WCL

National holiday

Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday of June)

Political parties and leaders

National Progressive Party (NPP) Reuben T. MEADE; People's Liberation Movement (PLM), Noel TUITT; National Development Party (NDP), Bertrand OSBORNE; Independent (IND), Ruby BRAMBLE

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Type

dependent territory of the UK

Birth rate

17 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

10 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

mostly black with a few Europeans

Infant mortality rate

11 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force

5,100; community, social, and personal services 40.5%, construction 13.5%, trade, restaurants, and hotels 12.3%, manufacturing 10.5%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 8.8%, other 14.4% (1983 est.)

Languages

English

Life expectancy at birth

74 years male, 78 years female (1992)

Literacy

97% (male 97%, female 97%) age 15 and over having ever attended school (1970)

Nationality

noun - Montserratian(s); adjective - Montserratian

Net migration rate

-3 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

30% of labor force, three trade unions with 1,500 members (1984 est.)

Population

12,617 (July 1992), growth rate 0.4 (1992)

Religions

Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations

Total fertility rate

2.2 children born/woman (1992)