On 18 July 1995, the previously dormant\u00a0Soufri\u00e8re Hills volcano<\/a>, in the southern part of the island, became active. Eruptions destroyed Montserrat’s\u00a0Georgian era<\/a>\u00a0capital city of\u00a0Plymouth<\/a>. Between 1995 and 2000, two-thirds of the island’s population was forced to flee, primarily to the\u00a0United Kingdom<\/a>, leaving fewer than 1200 people on the island in 1997 (rising to nearly 5000 by 2016).\u00a0The volcanic activity continues, mostly affecting the vicinity of Plymouth, including its docking facilities, and the eastern side of the island around the former\u00a0W. H. Bramble Airport<\/a>, the remnants of which were buried by flows from volcanic activity on 11 February 2010.<\/p>\n An\u00a0exclusion zone<\/a>, encompassing the southern half of the island to as far north as parts of the Belham Valley, was imposed because of the size of the existing volcanic dome and the resulting potential for\u00a0pyroclastic<\/a>\u00a0activity. Visitors are generally not permitted entry into the exclusion zone, but a view of the destruction of Plymouth can be seen from the top of Garibaldi Hill in Isles Bay. Relatively quiet since early 2010, the volcano continues to be closely monitored by the\u00a0Montserrat Volcano Observatory<\/a>.<\/sup><\/p>\n A new town and port are being developed at\u00a0Little Bay<\/a>, which is on the northwest coast of the island. While this construction proceeds, the center of government and businesses is at Brades<\/a>.<\/p>\n Archaeological field work in 2012, in Montserrat’s Centre Hills indicated there was an Archaic (pre-Arawak<\/a>) occupation between 4000 and 2500\u00a0BP<\/a>\u00a0(2000\u2013500\u00a0BC).<\/sup>\u00a0Later coastal sites show the presence of the\u00a0Saladoid<\/a>\u00a0culture (until 550\u00a0AD).<\/sup>\u00a0The native Caribs are believed to have called the island\u00a0Alliouagana<\/i>, meaning ‘Land of the Prickly Bush’.<\/p>\n In November 1493,\u00a0Christopher Columbus<\/a>\u00a0passed Montserrat in his\u00a0second voyage<\/a>, after being told that the island was unoccupied due to raids by the\u00a0Caribs<\/a>.<\/p>\n A number of\u00a0Irishmen<\/a>\u00a0settled in Montserrat in 1632<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0Most came from nearby\u00a0Saint Kitts<\/a>\u00a0at the instigation of the island’s governor\u00a0Thomas Warner<\/a>, with more settlers arriving later from\u00a0Virginia<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0<\/sup><\/p>\n The Irish being historical allies of the\u00a0French<\/a>, especially in their dislike of the English, invited the French to claim the island in 1666, although no troops were sent by France to maintain control.<\/sup>\u00a0However the French did attack and briefly occupy the island in the late 1660s;<\/sup>\u00a0it was captured shortly afterwards by the English and English control of the island was confirmed under the\u00a0Treaty of Breda<\/a> the following year. Despite the seizing by force of the island by the English, the island’s legal status is that of a “colony acquired by settlement”.<\/p>\n A\u00a0neo-feudal<\/a>\u00a0colony developed amongst the so-called “redlegs<\/a>“.<\/sup>\u00a0The colonists began to transport\u00a0Sub-Saharan African<\/a> slaves for labor, as was common to most\u00a0Caribbean<\/a>\u00a0islands.<\/sup>\u00a0The colonists built an economy based on the production of sugar,\u00a0rum<\/a>,\u00a0arrowroot<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0sea island cotton<\/a>, cultivated on large plantations manned by slave labor. By the late 18th century, numerous plantations<\/a>\u00a0had been developed on the island.<\/p>\n There was a brief French attack on Montserrat in 1712.<\/sup> On 17 March 1768, a slave rebellion failed but their efforts were remembered.\u00a0Slavery was abolished in 1834. In 1985, the people of Montserrat made\u00a0St Patrick’s Day<\/a>\u00a0a ten-day public holiday to commemorate the uprising.<\/sup> Festivities celebrate the culture and history of Montserrat in song, dance, food and traditional costumes.