island of the Lesser Antilles chain in the Caribbean Sea, a crown colony of the United Kingdom. The island has an area of 40 square miles (102 square kilometres). The capital and only port of entry is Plymouth.

Physical and human geography

Montserrat lies 27 miles (43 kilometres) southwest of Antigua and is 11 miles long and seven miles wide. It consists of a serrated range of volcanic peaks rising in three main hill masses, the summits of which are forested. There are seven volcanically active peaks in the mountainous terrain. Chances Peak, in the southern hills above the still-active Soufrière Hills, is the highest point, at 3,000 feet (914 metres). The coastline is rugged. The average temperature on the island is 81 F (27 C) in summer and 76 F (24 C) in winter. Rainfall averages 57 inches (1,448 millimetres). Hurricanes are rare, although Hurriance Hugo in 1989 caused widespread devastation.

Montserrat's mountain, northwestern Barcelona provincia, in the comunidad autónoma ("autonomous community") of Catalonia, Spain, lying just west of the Llobregat River and northwest of Barcelona city. Known to the Romans as Mons Serratus ("Saw-toothed Mountain") and to the Catalans as Montsagrat ("Sacred Mountain"), it is famous for its unusual appearance, its Benedictine monastery of Santa María de Montserrat, and the ancient wooden statue of the Virgin and Child, supposedly carved by St. Luke, brought to Spain by St. Peter, and hidden in a cave during the Moorish occupation. Found in 880, it has since been venerated there by numerous pilgrims, who attribute many miracles to the intercession of the Virgin Mary.

Jagged, barren pinnacles of reddish sandstone and conglomerate, formed by erosion, rise from the mountain's huge base, and it is cloven by ravines; the monastery stands on the edge of the widest of these, the Malo valley, at 2,400 feet (730 m). Remains indicate that the mountain was inhabited in prehistoric times. Christian hermits of Santa MarMontserrat when in 888 the Benedictine monastery of Ripoll was granted jurisdiction over them. From the 11th to the early 15th century, a regular priory flourished there and obtained independence as an abbey in 1410, which status it has held almost continuously ever since. The present basilica was begun in 1560 and the monastery in 1755, though these were extensively rebuilt after destruction by French troops during the Peninsular Campaign in 1812.

The people

The population is largely of black African ancestry. The official language is English, and the main religious denominations are Anglican, Methodist, and Roman Catholic, although Seventh-day Adventists and Pentecostals are of increasing importance. Montserrat's population has not changed substantially during the 20th century, largely as a result of out-migration and a low birth rate. The elderly population has been growing since 1970 as increasing numbers of people from North America and Canada have retired there.

The economy

Although agriculture has declined in importance, it continues to be significant as a supplier of products to related industries. The most important agricultural products are vegetables and cotton. The production of Sea Island cotton was revived in the 1970s to serve as the basis of garment and craft industries. Fruits, livestock, and potted plants are also important agricultural exports.

Most of the people are now employed in industry, trade, construction, and services. Tourism has become the most important sector of the economy. The construction industry has gained in importance because of increased demand for housing and other facilities related to tourism and to the resettlement of retired persons. Light industry has expanded and, in addition to food and cotton processing, includes the manufacturing of plastic bags, textiles, and electronic components. In 1956 access to Montserrat was facilitated by the completion of Blackburne Airfield, connections to which usually must be made through the international airport on Antigua; visitors previously depended upon irregularly scheduled ships. An international recording studio is located on the island.

Administration and social conditions

The constitution that took effect Jan. 1, 1960, provides for a governor appointed by the British monarch; the governor heads an executive and legislative council.

Primary education is free and compulsory to the age of 14. The Technical Training College provides vocational and technical training. A branch of the University of the West Indies and a medical school are in Plymouth. The island has radio and television broadcasting stations. The government maintains a hospital and provides free dental treatment for expectant and nursing mothers, school children, and the elderly.

Montserrat was sighted by Christopher Columbus in November 1493 on his second voyage to the New World; he named it for the jagged peaks he saw there. Inhabited by the Carib Indians, it was first colonized by Irish and English settlers led by Sir Thomas Warner in 1632. More Irish immigrants came from Virginia. Plantations were set up to grow tobacco and indigo, then cotton and sugar. The early settlers suffered repeated attacks from the French and Carib Indians. The French took possession of the island in 1664 and in 1667, but it was restored to England in 1668 by the Peace of Breda. The French sacked the island in 1712 and recaptured the island for the last time in 1782. Montserrat was again restored to England, this time by the Treaty of Versailles (1783).

In 1834 slavery was abolished (slaves had been introduced in 1664). The cessation of slavery and the falling price of sugar, combined with a series of devastating earthquakes and hurricanes between 1890 and 1936, brought the collapse of the stagnant plantation economy. The Montserrat Company, formed in 1857 under the direction of Joseph Sturge, bought abandoned estates, encouraged the cultivation of limes, and sold plots of land to settlers. Much of Montserrat is still owned by small holders.

Between 1871 and 1956 Montserrat was part of the (British) Leeward Islands Colony, which included the British Virgin Islands, Saint Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, and Dominica. The federation was abolished on July 1, 1956, when Montserrat became a colony in its own right. In 1958 Montserrat joined the West Indies Federation, which was dissolved in 1962 with the independence of Jamaica. Subsequent attempts to form a federation were abandoned in 1966. That year Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to visit the colony.

In the general election of November 1978, the People's Liberation Movement (PLM), which favours complete independence, won all elective seats. In 1983 that party again won, but the opposition made some gains and the margin was again narrowed in the 1987 election. Montserrat's policy since the PLM ascendancy has been to pursue independence but at a measured rate, preferring first to achieve greater economic self-sufficiency.