MONTSERRAT                                                                      
(dependent territory of the UK)                                                 
GEOGRAPHY                                                                       
Total area: 100 km2; land area: 100 km2                                         
                                                                                
Comparative area: about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC                    
                                                                                
Land boundaries: none                                                           
                                                                                
Coastline: 40 km                                                                
                                                                                
Maritime claims:                                                                
                                                                                
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm;                                                 
                                                                                
Territorial sea: 3 nm                                                           
                                                                                
Climate: tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation               
                                                                                
Terrain: volcanic islands, mostly mountainous, with small coastal               
lowland                                                                         
                                                                                
Natural resources: negligible                                                   
                                                                                
Land use: arable land 20%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures             
10%; forest and woodland 40%; other 30%                                         
                                                                                
Environment: subject to severe hurricanes from June to November                 
                                                                                
Note: located 400 km southeast of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea              
                                                                                
PEOPLE                                                                          
Population: 12,504 (July 1991), growth rate 1.0% (1991)                         
                                                                                
Birth rate: 16 births/1,000 population (1991)                                   
                                                                                
Death rate: 10 deaths/1,000 population (1991)                                   
                                                                                
Net migration rate: 4 migrants/1,000 population (1991)                          
                                                                                
Infant mortality rate: 9 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)                        
                                                                                
Life expectancy at birth: 74 years male, 80 years female (1991)                 
                                                                                
Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1991)                            
                                                                                
Nationality: noun--Montserratian(s); adjective--Montserratian                   
                                                                                
Ethnic divisions: mostly black with a few Europeans                             
                                                                                
Religion: Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal,                     
Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations                            
                                                                                
Language: English                                                               
                                                                                
Literacy: 97% (male 97%, female 97%) age 15 and over having ever                
attended school (1970)                                                          
                                                                                
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.)         
                                                                                
Organized labor: 30% of labor force, three trade unions with 1,500              
members (1984 est.)                                                             
                                                                                
GOVERNMENT                                                                      
Long-form name: none                                                            
                                                                                
Type: dependent territory of the UK                                             
                                                                                
Capital: Plymouth                                                               
                                                                                
Administrative divisions: 3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges,             
Saint Peter                                                                     
                                                                                
Independence: none (dependent territory of the UK)                              
                                                                                
Constitution: 1 January 1960                                                    
                                                                                
Legal system: English common law and statute law                                
                                                                                
National holiday: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second              
Saturday of June)                                                               
                                                                                
Executive branch: monarch, governor, Executive Council (cabinet),               
chief minister                                                                  
                                                                                
Legislative branch: unicameral Legislative Council                              
                                                                                
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 John A. OSBORNE (since NA                    
1978)                                                                           
                                                                                
Political parties and leaders:                                                  
People's Liberation Movement (PLM), John OSBORNE;                               
Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), Howell BRAMBLE;                             
United National Front (UNF), Dr. George IRISH;                                  
National Development Party (NDP), Bertrand OSBORNE                              
                                                                                
Suffrage: universal at age 18                                                   
                                                                                
Elections:                                                                      
                                                                                
Legislative Council--last held on 25 August 1987 (next to be                    
held NA 1992);                                                                  
results--percent of vote by party NA;                                           
seats--(11 total, 7 elected) PLM 4, NDP 2, PDP 1                                
                                                                                
Communists: probably none                                                       
                                                                                
Member of: CARICOM, CDB, ECLAC (associate), ICFTU, OECS, WCL                    
                                                                                
Diplomatic representation: none (dependent territory of the UK)                 
                                                                                
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                                               
                                                                                
ECONOMY                                                                         
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.                              
                                                                                
GDP: $54.2 million, per capita $4,500; real growth rate 12% (1988               
est.)                                                                           
                                                                                
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.6% (1988)                                   
                                                                                
Unemployment rate: 3.0% (1987)                                                  
                                                                                
Budget: revenues $12.1 million; expenditures $14.3 million,                     
including capital expenditures of $3.2 million (1988)                           
                                                                                
Exports: $2.3 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);                                      
                                                                                
commodities--electronic parts, plastic bags, apparel, hot peppers,              
live plants, cattle;                                                            
                                                                                
partners--NA                                                                    
Imports: $30 million (c.i.f., 1988 est.);                                       
                                                                                
commodities--machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs,                
manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials;                   
                                                                                
partners--NA                                                                    
                                                                                
External debt: $2.05 million (1987)                                             
                                                                                
Industrial production: growth rate 8.1% (1986); accounts for                    
10% of GDP                                                                      
                                                                                
Electricity: 5,270 kW capacity; 12.2 million kWh produced,                      
980 kWh per capita (1990)                                                       
                                                                                
Industries: tourism; light manufacturing--rum, textiles, electronic             
appliances                                                                      
                                                                                
Agriculture: accounts for 4% of GDP; small-scale farming; food                  
crops--tomatoes, onions, peppers; not self-sufficient in food, especially       
livestock products                                                              
                                                                                
Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral                 
commitments (1970-88), $75 million                                              
                                                                                
Currency: East Caribbean dollar (plural--dollars);                              
1 EC dollar (EC$) = 100 cents                                                   
                                                                                
Exchange rates: East Caribbean dollars (EC$) per US$1--2.70 (fixed              
rate since 1976)                                                                
                                                                                
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March                                                   
                                                                                
COMMUNICATIONS                                                                  
Highways: 280 km total; about 200 km paved, 80 km gravel and earth              
                                                                                
Ports: Plymouth                                                                 
                                                                                
Airports: 1 with permanent-surface runway 1,036 m                               
                                                                                
Telecommunications: 3,000 telephones; stations--8 AM, 4 FM, 1 TV                
                                                                                
DEFENSE FORCES                                                                  
Branches: Police Force                                                          
                                                                                
Note: defense is the responsibility of the UK                                   
                                                                                
