Montserrat
At only 102 km², Montserrat is remarkably compact. Smaller than many cities, this territory packs a lot into a tiny footprint. There's more here than meets the eye.
Montserrat is a country in North America with a population of 5.5K and an area of 102 km².
At a Glance
The numbers that define this country
CO2 Per Capita
6.02How many tonnes of CO2 the average person produces per year.
Life Expectancy
76.2 yearsHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Internet Users (%)
54.6%The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
Broadband Access (%)
55The number of high-speed fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people.
Median Age
37.1 yearsMedian age from CIA World Factbook.
Where They Stand Out
Global rankings worth knowing
📡Broadband Access (%)
55The number of high-speed fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people.
🌱CO2 Per Capita
6.02How many tonnes of CO2 the average person produces per year.
👥Median Age
37.1 yearsMedian age from CIA World Factbook.
Did You Know?
Facts that catch players off guard
Only ranks #227 in urban population (%)
Urban Population (%): 9.3%
The percentage of people living in cities and urban areas.
World Bank 2023Only ranks #207 in electricity capacity
Electricity Capacity: 6.0K
Installed generating capacity from CIA World Factbook.
Has one of the highest rates of carbon emissions (total)
Carbon Emissions (Total): 24.0K
Total CO2 emissions from CIA World Factbook.
Only ranks #224 in airports
Airports: 1.00
Total airports from CIA World Factbook.
Only ranks #224 in population
Population: 5.5K
The total number of people living in the country.
World Bank 2023Surprised? See how you stack up.
Play NowHow Montserrat Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
World Bank 2023Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Test Your IntuitionAbout Montserrat
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. The Soufriere Hills Volcano erupted in 1995, devastating much of the island; two thirds of the population fled abroad. Montserrat has endured volcanic activity since, with the last eruption occurring in 2013.
- Location
- Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto Rico
- Climate
- tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation
- Terrain
- volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland
- Natural Resources
- NEGL
- Natural Hazards
- volcanic eruptions; severe hurricanes (June to November) volcanism: Soufrière Hills volcano (915 m) has erupted continuously since 1995; a massive eruption in 1997 destroyed most of the capital, Plymouth, and made about half of the island uninhabitable; the island of Montserrat is part of the volcanic island arc of the Lesser Antilles that extends from Saba in the north to Grenada in the south
- Size Comparison
- about 0.6 times the size of Washington, D.C.
- Languages
- English
- Religions
- Protestant 71.4% (includes Anglican 17.7%, Pentecostal/Full Gospel 16.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 15%, Methodist 13.9%, Church of God 6.7%, other Protestant 2%), Roman Catholic 11.4%, Rastafarian 1.4%, Hindu 1.2%, Jehovah's Witness 1%, Muslim 0.4%, other/not stated 5.1%, none 7.9% (2018 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- African/Black 86.2%, mixed 4.8%, Hispanic/Spanish 3%, Caucasian/White 2.7%, East Indian/Indian 1.6%, other 1.8% (2018 est.)
- Government Type
- parliamentary democracy; self-governing overseas territory of the UK
- Capital
- Plymouth
- Capital Coordinates
- 16 42 N, 62 13 W
- Capital Timezone
- UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Name Origin
- explorer Christopher COLUMBUS named the island in 1493 after the Benedictine abbey Santa Maria de Montserrat, near Barcelona, Spain
- Independence
- none (overseas territory of the UK)
- National Anthem
- "God Save the King"
- Overview
- formerly high-income economy; volcanic activity destroyed much of original infrastructure and economy; new capital and port is being developed; key geothermal and solar power generation; key music recording operations
- Industries
- tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances
- Agricultural Products
- cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers; livestock products
- Export Partners
- USA 25%, Antigua & Barbuda 13%, Guyana 13%, Egypt 12%, France 10% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- gravel and crushed stone, sand (2023)
- Import Partners
- USA 62%, Antigua & Barbuda 6%, UK 5%, Belgium 4%, Trinidad & Tobago 3% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- refined petroleum, electric generating sets, cars, stone processing machines, x-ray equipment (2023)
- Military Forces
- no regular military forces; Royal Montserrat Defense Force (ceremonial, civil defense duties), Montserrat Police Force (2025)
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 87.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 12.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- Radio Montserrat, a public radio broadcaster, transmits on 1 station and has a repeater transmission to a second station; repeater transmissions from the GEM Radio Network of Trinidad and Tobago provide another 2 radio stations; cable and satellite TV available (2007)
Deep Dive
20 of 21 metricsEvery stat we track, organized by category
Related Countries
Neighboring Countries
Antigua and Barbuda
Guadeloupe
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Sint MaartenCompare Montserrat with...
Anguilla
Aruba
Bahamas
Barbados
BelizeShare a Fact
Share something surprising about Montserrat!
How many tonnes of CO2 the average person produces per year.
Frequently Asked Questions about Montserrat
Montserrat has a population of 5.5K, ranking #224 globally by population.
Montserrat is located in North America. It has an area of 102 km².
Montserrat ranks particularly high in CO2 Per Capita (#53), Life Expectancy (#107), Internet Users (%) (#174).
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