The Caribbean
Island of Montserrat
Montserrat is a British overseas territory located in the
Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser
Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. It measures approximately 16 km
(10 miles) long and 11 km (7 miles) wide, giving 40 kilometres
(25 mi) of coastline. Christopher Columbus gave Montserrat its
name on his second voyage to the New World in 1493, after its
namesake located in Catalonia. Montserrat is often referred to
as the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean, due both to its
resemblance to coastal Ireland and to the Irish descent of most
of its early European settlers.
Its Georgian era capital city of Plymouth was destroyed and
two-thirds of the island's population forced to flee abroad by
an eruption of the previously dormant Soufriere Hills volcano
that began on July 18, 1995.
The eruption continues today on a much reduced scale, the
damage being confined to the areas around Plymouth including
its docking facilities and the former W.H. Bramble Airport. An
exclusion zone extending from the south coast of the island
north to parts of the Belham Valley has been closed because of
an increase in the size of the existing volcanic dome. This
zone includes St. George's Hill which provided visitors with a
spectacular view of the volcano and the destruction it has
wrought upon the capital. A new airport at Gerald's in the
northern part of the island opened in 2005. The village of
Brades currently serves as the de facto centre of
government.
History
Montserrat was populated by Arawak and Carib people when it
was claimed by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage for
Spain in 1493, naming the island Santa María de Montserrate,
after the Blessed Virgin of the Monastery of Montserrat, which
is located on the Mountain of Montserrat, in Catalonia, Spain.
The island fell under English control in 1632[4] when a group
of Irish fleeing anti-Roman Catholic sentiment in Saint Kitts
and Nevis settled there. The import of slaves common to most
Caribbean islands, mainly coming from Ireland (70% of the
population were Irish slaves by the mid 1600's), followed
during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and an economy
based on sugar, rum, arrowroot and Sea Island cotton was
established. By the late 1700s there were many Plantations on
the island
In 1782, during the American Revolutionary War, Montserrat
was briefly captured by France. It was returned to the United
Kingdom under the Treaty of Paris which ended that conflict. A
failed slave uprising on 17 March 1798 led to Montserrat later
becoming one of only four places in the world that celebrates
St Patrick's Day as a public or bank holiday (the others being
the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the Canadian
province of Newfoundland and Labrador). Slavery was abolished
in Montserrat in 1834, presumably as a result of the general
emancipation of slaves within the British Empire in that same
year.
Falling sugar prices during the nineteenth century had an
adverse effect on the island's economy and in 1869 the
philanthropist Joseph Sturge of Birmingham, England formed the
Montserrat Company to buy sugar estates that were no longer
economically viable. The company planted limes starting
production of the lime juice, set up a school, and sold parcels
of land to the inhabitants of the island, with the result that
much of Montserrat came to be owned by smallholders.
Long referred to as "The Emerald Isle of the Caribbean" for
both its Irish heritage and its resemblance to coastal Ireland,
most of Montserrat today remains lush and green. A new airport,
opened officially by the Princess Royal Princess Anne in
February 2005, received its first commercial flights on July
11, 2005, and docking facilities are in place at Little Bay,
where a new capital is being constructed out of reach of any
further volcanic activity.
The people of Montserrat were granted full residency rights in
the United Kingdom in 1998, and citizenship was granted in
2002.
Geography
The island of Montserrat is located approximately 480 km (300
miles) east-southeast of Puerto Rico and 48 km (30 miles)
southwest of Antigua. It comprises only 104 km² (40 square
miles) and is increasing gradually owing to volcanic deposits
on the southeast coast of the island; it is 16 km (10 miles)
long and 11 km (7 miles) wide, with dramatic rock faced cliffs
rising 15 to 30 m (50-100 feet) above the sea and smooth
bottomed sandy beaches scattered among coves on the west side
of the island. Montserrat has been a quiet haven of
extraordinary scenic beauty.
Montserrat has two islets: Little Redonda and Virgin, and
Statue Rock.
The Soufrière Hills or Montserrat volcano is an active
complex stratovolcano with many lava domes forming its summit
on the island. After a long period of dormancy it became active
in 1995, and eruptions have continued up to the present. The
last eruption was in December 2008.
