Montserrat
(overseas territory of the UK)
|
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. 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. Source: The Places Factbook, CIA. |
English
and Irish colonists from St. Kitts first settled on Montserrat in 1632; the
first African slaves arrived three decades later. The British and French fought
for possession of the island for most of the 18th century, but it finally was
confirmed as a British possession in 1783. The island's sugar plantation economy
was converted to small farm landholdings in the mid 19th century.