57-775: Montserrat is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean whose name comes from the Montserrat mountain in Catalonia. Montserrat or Monserrat may also refer to: Montserrat Montserrat ( / ˌ m ɒ n t s ə ˈ r æ t / MONT -sə- RAT ) is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean . It is part of the Leeward Islands , the northern portion of the Lesser Antilles chain of
114-406: A few tiny off-shore islands, such as Little Redonda off its north coast and Pinnacle Rock and Statue Rock off its east. In July 1995, Montserrat's Soufrière Hills volcano, dormant for centuries, erupted and soon buried the island's capital, Plymouth, in more than 12 metres (39 ft) of mud, destroyed its airport and docking facilities, and rendered the southern part of the island, now termed
171-692: A landform or the surrounding terrain, such as rivers and other geographic features. Some petroglyph maps, depicting trails, as well as containing symbols communicating the time and distances travelled along those trails, exist; other petroglyph maps act as astronomical markers. As well as holding geographic and astronomical importance, other petroglyphs may also have been a by-product of various rituals: sites in India, for example, have seen some petroglyphs identified as musical instruments or " rock gongs ". Some petroglyphs likely formed types of symbolic communication, such as types of proto-writing . Later glyphs from
228-677: A leading legal scholar to remark that a "nice question" is whether the original settlers took with them the law of the Kingdom of Ireland insofar as it differed from the law of the Kingdom of England . The Irish being historical allies of the French , especially in their qualified disdain of the English, invited the French to claim the island in 1666, although no troops were sent by France to maintain control. The French attacked and briefly occupied
285-646: A local planter, Mr Burke. In 1857, the British philanthropist Joseph Sturge bought a sugar estate to prove that it was economically viable to employ paid labour rather than use slaves. Numerous members of the Sturge family bought additional land. In 1869, the family established the Montserrat Company Limited and planted Key lime trees; started the commercial production of lime juice, with more than 100,000 gallons produced annually by 1895; set up
342-641: A mountainous interior surrounded by a flatter littoral region, with rock cliffs rising 15 to 30 m (49 to 98 ft) above the sea and a number of smooth bottomed sandy beaches scattered among coves on the western (Caribbean Sea) side of the island. The major mountains are (from north to south) Silver Hill , Katy Hill in the Centre Hills range, the Soufrière Hills and the South Soufrière Hills . The Soufrière Hills volcano
399-431: A pyroclastic flow travelled down Mosquito Ghaut. This pyroclastic surge could not be restrained by the ghaut (a steep revine leading to the sea) and spilled out of it, killing 19 people who were in the (officially evacuated) Streatham village area. Several others in the area suffered severe burns. British nationality law has changed over time with respect to the status granted to Montserrat residents. In recognition of
456-428: A school; and sold parcels of land to the inhabitants of the island. The pure lime juice was transported in casks to England, where it was clarified and bottled by Evans, Sons & Co, of Liverpool, with a trade mark on each bottle intended to guarantee quality to the public. Much of Montserrat came to be owned by smallholders . From 1871 to 1958, the island was administered as part of the federal crown colony of
513-851: A temporary rock shelter were noticed adjacent to a Murugan temple which is in ruins on top of the Kothaiyurumbu hill. During recent years a large number of rock carvings has been identified in different parts of Iran. The vast majority depict the ibex . Rock drawings were found in December 2016 near Golpayegan , Iran , which may be the oldest drawings discovered, with one cluster possibly 40,000 years old. Accurate estimations were unavailable due to US sanctions. The oldest pictographs in Iran are seen in Yafteh cave in Lorestan that date back 40,000 and
570-987: A £28 million project funded by the UK and the Caribbean Development Bank , began in June 2022. In 1493, Christopher Columbus named the island Santa María de Montserrate , after the Virgin of Montserrat of the Monastery of Montserrat near Barcelona in Catalonia , Spain . Montserrat means " serrated mountain" in Catalan . Archaeological field work in 2012 in Montserrat's Centre Hills indicated that there had been an Archaic (pre- Arawak ) occupation between 2000 and 500 BCE . Later coastal sites showed
627-695: Is exercised by the government, whereas the Premier is the head of government . The Premier is appointed by the Governor from among the members of the Legislative Assembly which consists of nine elected members. The leader of the party with a majority of seats is usually the one who is appointed. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Legislative Assembly . The Assembly also includes two ex officio members,
