Montserrat is an island nations located in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean Sea. The original inhabitants were the Arawak and the Carib peoples. The first European to arrive was Christopher Columbus during his second voyage to the New World in 1493. Columbus named the island after the Virgin Mary and the Monastery of Montserrat.
The British gained control of the island when a group of Irish settled the island. African slaves were imported to work the land and the island cultivated sugar, rum, and cotton. Slavery was abolished in 1834. Today Montserrat is a British overseas territory.
In 1995 the island was devastated by the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano. Two-thirds of eth population fled the island during the eruption. Since then more volcanic activity has occurred.
The Geography of Montserrat
Total Size: 102 square km
Size Comparison: about 0.6 times the size of Washington, DC
