Useful Notes / Montserrat

A volcanic island in the Leeward Islands chain of The Caribbean, Montserrat is a British Overseas Territory. The territory is also nicknamed "The Emerald Isle of the Caribbean", as it bears resemblance to Ireland and many of its inhabitants are of Irish descent.

You might have noticed the exclusion zone covering the southern half of the island and how Plymouth is labeled as abandoned. Plymouth was the former capital of the territory and is still the de jure capital. However, on 18 July 1995, the previously dormant Soufrière Hills volcano became active and started erupting. The eruptions destroyed the city and forced two-thirds of the islands population to flee, mostly to the United Kingdom. Since then, the largest city on the northern half of the island, Brades, has acted as the de facto capital, though a new capital, Little Bay, is under construction.

Even to this day, the volcanic activity from Soufrière Hills continues, mostly affecting the vicinity of Plymouth, including its docking facilities, and the eastern side of the island around the former W. H. Bramble Airport, which was buried by flows from the volcano on February 11th, 2010. Montserrat has been called a "Modern-Day Pompeii" in the Caribbean because of all this volcanic activity and destruction. The exclusion zone that extends from the south coast of the island north to parts of the Belham Valley was set up because of the size of the existing volcanic dome and the resulting potential for pyroclastic activity. Visitors are generally not permitted entry, though the ruins of Plymouth can be seen from Garibaldi Hill in Isles Bay. While the volcano has been relatively quiet since the early 2010s, it still continues to be closely monitored by the Montserrat Volcano Observatory. It is the most studied volcano in the world.

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The Montserattian flag

The flag consists of a British Blue Ensign with the Union Flag in the canton and the coat of arms of Montserrat on the right side of the flag. The coat of arms features Erin, the female personification of Ireland, and the golden harp, another symbol of Ireland, representing the Irish ancestry of the colony.

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The British National Anthem

God save our gracious King!

Long live our noble King!

God save the King!

Send him victorious,

Happy and glorious,

Long to reign over us:

God save the King!

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The Montserattian National Song

Oh Montserrat, dear Motherland

Your children raise your standard high.

In toil and tears to serve you well,

A crowning jewel from God’s hand.

Oh Montserrat, by nature blest

To you your children sing

Come well or woe, come friend or foe

To you your people cling.

Rise up and make our country great

With art and skill and sacrifice

With masque and drum we celebrate,

Triumphant masters of our faith

Oh Montserrat, by nature blest

To you your children sing

Come well or woe, come friend or foe

To you your people cling.

We sing our land in harmony

May God be our eternal God

And make Montserrat a house of hope,

A haven in the Carib Sea.

Oh Montserrat, by nature blest

To you your children sing

Come well or woe, come friend or foe

To you your people cling.

No pestilence shall mar your shore

No fount of sadness overwhelm

A people striving under God

Their spirits free forevermore

Oh Montserrat, by nature blest

To you your children sing

Come well or woe, come friend or foe

To you your people cling.

No pestilence pollutes her shore

No fount of sadness overwhelm

A people striving under God

Their spirits free forever more.

Oh Montserrat, by nature blest

To you your children sing

Come well or woe, come friend or foe

To you your people cling.

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Government

• Parliamentary dependency under a constitutional monarchy
  • Monarch: Charles III
  • Governor: Sarah Tucker
  • Premier: Joseph Easton Taylor-Farrell

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Miscellaneous

• Capital: Plymouth (de jure), Brades (de facto), Little Bay (under construction)
• Largest city: Brades
• Population: 4,649
• Area: 102 km² (39 sq mi)
• Currency: East Caribbean dollar ($) (XCD)
• ISO-3166-1 Code: MS
• Country calling code: 1 (area code 664)