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Montserrat[montsurat´] Pronunciation Key, British dependency and island (1998 est. pop. 4,000), 38 sq mi (98 sq km), West Indies, one of the Leeward Islands. It is a rugged, scenic island of volcanic origin; Chance's Peak (3,000 ft/915 m) in the southern SoufriEre Hills is the highest point. Plymouth is the capital and chief port. Of African and European ancestry, its English-speaking inhabitants are predominantly Christian. Prior to 1995, tourism was the economic mainstay, and Montserrat's exports included electronic components and agricultural products. As a result of the SoufriEre Hills eruptions (1995–2000), however, the economy has been severly disrupted.
Montserrat was visited in 1493 by Columbus and colonized by the English and Irish in 1632. After changing hands several times between France and Britain, it was ceded to Great Britain in 1783. The island was a member of the former Leeward Islands colony and of the Federation of the West Indies. It has had internal self-government since 1960. In 1995, the SoufriEre Hills volcano, which had been dormant for 400 years, began a series of devastating eruptions that destroyed most of S Montserrat, including the capital and the main port; the majority of the population was evacuated. Some two thirds of the island's land area was rendered uninhabitable. Periodic hurricanes can cause extensive damage to the island.
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