The island of Montserrat belongs to the Lesser Antilles, which is located in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. Montserrat lies between the islands of Antigua and Guadeloupe. Montserrat is still part of the Commonwealth of today as an overseas territory of Great Britain.
According to SEARCHFORPUBLICSCHOOLS.COM, Montserrat has an area of only 102 km² and a little over 5,000 residents. The island is mainly volcanic and is therefore not one of the typical tourist regions. Montserrat is definitely worth discovering. Their lush tropical vegetation makes up for the black beaches covered with lava rocks. At 930 meters, the “Chance Peak” volcano is the highest point on the island.
The British culture dominates the life on Montserrat. So also is football the Sporart, for the population of Montserrat can inspire the most. Montserrat is even an independent member of FIFA. The country is therefore entitled to take part in international competitions with its own teams. Unfortunately, the country’s performance is limited to extremely high defeats. Most of the time Montserrat ends up at the bottom of the world rankings, but this can little diminish the enthusiasm for this sport among the population and the players.
They even made a report about your country’s football game. This is called The Other Final and is about the Football World Cup 2002. At the same time, the story of the international match in which Bhutan played against Montserrat is told. These teams were the worst-placed national teams in the world at the time. Buthan left the field as the loser, Montserrat won 4-0.
Not only football causes storms of enthusiasm, the music on Montserrat also leaves its mark. The famous former Beatles producer George Martin, who lived on Montserrat for a while, founded Air Studios here in the 1980s.
Highest point: Lava dome in English’s Crater (in the Soufriere Hills complex), about 930 m (2006 estimate)
Lowest point: Caribbean, 0 m
Capital: The capital Plymouth was almost completely destroyed by lava flows from 1995 and officially abandoned in 1997. The government buildings have since stood in Brades Estate on the northwest coast, and a new capital has not yet been determined.
Form of government: Montserrat has been a British crown colony since 1632, and the island has had internal autonomy since 1960. The constitution dates from 1989, the parliament is formed from a legislative council with 11 members.
Administrative division: 3 parishes (Saint Anthony, Saint Georges and Saint Peter)
Head of Government: Chief Minister Reuben Meade, since September 10, 2009
Head of State: British Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor Adrian Davis since April 8, 2011
Language: The official language in Montserrat is English.
Religion: Anglicans (30%), Methodists (23%), Catholics (10%). Also Pentecostal, Seventh-Day Adventists and other Christian communities.
Local time: CET – 5 h
On Montserrat there is no change between summer and winter time.
The time difference to Central Europe is -5 hours in winter and -6 hours in summer.
International phone code: + (664)
Internet identifier:.ms
Mains voltage: 220 V, 60 Hz. US sockets are often used, so adapters are necessary.
Montserrat – Map and Geography
The Caribbean volcanic island of Montserrat is one of the Leeward Islands within the Lesser Antilles and is a British crown colony. Montserrat is composed mainly of three volcanic massifs consisting of tropical vegetation: the northern Silver Hills, the Center Hills in the interior of the island and the southern Soufrière Hills. Among them, only the volcano in the Soufrière Hills is still active.
After a 400-year hiatus, numerous earthquakes in 1992 heralded renewed activity. In 1995 there was an eruption that devastated much of Montserrat. Among other things, the capital of Montserrats, Plymouth, as well as the Great Alps waterfall, up to then one of the most impressive natural spectacles on the West Indies, were destroyed. The southern part of the island became uninhabitable.
After the destruction of Plymouth, more than half of the population left the island due to the poor economic situation and lack of housing.
Currently about two thirds of the island is uninhabitable and marked as a restricted area. The coastal waters are also dangerous, as there are no precise nautical maps. The area within 10 Nautical miles is a complete restricted area; marine radio provides information about the current threat from the volcano several times a day.
In 2005, the restricted area on Montserrat was partially lifted, and tours of the island have been carried out since mid-2005. Ships can anchor in the northern bay, but landing in the southern part of Montserrat is not permitted. During the day, cruise ships come within 500 m of the southern coast.
Since 2007, the Soufrière has been increasing its activity again and an eruption is expected. The southern part of the island of Montserrat below Belham Valley is regularly closed.
Money in Montserrat
Local currency: East Caribbean dollar, divided into 100 cents.
Currency abbreviations: XCD, EC $
There are banknotes to the value of 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 EC $ in circulation, there are also coins to the value of 1 EC $ and 25, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cent.
Currency Exchange: common international currencies can be exchanged in the two banks:
Bank of Montserrat, St. Peter’s, opening hours: Mon – Fri 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Wednesdays until 1 p.m., Fridays until 3 p.m. Royal Bank of Canada, Brades Main Road, Hours of Operation: Mon – Fri 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Wednesdays until 1:00 p.m., Fridays until 3:00 p.m. Exchange rate:
Currency converter at OANDA
Credit cards from large international companies are accepted.
Travelers checks should be made out in US dollar travelers checks.
ATMs: only the Royal Bank of Canada (address above) has an ATM on Montserrat.
Foreign exchange regulations: no restrictions on the import of currencies, but the amounts imported must be declared. The value of the exported national and foreign currencies must not exceed the amount declared on entry.
Bank opening times: Mon, Tue and Thu 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wed and Fri 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
