Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form:
Montserrat
Dependency status:
overseas territory of the UK
Capital:
name: Plymouth
geographic coordinates:
16 42 N, 62 13 W
time difference:
UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
note:
Plymouth was abandoned in 1997 because of volcanic activity; interim government buildings have been built at Brades Estate in the Carr's Bay/Little Bay vicinity at the northwest end of Montserrat
Administrative divisions:
3 parishes; Saint Anthony, Saint Georges, Saint Peter
Independence:
none (overseas territory of the UK)
National holiday:
Birthday of Queen ELIZABETH II, second Saturday in June (1926)
Constitution:
effective 19 December 1989
Legal system:
English common law and statutory law
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: Legislative branch: Judicial branch: Political parties and leaders: Political pressure groups and leaders: International organization participation: Diplomatic representation in the US: Diplomatic representation from the US: Flag description: National anthem:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor Peter A. WATERWORTH (since 27 July 2007)
head of government:
Chief Minister Rueben MEADE (since 10 September 2009)
cabinet:
Executive Council consists of the governor, the chief minister, 3 other ministers, the attorney general, and the finance secretary
(For more information visit the 
)
elections:
the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party usually becomes chief minister
unicameral Legislative Council (11 seats; 9 members popularly elected to serve five-year terms; the attorney general and financial secretary sit as ex-officio members)
elections:
last held on 8 September 2009 (next to be held by 2014)
election results:
percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - MCAP 6, independents 3
Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based in Saint Lucia, one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court)
Montserrat Democratic Party or MDP [Lowell LEWIS]; Movement for Change and Prosperity or MCAP [Roselyn CASSELL-SEALY]; New People's Liberation Movement or NPLM [John A. OSBORNE]
NA
Caricom, CDB, Interpol (subbureau), OECS, UPU
none (overseas territory of the UK)
none (overseas territory of the UK)
blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Montserratian coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the arms feature a woman in green dress, Erin, the female personification of Ireland, standing beside a yellow harp and embracing a large dark cross with her right arm; Erin and the harp are symbols of Ireland reflecting the territory's Irish ancestry; blue represents awareness, trustworthiness, determination, and righteousness
note: as a territory of the United Kingdom, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom)