<\/p>\n In 1782, during the\u00a0American Revolutionary War<\/a>, as America’s first ally, France\u00a0captured<\/a> Montserrat in their war of support of the Americans. The French, not intent on truly colonizing the island, then agreed to return the island to Great Britain<\/a>\u00a0under the\u00a01783 Treaty of Paris<\/a>.<\/p>\n During the nineteenth century, falling sugar prices had an adverse effect on the island’s economy, as <\/span>Brazil<\/a> and other nations competed in the trade.<\/span><\/p>\n In 1857, the British philanthropist\u00a0Joseph Sturge<\/a> bought a sugar estate to prove it was economically viable to employ paid labor rather than slaves.<\/sup>\u00a0Numerous members of the Sturge family bought additional land. In 1869, the family established the Montserrat Company Limited and planted\u00a0Key lime<\/a>\u00a0trees, started the commercial production of lime juice, set up a school, and sold parcels of land to the inhabitants of the island. Much of Montserrat came to be owned by\u00a0smallholders<\/a>.<\/sup><\/p>\n From 1871 to 1958, Montserrat was administered as part of the federal\u00a0crown colony<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0British Leeward Islands<\/a>, becoming a province of the short-lived\u00a0West Indies Federation<\/a> from 1958 to 1962.\u00a0The first\u00a0Chief Minister of Montserrat<\/a>\u00a0was\u00a0William Henry Bramble<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0Montserrat Labour Party<\/a> from 1960 to 1970; he worked to promote labor rights and boost tourism to the island, and Montserrat’s original airport was named in his honour.<\/sup>\u00a0However, Bramble’s son\u00a0Percival Austin Bramble<\/a>\u00a0was critical of the way tourist facilities were being constructed, and he subsequently set up his own party (the\u00a0Progressive Democratic Party<\/a>) which went on to win the\u00a01970 Montserratian general election<\/a>, with Percival Bramble serving as Chief Minister from 1970 to 1978.<\/sup>\u00a0The period 1978 to 1991 was dominated politically by Chief Minister\u00a0John Osborne<\/a>\u00a0and his\u00a0People’s Liberation Movement<\/a>; his brief flirtation with possibly declaring independence never materialized.<\/p>\n In 1995, Montserrat was devastated by the catastrophic volcanic eruptions of the Soufri\u00e8re Hills, which destroyed the capital city of\u00a0Plymouth<\/a>, and necessitated the evacuation of a large part of the island. Many Montserratians emigrated abroad, mainly to the United Kingdom, though in recent years some have started returning. The eruptions rendered the entire southern half of the island uninhabitable, and it is currently designated an Exclusion Zone with restricted access.<\/p>\n Criticism of the Montserratian government’s response to the disaster led to the resignation of Chief Minister\u00a0Bertrand Osborne<\/a>\u00a0in 1997, after only a year in office, and being replaced by\u00a0David Brandt<\/a>\u00a0who remained in office until 2001. Since leaving office, Brandt has been the subject of criminal investigation into alleged sex offences with minors.<\/sup><\/p>\n John Osborne returned as Chief Minister following victory in the 2001 election, being ousted by\u00a0Lowell Lewis<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0Montserrat Democratic Party<\/a>\u00a0in 2006. Reuben Meade returned to office in 2009 to 2014;[43]<\/a><\/sup>\u00a0during his term the post of Chief Minister was replaced with that of\u00a0Premier<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the fall of 2017, Montserrat was not hit by\u00a0Hurricane Irma<\/a>\u00a0and sustained only minor damage from\u00a0Hurricane Maria<\/a>.<\/p>\n Since November 2019,\u00a0Easton Taylor-Farrell<\/a>\u00a0of the\u00a0Movement for Change and Prosperity<\/a>\u00a0party has been the island’s Premier.