The small Caribbean island of Montserrat - the overseas territory of Great Britain - lived its calm and measured life until 1995. Until 1995, the Soufriere Hills complex of volcanoes woke up here (from the French Soufriere - "sulfuric", the English. Hills - "hills"), sleeping from the 17th century. During the eruption, pyroclastic flows destroyed the capital, the city of Plymouth and another 20 settlements. 2/3 of the population were forced to leave Montserrat, and half of the island turned into an exclusion zone. It is expected that this territory will be uninhabited for at least 10 years ...
Archival photos of the ghost island.
Montserrat Island is only 16 km long and 10 wide. The island has four different age volcanic centers (massifs): Silver Hills, Central Hills, the active volcano Soufriere Hills, South Soufriere Hills.
Until 1995, 11,000 people lived on Montserrat Island. When the pyroclastic flows and sat down became regular, the capital Plymouth was evacuated, and after a few weeks the city was covered with several meters of ash. 2/3 of the population, i.e. 7,000 residents were forced to leave Montserrat Island. (Photo AP Photo | John McConnico):
The eruption of Soufriere Hills volcano began on July 18, 1995 and was the first since the 17th century. A major eruption on June 25, 1997 led to the death of 19 people. The island's airport was in the main stream and was completely destroyed.
This is Plymouth, the former capital of Montserrat. Now it is a ghost town. The photo was taken on August 21, 1997. (Photo by Reuters | Colin Braley):
The Soufriere Hills volcano is 915 meters high and is composed primarily of andesite. The crater, which formed about 4 thousand years ago during the collapse of the peak, has a diameter of 1 km; the peak consists of several volcanic domes. Current activity consists of a period of dome growth and short dome collapses that lead to pyroclastic flows, ash emissions, and explosive eruptions.
Seismic activity on the island was observed in 1897-1898, 1933-1937 and 1966-1967, but the eruption that began on July 18, 1995 was the first since the 17th century. When pyroclastic flows and mudflows became regular, Plymouth was evacuated, and after a few weeks the city was covered with several meters of ash. A major eruption on June 25, 1997 led to the death of 19 people. The island's airport was in the main stream and was completely destroyed. The tourism industry of Montserrat was hit hard, but then began to recover in part due to assistance from the UK.
A strong volcanic eruption occurred on July 28, 2008 with no prior 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 dome of the volcano partially collapsed.
Listen to this story:
It can often be seen here: a city madman nicknamed This-not-I stand for a long time, staring at the frozen lava and piles of stones that have reached the Caribbean Sea. Roofs stick out from the gray mass of mudflow, like fragments of a sinking ship. You can see the turret with a spire - once it was a church.
Silence. Ruin. The wind is sweeping the dust. Since the Soufriere Hills volcano woke up from a 400-year dream in 1995, Plymouth, the former administrative center of Montserrat Island in the Caribbean, has only memories. The raging volcano in several years displaced the islanders from most of the land.
Rocky debris is piled up in the Kasv Hall of BarVVVKlais Bank. As if the giants played skittles here and left. Through the empty eye sockets of Plymouth's houses, one can peer into abandoned dwellings. A layer of ash a few centimeters thick lies on phones, sofas, televisions. In the sink in the kitchen - a pile of unfinished dishes. A pink hat is lying on the bed. It seems that the hostess has just left for the store.
But she will not return. Like the 5,000 people who had to leave Plymouth. In 1996, the last residents were evacuated from here. And in 1997, the city was covered with lava, and since then it has been flooding with the ashes of the still active volcano.
This is not me going to look for the place where the spreading figs once grew - in the city center, at the very end of Church Road. In the afternoon heat the tree generously gave a shadow. Under his crown stood tables and benches - the local Fish & chips diner. And in the evenings, when a cool breeze was blowing from the sea, cheerful companies gathered here. There is no better place for lime.
"Limen" here is a "casual conversation." This is from "lime" - the so-called variety of lemon. The word appeared back in those days when slaves worked on sugar cane and lime plantations. Sugar and limes have always been Montserrat's main exports.
The most enjoyable activity for slaves was to sort and clean the limes. You sit in the shade and talk about this and that.
