Population of Montserrat. Montserrat Island: Plymouth - the capital destroyed by a volcano. Montserrat's troubled history
Travel notes, day 25
Montserrat was unremarkable island state, a British overseas territory until tragedy struck in 1995. On June 25, 1995, the catastrophic eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano began. Most of the country's inhabitants were evacuated, the capital was covered with ash and completely destroyed by lava. Almost 20 years have passed, but even now most of the island is closed to visitors, roads are destroyed, hundreds of houses stand abandoned. The country still does not have a capital, but there is one road, 2 gas stations, 4 restaurants and as many as 6 churches.
Montserrat is of interest to those who like to walk through abandoned cities. Here, looters did not have time to plunder the houses that residents abandoned 20 years ago. Expensive clothes are still hanging on hangers, food is still in the refrigerators, and newspapers dating back to June 1995 can be found on the coffee tables. A terrible sight, of course.
01. These small planes fly to Montserrat. 
02. I approach my plane and the pilot meets me. That's it, no more passengers! The pilot talks about the plane and recommends taking the correct side on board to make it easier to film. 
03. Getting ready for the flight). It’s very cool, of course, when you buy a ticket for $100 and fly alone. 
04. Here, in fact, is Montserrat. Rocky, rough, no beaches. 
05. Now the island lives off tourists. People come here to watch birds and hike in the mountains. In general, if you are interested in solitude, Montserrat is probably a good place. There is nothing here: no clubs, no restaurants, no expensive hotels. The main thing is that there are no people here! But there are a lot of different animals, mountain trails and beautiful forests. 
06. The capital as such no longer exists. Now the temporary administrative center is the village of Brades in the north of the island 
07.
08. People live in small villages, many houses are abandoned. 
09.
10. That's the whole capital. 
11. Bus stops have sponsors who then place advertisements there. 
12. Beach with volcanic sand. 
13. Let's move on. There is only one road on the island, so don't get lost. Soon the road begins to deteriorate and signs appear about the restricted area. 
14. There are abandoned villages along the road. 
15. No entry) Ahahahaha. When has that ever stopped us? 
16. Rivers of milk flow along the roads with the smell of hydrogen sulfide, just like in Iceland. 
17. Here is a picture of the eruption: you can clearly see how the volcano destroyed half of the island. On right - former capital Plymouth, on the left is the former airport. 
18. This is what the capital looks like now. 
19. Only the roofs of the tallest buildings stick out from under the lava. The volcano slept for 400 years. Eruptions continue to this day. 
20. There is no legal way to get into the city. There are boat and helicopter tours. You cannot walk around the city, as there is still a danger of an eruption. 
Since 1995, the volcano has erupted intermittently. The island has a volcanic observatory, the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO), which constantly measures the activity of the volcano, developed a complex system civil defence. The island is divided into zones marked with letters (A, B, ...) with different statuses; the observatory, based on observations, assigns a “danger level” from 1 to 5 (currently the “danger level” is 3). Depending on the “level of danger”, certain activities are allowed or prohibited in different zones: somewhere you can live and do whatever you want, fearing only ash falling from the sky and Caribbean cyclones; somewhere you can live for those who already live, but be prepared to evacuate; No one except specialists is allowed to be somewhere. Every house usually has a silent battery-powered radio, through which an evacuation alert can be transmitted at any time - in a sense, an analogue of our radio point (whose main purpose, as we know, is civil defense and emergency alerts)
21. The former colonial capital looks like this 
22.
23. This is what this place in the center looked like before 1995 
24. And this is how it is now. 
25. Luxurious villas line the hills around the capital 
26. They are all abandoned. 
27. Previously, this was the most expensive real estate on the island. 
28. Over time, the roofs of houses collapse 
29. For 20 years, nature has reclaimed space for itself. Some houses can no longer be entered. 
30.
31. There is no one here now. 
32. Inside there is a bed and a hole in the roof. For 20 years, water dripping from the roof burned through the bed like acid. 
