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Government of Montserrat

Country name:conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Montserrat
Dependency status:overseas territory of the UK
Government type:NA
Capital:name: Plymouth
geographic coordinates: 16 42 N, 62 13 W
time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note: Plymouth was abandoned in 1997 because of volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat
Administrative divisions:3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter
Independence:none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday:Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)
Constitution:effective 19 December 1989
Legal system:English common law and statutory law
Suffrage:18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Deborah BARNES-JONES (since 10 May 2004)
head of government: Chief Minister Lowell LEWIS (since 2 June 2006)
cabinet: Executive Council consists of the governor, the chief minister, three other ministers, the attorney general, and the finance secretary
elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually becomes chief minister
Legislative branch:unicameral Legislative Council (11 seats, 9 popularly elected; members serve five-year terms)
note: expanded in 2001 from 7 to 9 elected members with attorney general and financial secretary sitting as ex-officio members
elections: last held 31 May 2006 (next to be held by 2011)
election results: percent of vote by party - MCAP 36.1%, NPLM 29.4%, MDP 24.4%, independents 10.1%; seats by party - MCAP 4, NPLM 3, MDP 1, independents 1
note: in 2001, the Elections Commission instituted a single constituency/voter-at-large system whereby all eligible voters cast ballots for all nine seats of the Legislative Council
Judicial branch:Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia, one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court)
Political parties and leaders:Montserrat Democratic Party or MDP [Lowell LEWIS]; Movement for Change and Prosperity or MCAP [Roselyn CASSELL-SEALY]; New People's Liberation Movement or NPLM [John A. OSBORNE]
Political pressure groups and leaders:NA
International organization participation:Caricom, CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UPU
Diplomatic representation in the US:none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation from the US:none (overseas territory of the UK)
Flag description:blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a woman standing beside a yellow harp with her arm around a black cross

Montserrat Quickstats

  • Population: 9,538
  • Area: 102 sq km
  • Density: 44 /km² (153rd)
  • GDP (total): $29 million (not ranked)
  • GDP (per capita): $3,400 (not ranked)
  • Literacy: 97%

Languages of Montserrat

Useful to know

  • Currency: East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
  • Dial code: +1 664

International Trade

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