Facts at a glance:

Capital: Plymouth

Form of Government: British Crown Colony

Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor, Sir Anthony Longrigg

Head of Government: Chief Minister, Hon John Osborne

Location: 17°N; 62°W - 40 km (25 miles) south-west of Antigua

Area: 102 sq. km (39.5 sq. mi) one of the Leeward islands of the Lesser Antilles.

Population: 8,437 (July 2002 est.)

Ethnic Make-Up: Mainly of African descent, with some European and East Indian ancestry.

Adult Literacy: 93%

Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$)

Exchange rate: US$1.00 = EC$ 2.70

Time Zone: Eastern Standard Time +1; GMT -4

Phone Code: Regional code (664) plus 491 and the 4-digit local number

History: Christopher Columbus landed in Montserrat in 1493 but it was first colonised by Anglo-Irish settlers in 1632, displacing the existing Arawak Indian settlements. In 1956 Montserrat, along with Antigua, St Kitts & Nevis and Anguilla, were combined as one colony known as the Leeward Islands and in 1958 the islands were incorporated into the Federation of the West Indies. In 1967 Montserrat elected to remain a British colony rather than become one of the West Indies Associated States.

UWI Connections: Montserrat is one of the contributing countries to the UWI. A non-campus country, there are only 16 (2004/2005) Montserratians registered. However, the UWI School of Continuing Studies runs a vibrant programme at University Centre in Plymouth.