Definition Field Listing Rank
Order
Population: |
9,245
note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island
following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some
have returned (July 2004 est.) |
Age structure: |
0-14
years: 23.3% (male 1,092; female 1,062) 15-64 years:
65.5% (male 2,889; female 3,162) 65 years and over: 11.2%
(male 543; female 497) (2004 est.) |
Median age: |
total: 28.2 years male: 28 years
female: 28.4 years (2004 est.) |
Population growth rate: |
1.03% (2004
est.) |
Birth rate: |
17.63
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Death rate: |
7.36
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Net migration rate: |
0
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Sex ratio: |
at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65
years and over: 1.09 male(s)/female total population:
0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
Infant mortality rate: |
total:
7.56 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.8 deaths/1,000 live
births female: 6.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
|
Life expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 78.53 years male: 76.39 years
female: 80.78 years (2004 est.) |
Total fertility rate: |
1.79 children
born/woman (2004 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: |
NA |
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
HIV/AIDS - deaths: |
NA |
Nationality: |
noun:
Montserratian(s) adjective: Montserratian |
Ethnic groups: |
black, white
|
Religions: |
Anglican,
Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventist, other
Christian denominations |
Languages: |
English
|
Literacy: |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 97% male: 97%
female: 97% (1970 est.) Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
Country name: |
conventional long form: none conventional short
form: Montserrat |
Dependency status: |
overseas
territory of the UK |
Government type: |
NA |
Capital: |
Plymouth
(abandoned in 1997 due to 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) |
Administrative divisions: |
3 parishes;
Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter |
Independence: |
none
(overseas territory of the UK) |
National holiday: |
Birthday of
Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926) |
Constitution: |
present
constitution came into force 19 December 1989 |
Legal system: |
English
common law and statutory law |
Suffrage: |
18 years of
age; universal |
Executive branch: |
chief of
state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented
by Acting Governor Sir Howard A. FERGUS (since 2 April 2004)
head of government: Chief Minister John OSBORNE (since 5
April 2001) 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 |
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 April
2001 (next to be held by November 2006) election results:
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NPLM 7, NPP 2
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
|
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) |
Political parties and leaders: |
National
Progressive Party or NPP [Reuben T. MEADE]; New People's Liberation
Movement or NPLM [John A. OSBORNE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
International organization participation: |
Caricom,
CDB, ICFTU, Interpol (subbureau), OECS |
Diplomatic representation in the US: |
none
(overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation from the US: |
none
(overseas territory of the UK) |
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 Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
Economy - overview: |
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
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. |
GDP: |
purchasing
power parity - $29 million (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate: |
-1% (2002
est.) |
GDP - per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $3,400 (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture: 5.4% industry: 13.6%
services: 81% (1996 est.) |
Population below poverty line: |
NA |
Household income or consumption by percentage
share: |
lowest
10%: NA highest 10%: NA |
Inflation rate (consumer prices): |
2.6% (2002
est.) |
Labor force: |
4,521 ; note
- lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity (2000 est.)
|
Labor force - by occupation: |
agriculture
NA, industry NA, services NA |
Unemployment rate: |
6% (1998
est.) |
Budget: |
revenues: $31.4 million expenditures: $31.6
million, including capital expenditures of $8.4 million (1997 est.)
|
Agriculture - products: |
cabbages,
carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers, livestock products
|
Industries: |
tourism,
rum, textiles, electronic appliances |
Industrial production growth rate: |
NA |
Electricity - production: |
2.5 million
kWh (2001) |
Electricity - consumption: |
2.325 million
kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports: |
0 kWh (2001)
|
Electricity - imports: |
0 kWh (2001)
|
Oil - production: |
0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
Oil - consumption: |
400 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
Oil - exports: |
NA (2001)
|
Oil - imports: |
NA (2001)
|
Exports: |
$700,000
(2001) |
Exports - commodities: |
electronic
components, plastic bags, apparel, hot peppers, live plants, cattle
|
Exports - partners: |
US, Antigua
and Barbuda |
Imports: |
$17 million
(2001) |
Imports - commodities: |
machinery
and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels,
lubricants, and related materials |
Imports - partners: |
US, UK,
Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada |
Debt - external: |
$8.9 million
(1997) |
Economic aid - recipient: |
Country
Policy Plan (2001) is a three-year program for spending $122.8
million in British budgetary assistance (2002 est.) |
Currency: |
East
Caribbean dollar (XCD) |
Currency code: |
XCD |
Exchange rates: |
East
Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7000 (fixed rate since 1976)
|
Fiscal year: |
1 April - 31
March Learn geography the easy way by playing ZL's Geographycards (www.geographycards.com)
|
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