Montserrat
is an island in the
Caribbean Sea
, in the
Leeward Islands
. Its nearest neighbours in the island chain include
Guadeloupe
to the southeast,
Antigua
to the north-east and
Nevis
to the northwest. The island is 16 km (9.9 mi) long and 11 km (6.8 mi) wide, with a coastline of about 40 km.
The island is volcanic and largely mountainous. The
Soufriere Hills
volcano became active in 1995, causing widespread devastation, including the destruction of the capital and formerly largest settlement on the island,
Plymouth
. The southern part of the island is now uninhabitable and human settlement is constrained to the north.
Montserrat has two islets, Little Redonda and Virgin, as well as Statue Rock.
Climate
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Montserrat has a tropical climate, with little daily or seasonal temperature variation.
Climate data for Plymouth
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Record high °C (°F)
|
32
(90)
|
33
(91)
|
34
(93)
|
34
(93)
|
36
(97)
|
37
(99)
|
37
(99)
|
37
(99)
|
36
(97)
|
34
(93)
|
37
(99)
|
33
(91)
|
37
(99)
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
29
(84)
|
30
(86)
|
31
(88)
|
31
(88)
|
32
(90)
|
32
(90)
|
33
(91)
|
33
(91)
|
32
(90)
|
31
(88)
|
30
(86)
|
29
(84)
|
31
(88)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
23
(73)
|
23
(73)
|
24
(75)
|
24
(75)
|
24
(75)
|
25
(77)
|
25
(77)
|
25
(77)
|
24
(75)
|
24
(75)
|
24
(75)
|
23
(73)
|
24
(75)
|
Record low °C (°F)
|
17
(63)
|
18
(64)
|
18
(64)
|
18
(64)
|
19
(66)
|
21
(70)
|
22
(72)
|
22
(72)
|
21
(70)
|
19
(66)
|
19
(66)
|
18
(64)
|
17
(63)
|
Average
precipitation
mm (inches)
|
122
(4.8)
|
86
(3.4)
|
112
(4.4)
|
89
(3.5)
|
97
(3.8)
|
112
(4.4)
|
155
(6.1)
|
183
(7.2)
|
168
(6.6)
|
196
(7.7)
|
180
(7.1)
|
140
(5.5)
|
1,640
(64.6)
|
Source: BBC Weather
[1]
|
Statistics
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Location:
About 500 km southeast of
Puerto Rico
Maritime claims:
Territorial sea:
3 nmi (5.556 km; 3.452 mi)
Exclusive fishing zone:
200
nmi
(370.4 km; 230.2 mi)
Terrain:
Volcanic islands, mostly mountainous, with small coastal lowland
Elevation extremes:
Lowest point:
Caribbean Sea 0 m
Highest point:
Prior to 1995, the highest point was
Chances Peak
(in the
Soufriere Hills
) at 915 m. Ongoing volcanic activity has created a lava dome estimated at 1,050 m in 2013.
[2]
Natural resources:
Negligible
Land use:
Arable land:
20%
Permanent crops:
0%
Other:
80% (2011)
Natural hazards:
Severe hurricanes (June to November); volcanic eruptions
Environment - current issues:
Land erosion occurs on slopes that have been cleared for cultivation.
[3]
References
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Sources
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Sovereign states
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Dependencies and
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Sovereign states
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Dependencies and
other territories
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