33. Surprisingly, the villas were not looted at all! The houses have TVs, furniture, and household appliances 
34. Golf clubs 
35. Someone took everything during the evacuation 
36. Someone - only the most valuable. 
37. Empty houses look creepy. It always seems that there will be some corpse lying in the next room. 
38. There’s been food in the refrigerator since ’95 
39. No one even touched the cutlery. 
40. Nice furniture 
41. It is clear that people were in a hurry to leave this place. Someone forgot a suitcase with clothes. For 20 years this suitcase has been lying here and no one has touched it. Everything would have been stolen from us long ago. It’s strange why the looters didn’t reach these houses? 
42. Hats 
43. There are still expensive clothes hanging on the hangers. 
44. Even a toothbrush was left in the bathroom under a layer of volcanic ash 
45. Someone's bedroom. 
46.
47. Magazines and cassettes from 1995. 
48. Some rooms are well preserved. 
49. And somewhere the roof fell in and plants took over. 
50. Walking through an abandoned city is difficult. The roads are destroyed. 
51. Nature is returning very quickly, and soon the city will completely disappear. 
52.
53. Love Montserrat! 
54. There used to be an airport here. 
Some more photos of Plymouth from a helicopter. The author of the photographs is Dmitry Malov. Here is his report.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
Currently on southern part The islands are prohibited from entry and entry, violators are caught and fined. So don't get caught! Although why go here if not to walk around an abandoned city, I don’t know. The affected half of Montserrat is expected to remain uninhabited for at least another 10 years.
Entire trip:
Day 1: San Francisco, USA
Day 2: Carmel Valley, USA
Day 3: Apple, Facebook, Google, USA
Day 4: 17 Mile Road, Sunset in SF, USA
Day 5:
Montserrat is a Caribbean island located in the Leeward Islands, a chain of islands known as the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies in British territory.
Montserrat is a Caribbean island located in the Leeward Islands, a chain of islands known as the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies in British territory. The island was partially destroyed when the previously dormant Soufriere Hills volcano erupted in July 1995, covering Montserrat's capital Plymouth with 12 meters of mud. Two thirds of the island's population were forced to flee. The volcano continued to erupt regularly through the late 1990s, including an eruption on June 25, 1997, in which nineteen people died when they were overtaken by a pyroclastic flow.
A new period of increased activity of the volcano began from November 2009 to February 2010, when lava flowed on all sides of the mountain and ash columns rose more than 6,000 meters into the air. The volcano has been relatively quiet since 2010, but the city remains mostly buried under layers of mud and ash.
The "restricted zone" has expanded from the south coast of the island north to the Belham Valley. Visitors are now not allowed into the restricted area, but impressive views of the destruction of Plymouth can be seen from the top of Garibaldi Hill in the Bay of Islands.
Despite the volcanic activity, much of Montserrat remains lush and green. In February 2005, the king's eldest daughter officially opened new airport in Gerald to the north. The previous airport was destroyed by a volcano. A new capital and port are being built in Small Bay in the north-west of the island. The new government center is located in Brades, nearby.
Details Category: North American Dependent Territories Published 07/11/2014 11:16 Views: 1396Montserrat is a British overseas territory located on the island of the same name in the Caribbean Sea.
Montserrat in the Caribbean
State symbols
Flag- is a blue cloth, the upper left quarter of which is occupied by the national flag of Great Britain, and in the center of the right half is the coat of arms of Montserrat.
The flag of the Governor of Montserrat is the flag of Great Britain, with the coat of arms of Montserrat in the center. The flag was adopted in 1909.
Coat of arms– consists of a shield depicting a woman in green, the heroine of the Irish epic Erin, the female personification of Ireland, based on the mythology of Eriu. She holds a golden harp, a symbol of Ireland, which appears on the coat of arms of Ireland, and embraces a cross, a symbol of Christianity.
The coat of arms pays tribute to the Irish origins of the first settlers of Montserrat, exiled to the island by Oliver Cromwell in the 17th century. The coat of arms was adopted in 1909.
State structure
Form of government- a constitutional monarchy.
Head of State- the monarch of Great Britain represented by a governor appointed by the monarch.
Head of the government- Prime Minister.
Capital– Plymouth (de jure), Brades (de facto). After the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano, the city of Plymouth was abandoned; now the temporary administrative center is located in the village of Brades in the north of the island.