<\/p>\n The island of Montserrat is located approximately 25 miles (40\u00a0km) south-west of\u00a0Antigua<\/a>, 13 miles (21\u00a0km) south-east of\u00a0Redonda<\/a>\u00a0(a small island owned by\u00a0Antigua and Barbuda<\/a>), and 35 miles (56\u00a0km) north-west of the French overseas region of\u00a0Guadeloupe<\/a>. Beyond Redonda lies\u00a0Nevis<\/a>\u00a0(part of\u00a0St Kitts and Nevis<\/a>), about 30 miles (48\u00a0km) to the north-west. It comprises 104\u00a0km2<\/sup>\u00a0(40\u00a0sq\u00a0mi) and is gradually increasing owing to the buildup of volcanic deposits on the south-east coast. The island is 16\u00a0km (9.9\u00a0mi) long and 11\u00a0km (6.8\u00a0mi) wide and consists of a mountainous interior surrounded by a flatter littoral region, with rock cliffs rising 15 to 30\u00a0m (49 to 98\u00a0ft) above the sea and a number of smooth bottomed sandy beaches scattered among\u00a0coves<\/a>\u00a0on the western (Caribbean Sea) side of the island. The major mountains are (from north to south)\u00a0Silver Hill<\/a>,\u00a0Katy Hill<\/a>\u00a0in the Centre Hills range, the\u00a0Soufri\u00e8re Hills<\/a>\u00a0and the\u00a0South Soufri\u00e8re Hills<\/a>.<\/sup>\u00a0The Soufri\u00e8re Hills\u00a0volcano<\/a>\u00a0is the island’s highest point; its pre-1995 height was 915 metres (3,002\u00a0ft), however it has now grown due post-eruption due to the creation of a\u00a0lava dome<\/a>, with its current height being estimated at 1,050 metres (3,440 ft).<\/p>\n The 2011 estimate by the CIA indicates that 30% of the island’s land is classified as agricultural, 20% as arable, 25% as forest and the balance as “other”.<\/p>\n Montserrat has a few tiny off-shore islands, such as\u00a0Little Redonda<\/a>\u00a0off its north coast and\u00a0Pinnacle Rock<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Statue Rock<\/a>\u00a0off its east.<\/p>\n In July 1995, Montserrat’s\u00a0Soufri\u00e8re Hills<\/a>\u00a0volcano, dormant for centuries, erupted and soon buried the island’s capital, Plymouth, in more than 12 metres (39\u00a0ft) of mud, destroyed its airport and docking facilities, and rendered the southern part of the island, now termed the exclusion zone, uninhabitable and not safe for travel. The southern part of the island was evacuated and visits are severely restricted.<\/sup> The exclusion zone also includes two sea areas adjacent to the land areas of most volcanic activity.<\/p>\n After the destruction of Plymouth and disruption of the economy, more than half of the population left the island, which also lacked housing. During the late 1990s, additional eruptions occurred. On 25 June 1997, a pyroclastic flow travelled down Mosquito\u00a0Ghaut<\/a>. This\u00a0pyroclastic surge<\/a>\u00a0could not be restrained by the ghaut and spilled out of it, killing 19 people who were in the (officially evacuated) Streatham village area. Several others in the area suffered severe burns.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n In recognition of the disaster, in 1998, the people of Montserrat were granted full residency rights in the United Kingdom, allowing them to migrate if they chose. British citizenship was granted in 2002.<\/p>\n For a number of years in the early 2000s, the volcano’s activity consisted mostly of infrequent ventings of\u00a0ash<\/a>\u00a0into the uninhabited areas in the south. The ash falls occasionally extended into the northern and western parts of the island. In the most recent period of increased activity at the Soufri\u00e8re Hills volcano, from November 2009 through February 2010, ash vented and there was a\u00a0vulcanian explosion<\/a>\u00a0that sent\u00a0pyroclastic flows<\/a> down several sides of the mountain. Travel into parts of the exclusion zone was occasionally allowed, though only by a license from the Royal Montserrat Police Force.<\/sup> Since 2014 the area has been split into multiple subzones with varying entry and use restrictions, based on volcanic activity: some areas even being (in 2020) open 24 hours and inhabited. The most dangerous zone, which includes the former capital, remains forbidden to casual visitors due to volcanic and other hazards, especially due to the lack of maintenance in destroyed areas. It is legal to visit even this area when accompanied by a government-authorized guide.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Montserrat’s economy was devastated by the 1995 eruption and its aftermath;<\/sup>\u00a0currently the island’s operating budget is largely supplied by the British government and administered through the\u00a0Department for International Development<\/a> (DFID) amounting to approximately \u00a325\u00a0million per year. Additional amounts are secured through income and property taxes, license and other fees as well as customs duties levied on imported goods.