a British overseas territory located in the Leeward Islands, part of the chain of islands called the Lesser Antilles in the West Indies. This island measures approximately 16 km (10 miles) long and 11 km (7 miles) wide, giving 40 kilometres (25 mi) of coastline.[3]Christopher Columbus gave Montserrat its name on his second voyage to the New World in 1493, after Montserrat mountain located in Catalonia. Montserrat is nicknamed the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean, both for its resemblance to coastal Ireland and for the Irish descent of its inhabitants.
Montserrat has an active volcano, which is monitored by the Montserrat Volcano Observatory. The volcano had been long dormant until the early 1990s when it began showing signs of erupting; now it is active, and closely watched. Montserrat’s Georgian era historic capital city of Plymouth was destroyed and two-thirds of the island’s population were forced to flee abroad by an eruption of the previously dormant Soufriere Hills volcano that began on July 18, 1995.[4] The eruption continues today on a much reduced scale, the damage being confined to the areas around Plymouth, including its docking facilities and the former W. H. Bramble Airport, the remnants of which were buried by flows from volcanic activity on February 11, 2010. An exclusion zone extending from the south coast of the island north to parts of the Belham Valley has been imposed because of the size of the existing volcanic dome and the resulting potential for pyroclastic activity. At present visitors are not permitted entry into Plymouth, but an impressive view of the destruction can be had from the top of Garibaldi Hill in Isles Bay.
The village of Brades currently serves as the temporary centre of government while construction proceeds on a new town at Little Bay in the north of the island.
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May 21st, 2013 
Admin: Donna Nerissa Golden, Government Information Unit
BRADES (GIU) — The Government of Montserrat has released the first official report on the findings of the Geothermal assessment conducted by Dr Graham A. Ryan of the Institute of Earth Science and Engineering, University of Auckland in New Zealand.
According to the report, drilling began on Montserrat’s first geothermal well, MON-1, [...]
May 21st, 2013 Admin: Donna Above: Montserrat
By the Caribbean Journal staff
Montserrat will be receiving $26.04 million USD in budget aid from the United Kingdom’s Department For International Development.
The government announced the funding following what it called “detailed discussions and negotiations” with Montserrat on a settlement.
The aid will enable “continued provision of essential services, including assistance across health, education services and [...]
Posted in Carbon Market, Environmental Management, Funding Opportunities, Montserrat, News
Comments Off May 17th, 2013 Admin: Donna Above: the geothermal drill in Montserrat
By the Caribbean Journal staff
Drilling has reached the “desired depth” for completion on Montserrat’s first geothermal well, the government announced this week.
In four weeks, the drilling team will test to determine the capacity of the well to generate geothermal energy.
The bottom of the well is located 2,298 metres below ground.
“The [...]
May 17th, 2013 Admin: Donna By Nerissa Golden
BRADES, Montserrat (GIU) — The United Kingdom is making good on its commitment to support Montserrat’s redevelopment and move towards financial independence.
In a letter to Premier Reuben Meade, signed by Department for International Development (DfID) Minister of State, Alan Duncan, and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), Mark [...]
Posted in Carbon Market, Energy Efficiency, Environmental Management, Funding Opportunities, Montserrat, News
Comments Off May 16th, 2013 Admin: Donna Nerissa Golden, Government Information Unit
BRADES (GIU) — The Public Works Department recently announced that they have reached the desired depth on the first geothermal well and moving to drill the second one.
In four weeks, after temperatures have stabilized they will test to estimate the capacity of the well to generate geothermal energy.
According to PWD Director [...]