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#1732780351927684-499: Is far from being the only dependency in the Caribbean overall. On 18 July 1995, the previously dormant Soufrière Hills volcano in the southern end of the island became active and its eruptions destroyed Plymouth , Montserrat's Georgian era capital city situated on the west coast. Between 1995 and 2000, two-thirds of the island's population was forced to flee, mostly to the United Kingdom , leaving fewer than 1,200 people on
741-771: Is harder to explain the common styles. This could be mere coincidence, an indication that certain groups of people migrated widely from some initial common area, or indication of a common origin. In 1853, George Tate presented a paper to the Berwick Naturalists' Club, at which a John Collingwood Bruce agreed that the carvings had "... a common origin, and indicate a symbolic meaning, representing some popular thought." In his cataloguing of Scottish rock art, Ronald Morris summarized 104 different theories on their interpretation. Other theories suggest that petroglyphs were carved by spiritual leaders, such as shamans , in an altered state of consciousness , perhaps induced by
798-400: Is now inhabited, with a population of between 4,000 and 6,000, the other two parishes being still too dangerous to inhabit. A significantly more up-to-date administrative division type would be the 3 census regions, primarily used for the population census. Going north to south, these are: For census purposes, these are further divided into 23 enumeration districts. Policing is primarily
855-540: Is provided by Radio Montserrat . There is a single television broadcaster, PTV. Cable and satellite television service is available. The UK postcode for directing mail to Montserrat is MSR followed by four digits according to the destination town; for example, the postcode for Little Bay is MSR1120. The island of Montserrat is located approximately 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Antigua , 13 miles (21 km) southeast of Redonda (a small island owned by Antigua and Barbuda ), and 35 miles (56 km) northwest of
912-461: Is the island's highest point; its pre-1995 height was 915 metres (3,002 ft). However, it has grown after the eruption due to the creation of a lava dome , with its current height being estimated at 1,050 metres (3,440 ft). The 2011 estimate by the CIA indicates that 30% of the island's land is classified as agricultural, 20% as arable, 25% as forest and the balance as "other". Montserrat has
969-411: Is to maintain British sovereignty for the overseas territories, provide humanitarian aid and disaster relief during disasters such as hurricanes, which are common in the area, and conduct counter-narcotics operations. In October 2023, the destroyer HMS Dauntless (which had temporarily replaced Medway on her Caribbean tasking), visited the territory in order to assist local authorities in preparing for
1026-611: The British Leeward Islands , becoming a province of the short-lived West Indies Federation from 1958 to 1962. The first Chief Minister of Montserrat was William Henry Bramble of the Montserrat Labour Party from 1960 to 1970; he worked to promote labour rights and boost tourism to the island, and Montserrat's original airport was named in his honour. Bramble's son, Percival Austin Bramble ,
1083-614: The Caribbean Territories (Abolition of Death Penalty for Murder) Order 1991 came into force, formally abolishing the death penalty for murder on Montserrat. Corruption allegations within the PLM party resulted in the collapse of the Osborne government in 1991, with Reuben Meade becoming the new chief minister, and early elections were called. In 1995–1999, Montserrat was devastated by catastrophic volcanic eruptions in
1140-655: The Montserrat Volcano Observatory . In 2015, it was announced that planning would begin on a new town and port at Little Bay on the northwest coast of the island, and the centre of government and businesses was moved temporarily to Brades . After a number of delays, including Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 and the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in early 2020, the Little Bay Port Development Project,
1197-527: The Movement for Change and Prosperity party has been the island's Premier. Montserrat is an internally self-governing overseas territory of the United Kingdom . The United Nations Committee on Decolonization includes Montserrat on the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories . The island's head of state is King Charles III , represented by an appointed Governor. Executive power
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#17327803519271254-645: The Nordic Bronze Age in Scandinavia seem to refer to some form of territorial boundary between tribes , in addition to holding possible religious meanings. Petroglyph styles have been recognised as having local or regional "dialects" from similar or neighboring peoples. Siberian inscriptions loosely resemble an early form of runes , although no direct relationship has been established. Petroglyphs from different continents show similarities. While people would be inspired by their direct surroundings, it