So the inhabitants of Plymouth under figs exchanged news and gossip - an evergreen tree attracted everyone. So they said: "See you under the tree!" Each was assigned his favorite place, It was also at This-not-me. No one drove him away, although he carried all kinds of nonsense. No one was angry that he was shooting cigarettes or begging money for a glass of rum. And it never occurred to anyone to call him a worthless person on the grounds that he walks in dirty clothes.
Under the canopy of figs, the islanders' self-esteem grew. A sense of elbow was ripening, a need for taking care of oneself, a sense of freedom, which was expressed here in that the doors of houses on the island were always wide open: you are truly free only when you fully trust your neighbor.
This-not-I lived in a hut near the bank. He was not always crazy, but why crazy - is unclear. Fearing his own delusional speeches, blurted out to everyone he met: “It's not me!” That's where the nickname came from, and his real name - William Daly - has long been forgotten.
Now, William's haven is a retirement home in the northern, safe part of the island. But from time to time he visits here, in the restricted area, and wanders through the ruins. “It's over,” he mutters. The wind drives from the volcano and circles the sulfur stench over its hometown.
Memories, longing for the past, and history - that is all that remains in Plymouth. For example, the story of Jerry Hall, then not his wife, but the girlfriend of the famous "rolling" Mick Jagger. Once at a disco, she began to stick to Danny Sweeney - the owner of the Jumping Jack’s bar on the west coast of the island, where the most tourists. Danny Sweeney was the most beautiful guy on the island, and now, at 56, he looks good: his muscles are pumped up, dark glasses, lush hair, almost untouched by gray hair. It is clear why Jerry Hall could not resist the temptation to dance with him. Yes, and in front of the future husband. However, that did not care.
Photo 1. Aerial view of the remains of the capital Plymouth after the next eruption of Soufriere Hills volcano, August 20, 1997. (Photo AP Photo | Kevin West):
“But Margaret could not stand it and attacked Jerry. Like, get out of here, this is my man! ” - says Sweeney, nodding toward his wife. Margaret removes the dishes from the five small tables, then calculates the daily revenue on the veranda, shouts to someone on a humid tropical night: “Good night!” And turns off the light.
Half past nine. There is not a soul in the bar. Whether it’s a matter of earlier - noise, din, not pushing through. From the street comes only the croaking of tree frogs and the nagging of mosquitoes. And the noise of the near sea. Nobody walks along the coast at night. With the onset of darkness, the islanders disperse home. And tourists on Montserrat - one-two and miscalculated.
Montserrat's golden age came in the 1960s, when an American businessman visited a volcanic island between Antigua and Guadeloupe. He immediately realized which tourist spot was disappearing. Although at first glance - what kind of tourism is there! Well, yes, the hills overgrown with grass, but the coast is black and bare - not palm trees for you, nothing. However, the businessman acquired a strip of coast, divided it into sections with sea views and built a golf course. And then he began to advertise in newspapers: “Caribbean, what they once were!”
Montserrat at that time remained just a remote colony of Great Britain, a land of frightened birds. Residents - mostly descendants of African slaves - were content to be caught in the sea and grow up in beds, and on Sundays they sang psalms in the church. It was this free atmosphere that was liked by those who are called “winter birds” here - wealthy retirees from North America who go to warm places in winter.
The Americans arrived and built houses for themselves, which means that the locals got a job, money started.
Then came George Martin, a former producer of The Beatles. In 1979, he built an Air Studios Montserrat recording studio at the foot of a volcano. Whoever just didn’t work within its walls — the Rolling Stones and Dire Straits, Elton John, Eric Clapton ... The Police group recorded the album Every Breath You Take here, and Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder hit Ebony and Ivory. In short, world-famous celebrities frequented Montserrat.
Sweeney taught the members of the Jet-Set group the tricks of windsurfing. Singer Sting went with him, the son of a poor fisherman, to catch barracudas at sea. At night, rock stars sat in the same La Cave bar where Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall went to the disco. Until the summer of 1995, things were going better on the island. On July 18, Sweeney picked up his new boat from the customs in Plymouth, put it on a trailer and drove home. Suddenly he heard a roar - as if a Boeing had fallen directly on him. A black cloud hung over the volcano. Ashes fell like thick flakes, like black snow. Sweeney was not so much scared as surprised. The giant has been sleeping for many centuries. So soon he will fall asleep again, Sweeney thought then.
