Montserrat (island)

Montserrat (island), island, dependency of Great Britain, one of the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, in the Caribbean Sea, southwest of Antigua and northwest of Guadeloupe. The island, 102 sq km (39 sq mi) in area, is mountainous, rising to the volcanic peak of Chances Peak (about 915 m/about 3000 ft high). Plymouth (population, 1985 estimate, 3500), the only major community on the island, is the capital of Montserrat. The dependency is administered by a governor, who is assisted by executive and legislative councils. The main economic activity on Montserrat is farming. Principal agricultural products include tomatoes, white potatoes, onions, carrots, limes, and cotton. Manufactures include electronic equipment, metal and plastic goods, linen, and clothing. The island was sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1493 and was named by him for a noted monastery on Montserrat, a mountain in Spain. Settled by the English and Irish in 1632, the island was held by the French for four years in the 1660s and again from 1782 to 1783, when it came under definitive British control. From 1871 to 1956 Montserrat was part of the Federation of the Leeward Islands, and in 1958 it became a member of the Federation of the West Indies. Following the dissolution of the federation in 1962, the inhabitants of the island voted to remain a dependency of Great Britain. Hurricane Hugo devastated the island in 1989. In 1995 Chances Peak began exhibiting signs of volcanic activity. Residents were evacuated several times from the southern third of the island, which includes the capital of Plymouth. A minor eruption in April 1996 forced a final evacuation of the area. A larger eruption occurred on September 18. The southern region of the island remained uninhabited into mid-1997 as volcanic activity continued. About one-third of the island's population of 12,771 (1996 estimate) sought refuge on neighboring islands.     "," Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) 98 Encyclopedia. (c) 1993-1997 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.