1311-565: The Soufrière Hills , which destroyed the capital city of Plymouth , and necessitated the evacuation of a large part of the island. Many Montserratians emigrated abroad, mainly to the United Kingdom, although some have returned. The eruptions rendered the entire southern half of the island uninhabitable, and it is currently designated an Exclusion Zone with restricted access. Criticism of the Montserratian government's response to
1368-695: The West Indies . Montserrat is about 16 km (10 mi) long and 11 km (7 mi) wide, with roughly 40 km (25 mi) of coastline. It is nicknamed "The Emerald Isle of the Caribbean" both for its resemblance to coastal Ireland and for the Irish ancestry of many of its inhabitants. Montserrat is the only non-fully sovereign full member of the Caribbean Community and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States , though it
1425-456: The attorney general and financial secretary. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. For the purposes of local government, Montserrat is divided into three parishes . Going north to south, they are: The locations of settlements on the island have been vastly changed since the volcanic activity began. Only the Parish of Saint Peter in the northwest of the island
1482-488: The 2001 election. He was ousted by Lowell Lewis of the Montserrat Democratic Party in 2006. Reuben Meade returned to office in 2009 to 2014. During his term, the post of Chief Minister was replaced with that of Premier . In the autumn of 2017, Montserrat was not affected by Hurricane Irma , and sustained only minor damage from Hurricane Maria . Since November 2019, Easton Taylor-Farrell of
1539-436: The French overseas region of Guadeloupe . Beyond Redonda lies the island of Nevis (which is part of the federation of St Kitts and Nevis ), about 30 miles (48 km) to the north-west. Montserrat comprises 104 km (40 sq mi) and is gradually increasing owing to the buildup of volcanic deposits on the southeast coast. The island is 16 km (9.9 mi) long and 11 km (6.8 mi) wide and consists of
1596-527: The Governments of Montserrat and Dominica. Releases from this programme have already taken place in a hope to increase the numbers of the frog and reduce extinction risk from Chytridiomycosis. Petroglyph A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading , as a form of rock art . Outside North America , scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions of
1653-676: The Witwatersrand studies present-day links between religion and rock art among the San people of the Kalahari Desert . Though the San people's artworks are predominantly paintings, the beliefs behind them can perhaps be used as a basis for understanding other types of rock art, including petroglyphs. To quote from the RARI website: Using knowledge of San beliefs, researchers have shown that
1710-686: The art played a fundamental part in the religious lives of its painters. The art captured things from the San's world behind the rock-face: the other world inhabited by spirit creatures, to which dancers could travel in animal form, and where people of ecstasy could draw power and bring it back for healing, rain-making and capturing the game. Tunisia Eight sites in Hong Kong : Kethaiyurumpu, Tamil Nadu. Situated 28 km north west of Dindigal, Tamil Nadu nearby Idaiyakottai and six km south west of Oddanchartam has revealed several petroglyphs mostly represent abstract symbols on two rocks, which looks like
1767-759: The climax of the hurricane season. The Royal Montserrat Defence Force is the home defence unit of the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat. Raised in 1899, the unit is today a reduced force of about forty volunteer soldiers, primarily concerned with civil defence and ceremonial duties. The unit has a historical association with the Irish Guards . The island is served by landline telephones, fully digitalised, with 3000 subscribers and by mobile cellular, with an estimated number of 5000 handsets in use. An estimated 2860 users have internet access. These are July 2016 estimates. Public radio service
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1824-521: The disaster led to the resignation of Chief Minister Bertrand Osborne in 1997 after only a year in office. He was replaced by David Brandt , who remained in office until 2001. Since leaving office, Brandt has been the subject of multiple criminal investigation into alleged sex offences with minors. He was found guilty of six counts of sexual exploitation and sentenced to fifteen years in July 2021. John Osborne returned as Chief Minister following victory in
1881-416: The disaster, in 1998, the people of Montserrat were granted full residency rights in the United Kingdom, allowing them to migrate if they chose. British citizenship was granted in 2002 to British Overseas Territories citizens in Montserrat and all but one other British Overseas Territory. For a number of years in the early 2000s, the volcano's activity consisted mostly of infrequent ventings of ash into
1938-458: The exclusion zone, uninhabitable and not safe for travel. The southern part of the island was evacuated and visits are severely restricted. The exclusion zone also includes two sea areas adjacent to the land areas of most volcanic activity. After the destruction of Plymouth and disruption of the economy, more than half of the population left the island, which also lacked housing. During the late 1990s, additional eruptions occurred. On 25 June 1997,