But five weeks later, the Soufriere Hills again showed signs of life. A river of cooled ash crept along the streets of Plymouth, penetrating the houses. The governor ordered the evacuation of citizens and homeowners from the southern part of the island to the almost deserted safe north. Someone found a shelter with friends, someone was placed in churches and schools, and some slept in their cars. Two weeks later, everyone was allowed to return.
On November 30, 1995, volcanologists noticed a lava dome at the edge of the crater - this usually indicates that the risk of eruption is very high. The evacuation began again. And again, having crumbled on the northern shore, the southerners returned to their homes. After these ordeals, they no longer believed that the volcano would ever “work” for real.
This happened on March 29, 1996 - the volcano was sold in earnest. Lava flowed into the valley, consisting of boiling ash and gases heated to 800 ° C. Fortunately, her stream passed Plymouth. Again, people were evacuated, and again, the residents leaving were taking with them only the most necessary. After all, they thought they would definitely return.
For three months, the Montserratians hoped that the division of the island into a northern safe zone and a southern forbidden zone (more than half of Montserrat) was a temporary phenomenon. After all, all life was concentrated in the south: the administrative center, villages, American villas, golf courses. But permission to return did not wait.
Photo 2.This photo was taken 15 years later, on May 24, 2012. The ghost town of Plymouth on the Caribbean island of Montserrat. (Photo by Pat Hawks):
On June 25, 1997, pyroclastic flows — a mixture of hot gas and rock debris — reached the airport and villages in the center and east of the island. Killed 19 residents - those who did not wait for permission and returned to the restricted area. On August 3, the first avalanche flowed towards Plymouth. She destroyed the city center, melted the abandoned cars and killed the last hope of returning.
The government in London helped the islanders relocate to the UK. Within a few months, most of the Montserratites left the island. This-not-me is the last resident of the deceased Plymouth. Again and again at night, he sneaks into the restricted area, in his hut next to Barclays Bank. And in the afternoon he wanders among the ruins, accompanied by dogs that miss the person.
Once volcanologists examined a city buried under lava and mud flows. Having made his way to his own hut for the night, This-not-I heard them talking among themselves - they say, the city turned from a “Caribbean pearl” into a “tropical Pompeii”. Just in case, This-not-I lurked. After all, not only scientists, but also dark personalities from neighboring islands visited Lynx to loot in the surviving houses on the edge of the city.
And one night he heard a noise in a bank and called police from the north. "Poltergeist, poltergeist!" cried the poor fellow. The police laughed, but still arrived. And it turned out that a million dollars disappeared from the bank safe. True, Caribbean. Robbers managed to catch.
This is not the only one who saw firsthand how Plymouth drowns in a mudflow - centimeter by centimeter, year after year. In bad weather, new streams of dirt rushed from the mountain, after each gas emission, “black snow” - ashes — poured onto the city.
Once the streets of Maryndrive, George Street, Parliament Street disappeared ... They turned into dry channels, filled with mud and boulders. And the long Plymouth pier, to which luxurious ocean liners once moored, was getting shorter every day, because the coast continued to crumble into the sea, and nothing could stop the destruction.
The level of mud flow was judged by the most conspicuous landmarks - a red telephone box brought from England and a clock tower on concrete pillars - a monument to the inhabitants of Montserrat who died during World War II. The booth plunged into the mud at the beginning of 1999, the tower lasted until the spring of 2004. The hands of the clock stopped forever at half past twelve.
“Good morning, Moncerat! local time - Six in the morning! ” It is Rose Willock who begins her daily program, Listen Here! Recently, her news is encouraging: “According to updated data received today from the Montserrat Volcano Observatory, our volcano currently emits only 300 tons of sulfur dioxide per day. Do you remember the times when he threw out more than 1000 tons? The dome no longer forms in the crater. So, the probability of an eruption fell by as much as 60 percent! ”
Rose turns on the record. Every little t’ing gonna be all right, “Everything will be fine,” Bob Marley sings to listeners of Radio ZJB, the only station on Montserrat. Rose Willock takes off his headphones and pulls a white baseball cap over African braids. A beautiful woman in her forties, energetic and in love with her island.
