Arawak and Carib Indians were the first residents of Alliouagana, ‘land of the prickly bush’, until Christopher Columbus claimed it for Spain in 1493, whereupon he named the island Santa Maria de Montserrat. It was not until 1632 that the British colonized the island, which is still a British Overseas Territory. The actual settlers were mainly of Irish Catholic origin, who appreciated the presence of an ocean between them and Oliver Cromwell. Irish surnames among the present population reflect this history. Between 1871 and 1956 the island was administered as part of the Federal Colony of the Leeward Islands.

At this point the federation was dissolved; since then Montserrat has been a British colony administered by a Governor appointed by the British government (see General Information section).

There remains uncertainty about the island’s economic future. The main reason is its vulnerability to the elements; Montserrat is located in the Caribbean hurricane zone and has suffered repeated assaults from tempests. However, the damage caused was nothing compared to that wrought by the eruption of a previously dormant volcano, Soufrière, in August 1997.

This rendered almost half the island uninhabitable, and much of the 12,000 population left the island. Many original inhabitants have returned to Montserrat, but the island has been left more dependent than ever on aid and support from the British government. The southern part of the island, which bore the brunt of the eruption, has been partially repopulated, but the overriding priority for the government has been to bring economic and social life back to the devastated island.

Although this has been a difficult and gradual process, hampered by disagreements, Montserrat continues to welcome visitors to the northern part of the island where economic development is now being planned.

Geography
Montserrat is one of the Leeward Islands group in the Eastern Caribbean. It is a volcanic island with black sandy beaches and lush tropical vegetation. There are three main volcanic mountains on the island and Chances Peak is its highest point at 915m (3002ft). The Soufrière group of hills houses the volcano which began erupting in July 1995 and to date is continuously active. The Great Alps Waterfall, previously one of the most spectacular sights in the West Indies, has been destroyed by the volcano.