1995-587: The ground, are also quite different. Inuksuit are not petroglyphs, but human-made rock forms found in Arctic regions. Petroglyphs have been found in all parts of the globe except Antarctica , with highest concentrations in parts of Africa, Scandinavia and Siberia, many examples of petroglyphs found globally are dated to approximately the Neolithic and late Upper Paleolithic boundary (roughly 10,000 to 12,000 years ago). Around 7,000 to 9,000 years ago, following
2052-459: The introduction of a number of precursors of writing systems , the existence and creation of petroglyphs began to suffer and tail off, with different forms of art, such as pictographs and ideograms , taking their place. However, petroglyphs continued to be created and remained somewhat common, with various cultures continuing to use them for differing lengths of time, including cultures who continued to create them until contact with Western culture
2109-533: The island as far north as parts of the Belham Valley, because of the size of the existing volcanic dome and the resulting possibility of pyroclastic activity. Visitors are generally not permitted to enter the exclusion zone, but a view of destroyed Plymouth can be seen from the top of Garibaldi Hill in Isles Bay. The volcano has been relatively quiet since early 2010 and continues to be closely monitored by
2166-416: The island in 1997. (The population had increased to nearly 5,000 by 2016). The volcanic activity continues, mostly affecting the vicinity of Plymouth, including its docks, and the eastern side of the island around the former W. H. Bramble Airport , the remnants of which were buried by flows from further volcanic activity on 11 February 2010. An exclusion zone was imposed, encompassing the southern part of
2223-461: The island in the late 1660s; it was captured shortly afterwards by the English, and English control of the island was confirmed under the Treaty of Breda the following year. Despite the seizing by force of the island by the French, the island's legal status is that of a "colony acquired by settlement", as the French gave up their claim to the island at Breda. A neo-feudal colony developed amongst
2280-488: The island was unoccupied because of raids by the Caribs . A number of Irishmen settled in Montserrat in 1632. Most came from nearby Saint Kitts at the instigation of the island's governor Thomas Warner , with more settlers arriving later from Virginia . The first settlers "appear to have been cultivators, each working his own little farm". The preponderance of Anglo-Irish in the first wave of European settlers led
2337-401: The island, agreed to return the island to Great Britain under the 1783 Treaty of Paris . In 1834, Britain abolished slavery in Montserrat and its other territories. During the nineteenth century, falling sugar prices had an adverse effect on the island's economy, as Brazil and other nations competed in the trade. The first lime tree orchards on the island were planted in 1852 by
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2394-540: The lack of maintenance in destroyed areas. It is legal to visit this area when accompanied by a government-authorised guide. The northern part of Montserrat has largely been unaffected by volcanic activity, and remains lush and green. In February 2005, Princess Anne officially opened what is now called the John A. Osborne Airport in the north. Since 2011, it handles several flights daily operated by Fly Montserrat Airways . Docking facilities are in place at Little Bay, where
2451-712: The mountain chicken, found only in Montserrat and Dominica . The species has undergone catastrophic declines due to the amphibian disease Chytridiomycosis and the volcanic eruption in 1997. Experts from Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust have been working with the Montserrat Department of Environment to conserve the frog in-situ in a project called "Saving the Mountain Chicken", and an ex-situ captive breeding population has been set up in partnership with Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Zoological Society of London , Chester Zoo , Parken Zoo, and
2508-577: The new capital town is being constructed; the new government centre is at Brades, a short distance away. Montserrat, like many isolated islands, is home to rare, endemic plant and animal species. Work undertaken by the Montserrat National Trust in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has centred on the conservation of pribby ( Rondeletia buxifolia ) in the Centre Hills region. Until 2006, this species
2565-467: The oldest petroglyph discovered belongs to Timareh dating back to 40,800 years ago. Iran provides demonstrations of script formation from pictogram, ideogram, linear (2300 BC) or proto Elamite, geometric old Elamite script, Pahlevi script, Arabic script (906 years ago), Kufi script, and Farsi script back to at least 250 years ago. More than 50000 petroglyphs have been discovered, extended over all Iran's states. The oldest reliably dated rock art in