Rose's mission is to support and protect Montserrat. The first time she took the initiative in 1989. Then Hurricane Hugo knocked down figs at a favorite meeting place for the townspeople. The administration ordered it to be sawn and taken out, but the tree had not yet died. “You need a tree, and he needs you! - called out to the inhabitants of Plymouth. “So go and save him!” They did not allow to saw a tree. And, fallen, it continued to grow, even the crown became more magnificent than before.
When the volcano woke up, Rose found a way to strengthen the morale of the islanders: not to think about sad things, not to talk about bad things and even find positive moments in bad news. Like that “ashy Monday”, August 21, 1995. During the transfer, one of the technicians burst into the studio with a cry: "Volcano!" Rose ran out into the street and saw a huge black cloud moving right at her. Panic reigned in the streets, people ran to the cars. Day suddenly became darker than night.
Not remembering herself, Rose crawled back into the studio. Calmed down, cleared her throat and said: “So, we continue the transfer! I know that everyone is very scared now. This is understandable, nothing like this has happened to us yet. I hope that you are not alone now. If someone close to you is nearby, take his hand. Talk to each other! Cry! I can’t tell you how long this night will last. But I know that she will pass. And nothing bad will happen to anyone! ”
However, there were days when even such an optimist as Rose Willock could not find any advantages in what was happening. The outcome began: about two-thirds of the inhabitants of Montserrat moved to the UK. By the end of 1997, only 3,381 people remained on the island. The government in London said that if the number of citizens drops to 2,500, the colony as an administrative unit will have to be abolished.
But the islanders turned out to be tough nuts: for another ten years after the disaster, those remaining on Montserrat believed in his bright future, and Rose Willock warmed their faith every day.
She repeats the old advertising slogan: “Caribbean, what they once were!”. Rose insists that Montserrat is now the same, because the islanders have not changed: they are also peace-loving, honest people. If someone lost his wallet, then soon they broadcast on the ZJB radio: there was a loss, come. So on the back of the island phone book is printed: "Montserrat. Still good, still our home. ”
60-year-old Benett Roach is also fighting for the future of his island - he publishes The Montserrat Reporter. 12 pages on cheap paper. Does George W. Bush want to strip 292 refugees from Montserrat on US residency? British Prime Minister Tony Blair again refused money for housing on the island? Roach in response bursts into a fierce editorial, in which he stigmatizes Montserrat's ill-wishers. He is the main publicist, editor in chief, chief artist and typesetter all rolled into one. And at the same time the distributor of his publication.
Alas, there is no longer an evergreen tree on the island, the very one that nurtured a sense of elbow in people. The islanders are fenced off from each other by car cabs, because now there’s no time to walk anywhere: the new bank building was rebuilt on a hill, the Angelo supermarket is in the valley, the complex of administrative buildings is somewhere away, the police station, the post office and the dock landing stage, to which the ferry from Antigua abuts - in the north of the island. And the best place on a slope overlooking the sea (before there were villas of American pensioners) was occupied by a new prison. By the efforts of twenty-one of its “guests,” they restored the monument tower to those who died in World War II. Rebuilt and put on the road. You won’t notice right away.
4,500 people live in a safe area in the north. But more than half of them are immigrants who do work that local people do not want to: patch up potholes on the roads or sweep away volcanic ash. They are also needed so that the number of inhabitants of the colony does not fall below the mark of 2500 people. And the native islanders have a little less than 2000. They live on the benefits that London gives.
Most refugees settled in London, Leicester and Manchester.
It happens that immigrants call the studio. This is what Stanley Pope Kilman Dyer did in December 2004. Everyone from Montserrat knows this name. Dyer won the Calypso Youth Music Festival before the volcano made everyone leave. In a foreign land, he was diagnosed with cancer. Chemotherapy did not help. He called to say goodbye to friends and sing a song composed by him in honor of Montserrat. It was called "The Last Dance Before I Leave."
Church in the center of the ghost town of Plymouth, August 28, 1997. The entire territory in the district is covered with volcanic ash. (Photo AP Photo | John McConnico):
Dyer, until recently, hoped to come to Christmas where he was born and raised. This is the tradition of the diaspora: to gather at the Montserrat Christmas festival with its carnivals and music competitions. The annual arrival of refugees is proof of the unity of the islanders. It is more than just homesickness.