The largest city– Plymouth
Since July 1995, there have been a series of powerful eruptions at the Soufriere Hills volcano, sending lava and ash over large areas of southern Montserrat, including Plymouth, forcing residents to evacuate in December. A few months later they were allowed to return, but on June 25, 1997, a powerful eruption killed 19 people and pyroclastic material almost reached the airport. Plymouth was evacuated again. More than ⅔ of the population left the island. The government of Montserrat has moved to Brades, but Plymouth still remains the de jure administrative center.
Plymouth after the volcanic eruption
Official language- English.
Territory– 102 km².
Airport runway in Montserrat
Administrative division– 3 parishes.
Population– 4922 people 8 thousand people left the island during the volcanic activity in 1995, after which some of them returned. Until now, the southern half of the island is closed to people. The population is mainly of African and mixed descent.
Religion- The majority are Protestants, part of the population is Catholics.
Currency– East Caribbean dollar.
Economy– was based mainly on tourism. Produced rum, textiles, assembly electronic devices. Agriculture
: sugar cane, cotton, citrus fruits, bananas, mangoes, avocados, coconuts, vegetables were grown, and livestock was raised in small quantities. Following the volcanic activity of 1995 and the evacuation of much of the population, economic activity declined sharply. IN last years the population has begun to return, but funds have to be spent on restoring housing, infrastructure and farmland.
Education– universally compulsory and free for children aged 5 to 15 years.
Sport– Cricket and football are popular.
Nature
The mountains remain wet rainforests. Streams flow from them, forming waterfalls.
The vegetation is mainly shrubs, and in the mountainous areas there are small amounts of tropical rainforests consisting of mangroves.
The fauna is not very diverse, represented mainly by birds. The island is home to one of the unique species of birds - a subspecies of oriole, which is a national symbol. Lots of pelicans, flamingos and frigate birds.
There are quite a lot of turtles, including sea turtles, that lay eggs on land.
Climatic conditions are favorable for human life; trade winds from the ocean moderate the heat. The weather is predominantly sunny with little temperature variation throughout the year.
"Mountain Chicken" - a giant frog ditch is an endangered species and is found only in Caribbean Islands Dominica and Montserrat. Hunting, habitat loss, and fungal disease outbreaks have wiped out much of the species' population.
Attractions of the island of Montserrat
This is, first of all, the nature of the island, unique black beaches consisting of products of a volcanic eruption, and a historical and national reserve on the coast of Carrs Bay, where you can visit the ruins of an old guard fort of the 17th century. and the old clock tower. The mountain monastery, built at an altitude of 725 m above sea level, also attracts tourists.
The most famous natives of the island of Montserrat are cricket players Jim Allen And Lionel Baker, as well as a member of the group “Boney M” Maisie Williams.
Story
In ancient times, the island was inhabited by Carib Indians, who called their island “Alliuagana,” that is, “land of thorny bushes.”
The island was discovered by Columbus in 1493 and named it after the Benedictine monastery of Montserrat in the mountains of the same name in Catalonia.
In 1632, the first English settlement of Plymouth was founded on the island by exiled Catholics. Negro slaves soon began to be brought here to work on sugar cane plantations.
In the XVII-XVIII centuries. England and France competed for possession of the island, and in 1783 Montserrat finally became a possession of Great Britain.
In 1871-1958. Montserrat was part of the Leeward Islands dominion, and in 1958-1962. to the West Indies Federation.
On June 25, 1995, a catastrophic eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano began. The affected half of Montserrat is expected to remain uninhabited for at least another 10 years.
Plymouth city after volcanic eruption
The inhabitants of the island do not fight for independence, wanting to remain under the British crown.
Brades (de facto)
Geography
Montserrat is an island of volcanic origin. Among its three volcanic peaks, Chance Mountain (915 m) was the highest. After the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano, which began in July 1995, by 2006 the height of its lava dome reached 930 m.
Tropical rainforests have been preserved in the mountains. Streams flow from them, forming waterfalls.