2622-621: The presence of the Saladoid culture (until 550 CE). The native Caribs are believed to have called the island Alliouagana , meaning 'Land of the Prickly Bush'. In 2016, nine petroglyphs were discovered by local residents hiking in a wooded area near Soldier Ghaut . Another was discovered in 2018 in the same area of the island. The carvings are believed to be 1000–1500 years old. In November 1493, Christopher Columbus passed Montserrat on his second voyage , after being told that
2679-551: The responsibility of the Royal Montserrat Police Service . The defence of Montserrat is the responsibility of the United Kingdom. The Royal Navy maintains a ship on permanent station in the Caribbean ( HMS Medway ) and from time-to-time may send another Royal Navy or Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship as a part of the Atlantic Patrol (NORTH) tasking. These ships' main mission in the region
2736-422: The so-called " redlegs ". The Anglo-Irish colonists began to transport both Sub-Saharan African slaves and Irish indentured servants for labour, as was common to most Caribbean islands. By the late 18th century, numerous plantations had been developed on the island. There was a brief French attack on Montserrat in 1712. On 17 March 1768, a slave rebellion failed but their efforts were remembered. Slavery
2793-483: The technique to refer to such images. Petroglyphs, estimated to be 20,000 years old are classified as protected monuments and have been added to the tentative list of UNESCO 's World Heritage Sites . Petroglyphs are found worldwide, and are often associated with prehistoric peoples. The word comes from the Greek prefix petro- , from πέτρα petra meaning " stone ", and γλύφω glýphō meaning "carve", and
2850-464: The uninhabited areas in the south. The ash falls occasionally extended into the northern and western parts of the island. In the most recent period of increased activity at the Soufrière Hills volcano, from November 2009 through February 2010, ash vented and there was a vulcanian explosion that sent pyroclastic flows down several sides of the mountain. Travel into parts of the exclusion zone
2907-461: The use of natural hallucinogens . Many of the geometric patterns (known as form constants ) which recur in petroglyphs and cave paintings have been shown by David Lewis-Williams to be hardwired into the human brain. They frequently occur in visual disturbances and hallucinations brought on by drugs, migraine , and other stimuli. The Rock Art Research Institute (RARI) of the University of
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#17327803519272964-567: Was abolished in 1834. In 1985, the people of Montserrat made St Patrick's Day a ten-day public holiday to commemorate the uprising. Festivities celebrate the culture and history of Montserrat in song, dance, food and traditional costumes. In 1782, during the American Revolutionary War , as America's first ally, France captured Montserrat in their war of support of the Americans. The French, not intending to colonise
3021-544: Was critical of the way tourist facilities were being constructed, and he set up his own party, the Progressive Democratic Party , which won the 1970 Montserratian general election . Percival Bramble served as Chief Minister from 1970 to 1978. The period 1978 to 1991 was dominated politically by Chief Minister John Osborne and his People's Liberation Movement A brief flirtation with possibly declaring independence never materialised. On 10 May 1991,
3078-401: Was known only from one book about the vegetation of Montserrat. In 2006, conservationists also rescued several plants of the endangered Montserrat orchid ( Epidendrum montserratense ) from dead trees on the island and installed them in the security of the island's botanic garden. Montserrat is also home to the critically endangered giant ditch frog ( Leptodactylus fallax ), known locally as
3135-485: Was made in the 19th and 20th centuries. Many hypotheses exist as to the purpose of petroglyphs, depending on their location, age, and subject matter. Some petroglyph images most likely held a deep cultural and religious significance for the societies that created them. Many petroglyphs are thought to represent a type of symbolic or ritualistic language or communication style that remains not fully understood. Others, such as geocontourglyphs , more clearly depict or represent
3192-513: Was occasionally allowed, though only by a licence from the Royal Montserrat Police Force. Since 2014 the area has been split into multiple subzones with varying entry and use restrictions, based on volcanic activity: some areas even being (in 2020) open 24 hours and inhabited. The most dangerous zone, which includes the former capital, remains forbidden to casual visitors due to volcanic and other hazards, especially due to
3249-417: Was originally coined in French as pétroglyphe . In scholarly texts, a petroglyph is a rock engraving, whereas a petrograph (or pictograph ) is a rock painting. In common usage, the words are sometimes used interchangeably. Both types of image belong to the wider and more general category of rock art or parietal art . Petroforms , or patterns and shapes made by many large rocks and boulders over
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