“Our future,” says Ruben Mead, “will begin when we part with the past.” Montserrat's former chief minister came to show us Plymouth. And now silently wanders among the ruins. In the two years that he was not here, the courthouse was almost completely covered in mud. The gray stream has reached the clock face on the pediment - the numbers 4 and 8 are still visible, but 6, 5 and 7 are no longer there.
But the old administration building still stands. In it, Ruben Mead worked until the eruption. In order not to sit idly by, he went up every morning with volcanologists to the crater, and in the evening he broadcast the news to the people.
Once he saw yellow butterflies fluttering over a slope and announced to people: “Believe me, this is a sign that the volcano will calm down in the near future!” The prediction did not come true. He was not re-elected for a new term.
Which of the island’s past lives is Meade missing most of all? "Nothing. The Montserrat that I aspire to is in the future. ” Having talked about the future, the smart politician and investor in the construction industry, who has exchanged the fifth dozen in sports, looks far ahead: “Montserrat needs a new city. The place where it can be built is called Little Bay. A ferry from Antigua is now approaching there. ”
And you can build a marina if London gives money. A new airfield has already been opened in the center of the northern part of the island, and a golf course has been laid in the western part. They poured a whole plain of ash accumulated over ten years. Soon tourists with golf clubs will reach Montserrat again. And in Plymouth - a good idea! - You can open a museum of volcanology in the open.
Will the islanders like that yearn for their old city? Ruben Mead says: “People have been grieving for so long because no one had time to say goodbye to the city due to the evacuation. Plymouth was dearer to us than our own. We had a custom to arrange a funeral service for each dead man, so that all the townspeople would come to say goodbye to him. ”
Once, Mead brought his father here - to say goodbye to the ruins. He stood, bowing his head, crossed himself and said: "Come, now everything is fine."
Now parting with Plymouth and the southern part of the island, which is under the control of the volcano, has turned into a kind of healing ritual. The Montserrat administration rents a ferry to Antigua on Fridays. He goes around the island. Hundreds of Montserrat people stand at the handrails and look at the south coast, some brush away tears.
And when they go ashore in Little Bay, then in the place of the future city they will see figs - an evergreen tree. And on the construction site near the pier there is a poster: "Montserrat - still good, still our home."
Road sign. In some parts, the city is covered with a layer of ash up to 3 meters high, on August 28, 1997. (Photo AP Photo | John McConnico):
Video cassette store, capital of Plymouth, August 28, 1997. (Photo AP Photo | John McConnico):
The amount of volcanic ash can be estimated from this half-buried telephone box on March 2, 1998. (Photo AP Photo | Gregory Bull):
This is October 11, 2002. Abandoned houses on the island near the pyroclastic stream. (Photo AP Photo | Tomas van Houtryve):
An observation deck outside the exclusion zone of Montserrat Island. The Soufriere Hills Volcano continues its activity on May 4, 2006. (Photo AP Photo | Brennan Linsley):
The ash-filled center of the ghost town of Plymouth, May 5, 2006. Almost 10 years after the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano began. (Photo AP Photo | Brennan Linsley):
The former capital of Montserrat is almost completely buried under a thick layer of ash. Here and there, some remnants of structures stick out, May 5, 2006. (Photo by AP Photo | Brennan Linsley):
Satellite photo, 2010. It shows part of the runway of the local airport. (Photo by Google, Inc.):
Another photograph overlooking the former airport. The same place, but the view from the ground, May 1, 2012. The economy of Montserrat - the islands of the Caribbean - was based on tourism. (Clickable, 2500 × 635 px) . (Photo by Pat Hawks):
Once there was a tourist paradise. Pool overlooking the Caribbean Sea, almost completely covered with volcanic ash. (Photo by Pat Hawks):
Montserrat is an overseas territory of Great Britain, located on the island of the same name in the Caribbean.
Montserrat in the Caribbean
State symbols
Flag - It is a blue cloth, the upper left quarter of which is occupied by the national flag of Great Britain, and the Montserrat coat of arms is located in the center of the right half.
The flag of the Governor of Montserrat is the flag of Great Britain, in the center of which is placed the coat of arms of Montserrat. The flag was adopted in 1909.
Emblem - consists of a shield depicting a woman in green, the heroine of the Irish epic Erin, a female personification of Ireland, based on the mythology of Eriou. She holds a golden harp, a symbol of Ireland, which is present on the coat of arms of Ireland, and hugs a cross, a symbol of Christianity.