Climatic conditions are favorable for human life; trade winds from the ocean moderate the heat. Sunny weather prevails with slight temperature changes throughout the year (24-27 °C). precipitation averages 1500 mm per year. Their greatest number occurs in September-November, the smallest in March-June.
Story
In ancient times, the island was inhabited by Carib Indians, who called their island “Alliuagana,” that is, “land of thorny bushes.”
Currently, entry and entry into the southern part of the island is prohibited; violators are caught and fined. The affected half of Montserrat is expected to remain uninhabited for at least another 10 years.
A major volcanic eruption occurred on July 28, 2008, with no previous activity [ ] . The ends of the pyroclastic flows reached Plymouth. The height of the eruptive column was estimated at 12 km above sea level. On February 11, 2010, the volcano's dome partially collapsed [ ] .
Political structure
British Overseas Territory. Managed by the governor.
Before my trip to Montserrat, I was sure that volcanoes kill, if not with lava, then with earthquakes. But with a close acquaintance with Montserrat, the Soufriere Hills volcano and the destroyed Plymouth, you have to learn about pyroclastic flows. The magma here is not hot enough to reach the liquid surface and spill out into lava, so the cooling magma clogs the vent, forming something like a champagne cork. While the eruption continues, the clogged dome is supported by lava from below, the dome grows, and sooner or later an explosion occurs, the top of the volcano flies into the air and falls down, forming a pyroclastic flow - a mixture of volcanic gas, superheated steam, ash and solidified lava (from stones the size of 5 -storey building to ordinary sand). The stream, heated to 500°C, rushes down at a speed of 100 km/h, destroying, of course, everything. Vesuvius, which destroyed Pompeii, and Eyjafjallajökull, which made European history freeze air space, erupted in the same way. The last time Soufriere Hills raged was in February 2010. Boulders of cooling magma can be seen rolling down the slopes of the volcano. During the day, the lava looks black. But on a clear night, if the clouds do not cover the top of the volcano and the cloud of sulfur oxides is blown away by the wind, it is noticeable that the erupting rocks are still very hot.
Previously, at the foot of the volcano there was quite a brilliant Caribbean Plymouth. Soufriere Hills slept for 400 years and suddenly woke up 15 years ago, in 1995, to completely change the life of the island, destroying its capital and only city (now there is not a single city or town on the island that resembles a city - a solid “one-story America” ). The population dropped from 13,000 to 5,000 (there were almost no deaths, people left the island during evacuation or on their own, but many did not return: housing was destroyed and the tourist-oriented economy fell into disrepair).
And this is Plymouth today. Soufriere Hills, obscured by fumes, in the background. People abandoned the city in 1997, after a series of eruptions.
Some years ago it was still possible to get to Plymouth by land, and visiting the destroyed city became a ritual for the locals (for whom the loss of the capital, most of the country's real estate and almost everything tourism business- a national tragedy) and an attraction for tourists. These days things have become stricter and viewing Plymouth from a boat or helicopter is the only legal option left. On a boat you can get quite close, but you cannot stop.
Visits are closed due to the danger of pyroclastic flows: once the eruption has begun, then with a flow speed of 100 km/h it will not be possible to escape from it. In 1997, 19 people died this way.
To ensure that no one breaks this rule, the banks are patrolled by police. By the way, the police, like everywhere else in the post-British world, are “checkered.”
Since then, the volcano has been erupting intermittently, but people have somehow learned to live next to it. The island has a volcanic observatory, the Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO), which constantly measures volcanic activity, and a sophisticated civil defense system. Montserrat is divided into zones marked with letters (A, B, ...) with different statuses; the observatory, based on observations, assigns a “danger level” from 1 to 5 (currently the “danger level” is 3). Depending on the “level of danger”, certain activities are allowed or prohibited in different zones: somewhere you can live and do whatever you want, fearing only ash falling from the sky and Caribbean cyclones; somewhere you can live for those who already live, but be prepared to evacuate; No one except specialists is allowed to be somewhere. Every house usually has a silent, battery-powered radio, through which an evacuation alert can be transmitted at any time - in a sense, an analogue of our radio point (whose main purpose, as we know, is civil defense and emergency alerts). Most of the island (zone V), regardless of the level of danger, is always closed to normal human life.