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Background:
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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: Chances Peak (in the Soufriere
Hills volcanic complex) 914 m |
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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% (2001) |
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Irrigated land:
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NA sq km
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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 contains seven
active volcanoes |
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Population:
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9,341
note: an estimated 8,000 refugees left the island
following the resumption of volcanic activity in July
1995; some have returned (July 2005 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 23.3% (male 1,109/female 1,072)
15-64 years: 65.6% (male 2,923/female 3,201)
65 years and over: 11.1% (male 536/female 500)
(2005 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
28.56 years
male: 28.29 years
female: 28.79 years (2005 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.04%
(2005 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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17.56
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Death rate:
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7.17
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.07 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
7.35 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.55 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 78.71 years
male: 76.54 years
female: 80.98 years (2005 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
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1.78
children born/woman (2005 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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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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Plymouth
(abandoned in 1997 due to 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 Deborah BARNES-JONES
(since 10 May 2004)
head of government: Chief Minister John OSBORNE
(since 5 April 2001)
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 April 2001 (next to be held
by November 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - NPLM 7, NPP 2
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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National
Progressive Party or NPP [Reuben T. MEADE]; 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, ICFTU, 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
volcano 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 - real growth rate:
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-1% (2002
est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power parity - $3,400 (2002 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 5.4%
industry: 13.6%
services: 81% (1996 est.) |
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Labor force:
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4,521
(lowered by flight of people from volcanic activity)
(2000 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% |
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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, including capital
expenditures of $8.4 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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1.8
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil
fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
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Electricity - consumption:
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1.674
million kWh (2002) |
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Electricity - exports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Electricity - imports:
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0 kWh
(2002) |
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Oil - production:
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0 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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400
bbl/day (2001 est.) |
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Oil - exports:
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NA |
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Oil - imports:
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NA |
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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, live plants, cattle |
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Exports - partners:
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US,
Antigua and Barbuda |
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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 |
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Debt - external:
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$8.9
million (1997) |
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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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Currency (code):
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East
Caribbean dollar (XCD) |
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Currency code:
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XCD |
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Exchange rates:
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East
Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2004), 2.7
(2003), 2.7 (2002), 2.7 (2001), 2.7 (2000)
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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70 (1994)
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: modern and fully digitalized
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-664 |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 1, FM
2, shortwave 0 (1998) |
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Radios:
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7,000
(1997) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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1 (1997)
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Televisions:
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3,000
(1997) |
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Internet country code:
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.ms |
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
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17 (2000)
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Internet users:
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NA |
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Highways:
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total:
227 km
paved: NA km
unpaved: NA km
note: volcanic eruptions beginning in 1995
destroyed most of the road system (2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Plymouth
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Airports:
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1 (2004
est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total:
1
under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
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Military branches:
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no
regular military forces; Royal Montserrat Police Force
(2005) |
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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
20 October, 2005 |
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