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Caribbean Islands

Montserrat


Montserrat is a Caribbean island in the Leeward Islands, which is part of the chain known as the Lesser Antilles, in the West Indies. It is one of 14 British Overseas Territory (BOT), governed by a locally elected Premier and Parliament. The island has an area of 102 km², is 16 km long and 11 km wide, and has 5,000 inhabitants.

The geology of the island is mostly volcanic. The main event with the local volcanoes was the 1995 eruption of the previously dormant Soufrière Hills volcano. It destroyed the former capital Plymouth and two thirds of the inhabitants were forced to flee. The southern part of the island, more than half of its surface, was declared an "exclusion zone" and is not permitted for visitors!

On the volcanic base corl reefs formed for a long time. Uplift caused by the volcanism created limestone areas consisting of quite young coral reef limestone, which is carstified and contains numerous small caves. Not the caves itself are of interest, but the bats which live there.