Cruising in Montserrat

Background

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.

Geography

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

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: Chances Peak (in the Soufriere Hills volcanic complex) 914 m

Economy

Severe volcanic activity, which began in July 1995, has put a damper on this small, open economy. A catastrophic eruption in June 1997 closed the airports and seaports, causing further economic and social dislocation. Two-thirds of the 12,000 inhabitants fled the island. Some began to return in 1998, but lack of housing limited the number.

The agriculture sector continued to be affected by the lack of suitable land for farming and the destruction of crops. Prospects for the economy depend largely on developments in relation to the volcanic activity and on public sector construction activity. The UK has launched a three-year $122.8 million aid program to help reconstruct the economy. Half of the island is expected to remain uninhabitable for another decade.

Transportation

Airports: 1 (2005)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2005)
Roadways: total: 227 km
note: volcanic eruptions that began in 1995 destroyed most of the road system (2003)

Ports and terminals

Plymouth  

Other Sailing Destinations in the Region

Anguilla - Antigua and Barbuda - Aruba - Bahamas - Barbados - British Virgin Islands - Cayman Islands - Cuba - Dominica - Dominican Republic - Grenada - Guadeloupe - Haiti - Jamaica - St. Kitts and Nevis - St. Lucia - Martinique - Montserrat - Netherlands Antilles - Puerto Rico - Trinidad and Tobago - Turks and Caicos - St. Vincent and the Grenadines - Virgin Islands (USA)

Further Reading

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