A small volcanic island, originally established by Irish immigrants who fled persecution, is Montserrat, which is off the beaten track of the Caribbean.
Its size is small (39 square miles). It has beautiful beaches, hills, forests, rivers and waterfalls. It is known as the "Emerald Isle of the Caribbean" and is the only island in the West Indies that has St. Patrick's Day as a national holiday. Hiking, nature watching, and climbing are favorite ways to spend the day on the island. It is a British overseas territory.
The eruption of a large volcano that began in 1998 has dramatically altered life on the island. The capital Plymouth It is covered by ash and pyroclastic flows and completely devastated. Access to more than half of the island is prohibited. The last major explosion occurred in July 2004 when the island was once again covered in ash. The activity of the volcano is monitored by the Montserrat Volcano Observatory.
Due to the eruption the population has decreased from about 11.000 to 4.500. However, life in the northern part of Montserrat is flourishing again. No casualties have occurred outside the closed area. The old airport was destroyed by the eruptions, but there is a new airport with regular flights from Antigua.