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Montserrat:
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Other pages in this profile of Montserrat:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.
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Background |
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. |
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Location |
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico |
Geographic coordinates |
16 45 N, 62 12 W |
Map references |
Central America and the Caribbean |
Area |
total: 102 sq km land: 102 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative |
about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC |
Land boundaries |
0 km |
Coastline |
40 km |
Maritime claims |
territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Climate |
tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation |
Terrain |
volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland |
Elevation extremes |
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) |
Natural resources |
NEGL |
Land use |
arable land: 20% permanent crops: 0% other: 80% (2005) |
Irrigated land |
NA |
Natural hazards |
severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1995) |
Environment - current issues |
land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation |
Geography - note |
the island is entirely volcanic in origin and comprised of three major volcanic centers of differing ages |
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Copyright 2008 World Sites Atlas (sitesatlas.com) |