The coat of arms pays tribute to the Irish descent of the first settlers of Montserrat, exiled to the island by Oliver Cromwell in the 17th century. Coat of arms adopted in 1909.
Government structure
Form of government - a constitutional monarchy.
Head of state - The monarch of Great Britain in the person of the 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, a series of powerful eruptions of the Soufriere Hills volcano occurred, as a result of which lava and ash poured into large areas in the south of Montserrat, including Plymouth, in December, residents were evacuated. A few months later they were allowed to return, but on June 25, 1997, during a powerful eruption, 19 people died, pyroclastic material almost reached the airport. Plymouth was again evacuated. More than ⅔ of the population left the island. Montserrat’s government has moved to Brades, but Plymouth is still de jure the administrative center.
Plymouth after volcanic eruption
Official language - English.
Territory - 102 km².
Montserrat Airport Runway
Administrative division - 3 arrivals.
Population - 4922 people 8 thousand people left the island during the volcanic activity of 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 origin.
Religion - Most Protestants, part of the population are Catholics.
Currency - East Caribbean dollar.
Economy - based mainly on tourism. Produced rum, textiles, assembly of electronic devices. Agriculture: sugarcane, cotton, citrus fruits, bananas, mangoes, avocados, coconuts, vegetables were grown, and cattle were bred in small quantities. After the volcanic activity of 1995 and the evacuation of a significant part of the population, economic activity declined sharply. In recent years, the population began to return, but it is necessary to spend money on the restoration of housing, infrastructure and farmland.
Education - universal compulsory and free for children aged 5 to 15 years.
Sport - Cricket and football are popular.
Nature
In the mountains, moist tropical forests have been preserved. Streams forming waterfalls flow down from them.
The vegetation is mainly shrubs, and in the mountainous regions, humid tropical forests consisting of mangroves have been preserved in small numbers.
The animal world is not very diverse, represented mainly by birds. The island is home to one of the unique species of birds - a subspecies of the Oriole, which is a national symbol. Many pelicans, flamingos and frigates.
There are a lot of turtles, including sea turtles, which lay eggs on land.
Climatic conditions are favorable for human life, trade winds from the ocean moderate the heat. Sunny weather prevails with a slight change in temperature throughout the year.
"Mountain Chicken" - a giant frog ditch is an endangered species and is found only in the Caribbean islands of Dominica and Montserrat. Hunting, habitat loss and outbreaks of fungal diseases have destroyed most of the population of this species.
Montserrat Island Attractions
This is, first of all, the nature of the island, unique black beaches, consisting of products of volcanic eruption, and the historical and national reserve on the coast of the Carrs Bay, where you can visit the ruins of an old watchtower of the XVII 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 Montserrat are cricketers Jim Allen and Lionel baker, as well as a member of the group “Boney M” Maisie Williams
History
In ancient times, the island was inhabited by Caribbean Indians, calling their island "Alliuagana", that is, "the land of thorny shrubs."
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 by exiled Catholics on the island. Negro slaves began to be imported here for work on sugarcane plantations.
In the XVII-XVIII centuries. England and France competed in the struggle for possession of the island, and from 1783 Montserrat finally became the possession of Great Britain.
In the years 1871-1958. Montserrat was part of the Leeward Islands, and in 1958-1962. to the West Indies Federation.
On June 25, 1995, the catastrophic eruption of Soufriere Hills began. The affected half of Montserrat is expected to be 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 crown of Great Britain.
Tiny state Montserratcovering an area of \u200b\u200bjust over 100 square meters. km, is located on the island of the same name, which is part of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean and has the status of overseas territory Great Britain.
These lands were discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493 and named after the Benedictine monastery located in the mountainous regions of Catalonia. During the XVII-XVIII centuries, England and France actively competed for the possession of the island, and in the end it fell to the British. Thanks to Birmingham philanthropist Joseph Sturge, in 1869, the Montserrat Company was established here, which bought sugarcane plantations and planted lime trees on the island's fertile lands, after which large-scale production of lime juice began, which allowed the British colony to significantly improve its economic situation. At the beginning of the 20th century, houses were actively built on Montserrat, municipal and educational institutions were built. In a rather short period of time, the overseas territory of Great Britain turned into a well-maintained independent island state with a well-established agricultural system and developed tourist infrastructure, managed by the governor and having an Executive and Legislative Council.
