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Background:
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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. Much of this island
was devastated and two-thirds of the population fled abroad
because of the eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano that
began on 18 July 1995. Montserrat has endured volcanic
activity since, with the last eruption occurring in July
2003. |
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Location:
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Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Puerto
Rico
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Geographic coordinates:
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16 45 N, 62 12 W
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Map references:
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Central America and the Caribbean
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Area:
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total: 102 sq km
land: 102 sq km
water: 0 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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40 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 3 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
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Climate:
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tropical; little daily or seasonal temperature variation
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Terrain:
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volcanic island, mostly mountainous, with small coastal
lowland
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: lava dome in English's Crater (in the
Soufriere Hills volcanic complex) estimated at over 930 m
(2006)
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Natural resources:
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NEGL
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Land use:
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arable land: 20%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 80% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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NA
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Natural hazards:
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severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions
(Soufriere Hills volcano has erupted continuously since
1995)
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Environment - current issues:
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land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for
cultivation
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Geography - note:
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the island is entirely volcanic in origin and comprised of
three major volcanic centers of differing ages
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Population:
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9,638
note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island
following the resumption of volcanic activity in July 1995;
some have returned (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 23.5% (male 1,159/female 1,108)
15-64 years: 65.9% (male 3,027/female 3,323)
65 years and over: 10.6% (male 521/female 500) (2008
est.)
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Median age:
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total: 29.7 years
male: 29.3 years
female: 30.2 years (2008 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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1.038% (2008 est.)
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Birth rate:
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17.33 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
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Death rate:
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6.95 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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NA
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 6.86 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.95 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 5.71 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 79.15 years
male: 76.93 years
female: 81.47 years (2008 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.76 children born/woman (2008 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA
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Nationality:
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noun: Montserratian(s)
adjective: Montserratian
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Ethnic groups:
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black, white
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Religions:
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Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal,
Seventh-Day Adventist, other Christian denominations
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Languages:
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English
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 97%
male: 97%
female: 97% (1970 est.)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
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total: 16 years
male: 15 years
female: 16 years (2006)
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Education expenditures - percent of GDP:
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3.3% (2004)
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Country name:
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conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Montserrat
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Dependency status:
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overseas territory of the UK
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Government type:
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NA
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Capital:
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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 |
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Administrative divisions:
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3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter
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Independence:
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none (overseas territory of the UK)
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National holiday:
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Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June
(1926)
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Constitution:
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effective 19 December 1989
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Legal system:
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English common law and statutory law
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February
1952); represented by Governor Peter A. WATERWORTH (since 27
July 2007)
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 |
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Legislative branch:
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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 |
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Judicial branch:
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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) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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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]
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA
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International organization participation:
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Caricom, CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UPU
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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none (overseas territory of the UK)
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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none (overseas territory of the UK)
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Flag description:
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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 |
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Economy - overview:
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Severe volcanic activity, which began in July 1995, has put
a damper on this small, open economy. A catastrophic
eruption in June 1997 closed the airports and seaports,
causing further economic and social dislocation. Two-thirds
of the 12,000 inhabitants fled the island. Some began to
return in 1998, but lack of housing limited the number. The
agriculture sector continued to be affected by the lack of
suitable land for farming and the destruction of crops.
Prospects for the economy depend largely on developments in
relation to the volcanic activity and on public sector
construction activity. The UK has launched a three-year
$122.8 million aid program to help reconstruct the economy.
Half of the island is expected to remain uninhabitable for
another decade. |
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$29 million (2002 est.)
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$NA
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GDP - real growth rate:
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-1% (2002 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$3,400 (2002 est.)
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 1.2%
industry: 23.1%
services: 75.7% (1999 est.)
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Labor force:
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4,521
note: lowered by flight of people from volcanic
activity (2000 est.)
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Unemployment rate:
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6% (1998 est.)
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Population below poverty line:
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NA%
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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2.6% (2002 est.)
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Budget:
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revenues: $31.4 million
expenditures: $31.6 million (1997 est.)
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Agriculture - products:
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cabbages, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, peppers;
livestock products
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Industries:
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tourism, rum, textiles, electronic appliances
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Industrial production growth rate:
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NA%
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Electricity - production:
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20 million kWh (2005)
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Electricity - consumption:
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18.6 million kWh (2005)
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh (2005)
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh (2005)
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
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Oil - consumption:
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480 bbl/day (2005 est.)
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Oil - exports:
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0 bbl/day (2004)
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Oil - imports:
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458 bbl/day (2004)
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Oil - proved reserves:
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0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
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Natural gas - production:
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0 cu m (2005 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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0 cu m (2005 est.)
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Natural gas - exports:
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0 cu m (2005 est.)
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Natural gas - imports:
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0 cu m (2005)
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
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0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
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Exports:
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$700,000 (2001)
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Exports - commodities:
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electronic components, plastic bags, apparel; hot peppers,
limes, live plants; cattle
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Exports - partners:
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US, Antigua and Barbuda (2006)
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Imports:
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$17 million (2001)
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and transportation equipment, foodstuffs,
manufactured goods, fuels, lubricants, and related materials
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Imports - partners:
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US, UK, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, Canada (2006)
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Economic aid - recipient:
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Country Policy Plan (2001) is a three-year program for
spending $122.8 million in British budgetary assistance
(2002 est.)
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Debt - external:
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$8.9 million (1997)
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Currency (code):
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East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
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Exchange rates:
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East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7
(2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003)
note: fixed rate since 1976
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Fiscal year:
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1 April - 31 March
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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NA
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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NA
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: modern and fully digitalized
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-664; landing point
for the East Caribbean Fiber System (ECFS) optic submarine
cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern
Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to
Trinidad
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (1997)
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Internet country code:
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.ms
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Internet hosts:
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367 (2007)
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Internet users:
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NA
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Airports:
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2 (2007)
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2007)
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Roadways:
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total: 227 km
note: volcanic eruptions that began in 1995 destroyed
most of the road system (2003)
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Ports and terminals:
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Little Bay, Plymouth
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Military branches:
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no regular military forces; Royal Montserrat Police Force
(2008)
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Manpower available for military service:
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males age 16-49: 2,528 (2008 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service:
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males age 16-49: 2,097 (2008 est.)
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Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
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males age 16-49: 67 (2008 est.)
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Military - note:
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defense is the responsibility of the UK
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Disputes - international:
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none
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Illicit drugs:
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transshipment point for South American narcotics destined
for the US and Europe
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This page was last updated on 21 August
2008
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