Anthem
Recording: Nationalanthems.info · CC BY 4.0 · Source: Wikimedia Commons
Recording: United States Navy Band · Public domain (U.S. government work) · Source: Wikimedia Commons
Visitor guide
History
Montserrat was settled in 1632, largely by Irish settlers, and remains a British Overseas Territory. Eruptions of the Soufrière Hills volcano from 1995 buried the capital, Plymouth, and forced much of the population to leave.
Culture
Its Irish heritage gives it the nickname the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean, and St Patrick's Day is a week-long festival. The island also has a strong calypso tradition.
Languages & Creoles
English is the official language. Montserrat Creole is spoken locally.
Currency
The Eastern Caribbean dollar (XCD), fixed at about 2.70 to the US dollar.
Popular Attractions
Visitors view the volcano and the abandoned capital from the Montserrat Volcano Observatory and Jack Boy Hill. Hiking trails, black-sand beaches and Rendezvous Bay, the only white-sand beach, are quiet and unspoilt.
Food
Goat water, a spiced goat stew, is the national dish. Fresh fish and local produce from the island's farms are common.
Places to Visit
Little Bay and Brades, the Volcano Observatory, Rendezvous Bay, the Centre Hills and the exclusion-zone tours.
More of the Caribbean
English-speaking Caribbean
Spanish-speaking Caribbean
French-speaking Caribbean
Dutch-speaking Caribbean
Additional Caribbean Coastal Areas
Colombia—Caribbean coast; San Andrés and Providencia
Venezuela—Caribbean coast and islands
Panama—Caribbean coast; Bocas del Toro
Costa Rica—Caribbean coast; Limón
Nicaragua—Caribbean coast; Corn Islands
Honduras—Caribbean coast; Bay Islands
Guatemala—Caribbean coast; Livingston
Mexico—Caribbean coast; Cozumel and Isla Mujeres