Montserrat's main natural attraction is the majestic volcanic soufriere Hills Complexlocated in the southern part of the island. Its height is 915 meters, and it consists mainly of andesite rock. The volcano crater at the same time has a diameter of 1 km, and its peak has several volcanic domes. All life on the island depends on this ancient natural formation, which in recent years has been greatly influenced by the Soufriere Hills eruption, which happened on June 25, 1997, when 19 people were buried under the lava of fire. At that time, the city of Plymouth, which until then served as the capital of Montserrat and the country's only international airport, was completely destroyed. The first eruption occurred in August 1995, but unlike the events that occurred two years later, at that moment the island authorities were able to pre-warn the consequences of the disaster by evacuating the local population. After some time, people returned to their homes, but only in order to leave them again after 1 year and 10 months. Now Plymouth, in which more than 4,000 people previously lived, fully corresponds to the status of a ghost town, completely covered with gray ash and permeated by the atmosphere of the tragedy that occurred here. After the 1997 eruption, the population of the island decreased by two-thirds, and the role of the capital is now temporarily played by the village of Brades.
On July 28, 2008, in the southern part of Montserrat, a strong eruption occurred again, again reaching the territory of Plymouth. At the moment, this region of the island is under strict protection and the supervision of specialists. Entrance to civilians is prohibited under the threat of a large fine and administrative liability. All civilized objects and several thousand local residents are located in the northern part of the island in the area of \u200b\u200bthe actual capital Brades, far from the Soufriere Hills. According to researchers, life in the south of Montserrat will resume no earlier than 10 years later, and while those indigenous islanders who left these places at the end of the last century, begin to gradually return to their homeland, engaged in growing agricultural land, cattle breeding and fishing. Sugarcane, cotton, bananas, avocados, coconuts, and mangoes continue to be the main fruit and vegetable crops. Over the past 10 years, the island’s tourism infrastructure has begun to recover. However, mainly financial support comes only from the UK, so the pace of recovery cannot be called rapid. However, by the mid-2000s, the country began to take its former shape. The airport has been restored, air service has been established with some countries, along the coast dotted with bright evergreen palm trees and fine white sand, new modern and comfortable hotels have been built.
All tourist infrastructure is also located in the northern part of the island. The most picturesque place is the coast of the bay Carrs Bay, which houses a historical reserve with the ruins of a 17th-century fort, old cannons, a war memorial and an elegant clock tower. Near the town of Braids, there is a real football field that meets the requirements of FIFA and on which the Montserrat football team regularly plays, for a year now, with great desire, but so far unsuccessfully, fighting for the right to play at the World Cup. A rich underwater world attracts divers here, soft warm sand contributes to a pleasant pastime on the beach, and connoisseurs of culinary delights have the opportunity to taste the local cuisine, replete with traditional dishes for the UK and the Mediterranean countries. You can travel around the island by regular buses and taxis, and those who wish to enjoy boat trips can rent a boat or any other floating vehicle.
© aglife.ru
© aglife.ru
Since 1995, the volcano erupts intermittently, but people somehow learned to live next to it (forbidding, however, for economic activity 2/3 of the country). There is a volcanic observatory on the island. Montserrat Volcano Observatory (MVO), which constantly measures the activity of a volcano, and a complex civil defense system. The island is divided into zones marked with letters (A, B, ...) with different statuses, the observatory on the basis of observations designates a “hazard level” from 1 to 5 (now “hazard level” - 3). Depending on the “hazard level” in some zones, some kind of activity is allowed or forbidden: you can live and do something somewhere, fearing only falling ash from the sky and Caribbean cyclones; somewhere you can live for those who already live, but be prepared for evacuation; no one should be anywhere except specialists. Each house has a usually silent battery-powered radio, which can send an evacuation notification at any time - in some sense, an analogue of our radio point (in which, as we know, the main purpose is notifications of civil defense and emergency situations)
Most of the island (zone V), regardless of the level of danger, is closed to normal human life. 
