July 1995.

Geography Montserrat

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
water: 0 sq km
land: 102 sq km

Area - comparative:
about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 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

Natural resources:
negligible

Land use:
arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 80% (2001)

Irrigated land:
NA sq km

Natural hazards:
severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions (Soufriere
Hills volcano has erupted continuously since 1995)

Environment - current issues:
land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation

Geography - note:
the island is entirely volcanic in origin and contains seven active
volcanoes

People Montserrat

Population:
9,245
note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island following the
resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995; some have returned
(July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.3% (male 1,092; female 1,062)
15-64 years: 65.5% (male 2,889; female 3,162)
65 years and over: 11.2% (male 543; female 497) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 28.2 years
male: 28 years
female: 28.4 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.03% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
17.63 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
7.36 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.09 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.56 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 8.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.53 years
male: 76.39 years
female: 80.78 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1