Culture
Cricket is a popular
sport in Montserrat. Players from Montserrat are in fact
eligible to play for the West Indies cricket team. Jim
Allen was the first to play for West Indies and he
represented the World Series Cricket West Indians. No
other player from Montserrat had gone on to represent West
Indies until Lionel Baker made his One Day International
debut against Pakistan in November 2008.
Montserrat has its own FIFA Affiliated Football Team, and
has twice competed in the World Cup qualifiers. A field for the
team was built near the airport by FIFA. The Montserrat team
are currently tied for 199th place in the FIFA world rankings
with eight other teams, including American Samoa and Guam. In
2002, the team competed in a friendly with the
second-lowest-ranked team in FIFA at that time, Bhutan, in The
Other Final- the same day as the final of the 2002 World Cup.
Bhutan won 4-0
Flag
features
It is a Blue Ensign
with the Union Flag in the canton and the Coat of arms of
Montserrat in the fly.
Symbolism of arms
The arms feature Erin, the female personifcation of Ireland,
and the golden harp, another symbol of Ireland. This reflects
the colony's Irish ancestry.
The Governor of Montserrat maintains a separate flag. The
Governor's flag consists of a Union Flag defaced with the coat
of arms.
The Coat of Arms of
Montserrat
was first adopted in 1909. The Arms consist of a shield
featuring a lady in green representing Erin, the female
personification of Ireland, based on the mythology of Ériu. The
lady is holding a golden harp, a symbol of Ireland that
features in Ireland's coat of arms. The cross symbolises
Christianity.
The Arms pay tribute to the Irish ancestry of Montserrat, as
much of the population is descended from the Irish settlers
exiled to the island by Oliver Cromwell in the 17th
century.
The Arms feature on the Flag of Montserrat, and on the defaced
Union Flag used by the Governor of Montserrat.
Volcano
Viewing
Possible from safe vantage points including Jack Boy Hill, and
the the MVO. Another recommended vantage point for viewing
Plymouth and surrounding areas is from Garibaldi Hill although
this requires a four-wheel drive vehicle or a steep climb to
appreciate the view from the summit.
Plymouth - A
Modern-day Pompeii
Abandoned in 1997, Montserrat's capital Plymouth has been
compared to a modern day Pompeii. Buried deep in ash and
volcanic debris including boulders up to the size of the houses
that once stood there, the once thriving business and
commercial centre of the island now resembles a dust-covered
lunar landscape through which deep canyons have been gouged.
Plymouth lies within the volcanic exclusion zone and access is
not possible. Nevertheless, the devastation of Plymouth can be
safely viewed from Richmond Hill (when this are is opened). Or
for a different perspective on the volcano and the devastation
it has wrought to the southern end of Montserrat, schedule a
round the island boat tour. These tours begin from the port in
Little Bay and head south, first to Plymouth, then round the
southern tip of Montserrat to the Tar River Delta and north to
the remnants of WH Bramble Airport. From the sea, you can
clearly see the path taken by the pyroclastic flows and
mudflows with the Soufrière Hills Volcano in the background.
Tours generally last two hours and are subject to weather and
volcanic conditions.
Jack Boy
Hill
In the north east of the island is a viewing facility at Jack
Boy Hill, which also provides an excellent vantage point for
volcano viewing. This facility overlooks the destroyed WH
Bramble Airport, the old estate house, the site of destroyed
eastern villages, now covered by volcanic pyroclastic flows and
of course the volcano. The facility includes a viewing
platform, picnic areas, a viewing telescope, a mini trail and
landscaped grounds.
Montserrat Volcano
Observatory
The Soufrière Hills Volcano is constantly monitored by the
Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO) in Flemmings. As well as
monitoring the volcanic activity, the MVO provides information
on the volcano to the general public. The MVO Interpretation
Centre (recently established) is opened Monday to Thursday from
10:15am to 3:00pm. There are poster displays explaining the
techniques used in monitoring seismic (earthquake) activity,
gas emissions, ground deformation and environmental impacts;
and dramatic video shows including a synopsis of the activity
and examples of the recent events on the volcano, along with
touch screen kiosks and volcanic artefacts on display. Further
information on the MVO, along with up-to-date activity reports
on the Soufrière Hills Volcano and explanations of volcanic
phenomena.
Day Trips from
Antigua
A number of tour operators based
in Antigua operate day trips to Montserrat that include volcano
viewing, a tour of the island, lunch and transportation.
This information from: http://www.visitmontserrat.com
visit them for more on what to do in montserrat.
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