The EC $ 20 banknote still shows the Montserrat government house: 
Some houses in zone V look completely intact, but after a few cyclones and several years, their roof will first fail, and then trees will grow through the roof 
Light and fragile volcanic pumice is easily washed off by tropical rains. Erosion destroys Plymouth much faster than any pyroclastic flows 
Scientists see the pier of cruise ships: along the crest of concrete blocks, dividing the frame horizontally in half, and from the remains of some port facilities at the bottom of the frame, you can guess its original length. All other sand farther into the sea is the “new land", from a rock brought by a volcanic eruption or ordinary mudflow 
Scientists see the power plant: they say that whole generators remained inside, and although it is not clear how much time they spare, there is a plan to dismantle and restore them to a new place 
There used to be the old Montserrat airport. Nothing left 
Scientists see a boulder almost the size of a roof on a house: 
This stone rolled down from the volcano: it is 5 floors high 
All that is below the cliffs is the new land that has formed during the eruption of the last 15 years. 
The dome of the volcano is hidden by a cloud, in which sulfur vapor is densely mixed. The smell is truly hellish
This is not landing or hovering: a helicopter flies 120-200 km / h kilometers 5-7 meters from the ground. The pilot says that any helicopter pilot is taught this, because such flights (near the ground and objects) are one of the main niches for using helicopters. “There are planes for flying at high altitudes and away from obstacles.” Helicopter flights are almost always visual, only very large and / or cool cars are equipped for instrument flying 
People left the "zone", and the animals remained and went wild. A special Montserrat entertainment is to hunt wild rams and goats in the “zone” 
Sulfur erupted by the volcano is oxidized and, mixed with water, spills acidic rain on the ground - it is because of this that there are so many dead trees 
On the house on the left you can clearly see how he was buried pyroclastic flow almost to the level of the 2nd floor, but nature managed to take her own, everything was already overgrown with lush greenery. Gullies form when volcanic sand brought in pyroclastic flow erodes rain 
But in this river valley near Plymouth pyroclastic flow, and ordinary mudflow: when it is flooded with water in a cyclone of the Caribbean, streams wash off volcanic material and carry it down to the sea 
There used to be a Montserrat golf club in the valley, a bridge over the river and a suburb of Plymouth with the most expensive real estate on the island. Now it’s all buried under a 5-meter layer of volcanic sand 
Nowadays, volcanic sand is mined here, transported to the port by dump trucks, loaded onto barges and exported to neighboring Caribbean countries - concrete from volcanic sand requires less cement 
Again Plymouth: 
If you carefully look at the roof of the workshop, you can see that it is all covered with sand 
Plymouth mon amour 
IKEA? Mega? Auchan? 
Water stadium? 
Hotel 5 * 
As elsewhere in the Caribbean, colonial times have left many sugar cane mills here: 
Plymouth stood on a cliff, but now, due to eruptions, beaches of brown sand have formed around 
This is zone B, people can already live here. House of the main Montserrat oligarch: 
On this page you can find past, present and future statistical demographic data (from 1950-2100) for Montserrat, as well as a population map, demographics, population counter, etc. .. Question: What is the population of Montserrat? Answer: Today, the population of Montserrat includes: 5 259 *, area 102 km², population density 51.56 p / km². The capital of Montserrat is Plymouth. Continent: Latin America, Caribbean.
MontserratPopulation 1950-2100
Montserrat · historical data and forecast of population (both sexes) for the period 1950-2100 (million) Actual population of Montserrat as of July 1 of the year indicated. Source: UN Department of Population.
Current population of Montserrat
Sources:
Actual statistics from midnight 00:00.
Statistic data for this year from January 1
Population \u003d Fertility ** - Mortality
Population Growth Rate: 0 / day \u003d 0 / hour \u003d 0 / minutes \u003d 0 / seconds
Sources, Notes
* The value is calculated by linear interpolation, taking into account the two closest values \u200b\u200bto each other (Date-\u003e population) (unofficially).** Migration growth is included in the calculation of fertility growth: Fertility \u003d Population + Mortality.
*** We do not have data on the number of people in the period before 1950. The data are based on an approximate calculation using the function: population in 1900 \u003d 70% of the population in 1950.
United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2015). World Demographic Perspectives: By 2015 Revision. These estimates and forecasts are based on the medium-term fertility option. Used with permission of the United Nations. Downloaded: 2015-11-15 (un.org)
The city density map was created from a population.city source using data provided to us by 1km.net. Each circle means a city with a population of more than 5000.