<\/p>\n A report published by the CIA indicates that the value of exports totaled the equivalent of US$5.7 million (2017 est.), consisting primarily of electronic components, plastic bags, apparel, hot peppers, limes, live plants and cattle. The value of imports totaled US$31.02 million (2016 est.), consisting primarily of machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs, manufactured goods, fuels and lubricants.<\/p>\n In 1979, The Beatles<\/a>\u00a0producer\u00a0George Martin<\/a>\u00a0opened\u00a0AIR Studios Montserrat<\/a>,<\/sup>\u00a0making the island popular with musicians who often went there to record while taking advantage of the island’s climate and beautiful surroundings.<\/sup>\u00a0In the early hours of 17 September 1989,\u00a0Hurricane Hugo<\/a> passed the island as a Category\u00a04 hurricane, damaging more than 90% of the structures on the island.\u00a0AIR Studios Montserrat closed, and the tourist economy was virtually wiped out.<\/sup>\u00a0The slowly recovering tourist industry was again wiped out with the eruption of the\u00a0Soufri\u00e8re Hills Volcano<\/a>\u00a0in 1995, although it began partially to recover within fifteen years.<\/p>\n John A. Osborne Airport<\/a>\u00a0is the only airport on the island. Scheduled service to\u00a0Antigua<\/a>\u00a0is provided by FlyMontserrat<\/sup>\u00a0and\u00a0ABM Air<\/a>.\u00a0Charter flights are also available to the surrounding islands.<\/p>\n Ferry service to the island is provided by the Jaden Sun Ferry. It runs from Heritage Quay in\u00a0St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0Little Bay<\/a> on Montserrat. The ride is about an hour and a half and operates five days a week.<\/p>\n This service stopped in 2019 due to being financially unsustainable and the only access to Montserrat now is by air.<\/p>\n The\u00a0flag of\u00a0Montserrat<\/a>\u00a0is the Montserrat arms placed on the fly of the British Blue Ensign after the colony of the\u00a0Leeward Islands<\/a>\u00a0(which consisted of several British-administered islands in the region) was dissolved in 1958.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/04\/Montserrat-on-the-Globe-300x169.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>History:<\/h2>\n
Pre-colonial era:<\/span><\/h3>\n
Early European period:<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/04\/Soufriere-Hills-Volcano-300x190.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>18th century:<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/04\/Ruins-of-Plymouth-Town-300x198.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>New crops and politics:<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/04\/Little-Bay-225x300.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/04\/Montserrat-Volcano-300x169.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Geography:<\/h2>\n
<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/9\/91\/Coastal_cliffs.jpg\/220px-Coastal_cliffs.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Volcano and exclusion zone:<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/e\/eb\/Montserrat_Salem_Eruption1.jpg\/220px-Montserrat_Salem_Eruption1.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/2\/21\/Montserrat_eruption.JPG\/220px-Montserrat_eruption.JPG\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/0\/0b\/Soufriere_Hills_Volcano_dome_collapse.gif\/220px-Soufriere_Hills_Volcano_dome_collapse.gif\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/7\/73\/Plymouth_City_%26_Volcano.jpg\/170px-Plymouth_City_%26_Volcano.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>Economy:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/04\/Montserrat-Product-Exports-2019-300x195.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/5\/53\/Montserrat_Island_Sunset_%284568325551%29.jpg\/220px-Montserrat_Island_Sunset_%284568325551%29.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nTransportation:<\/h2>\n
Flag of Monserrat:<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.smoketreemanor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2022\/04\/Flag-of-Monserrat-300x150.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a>