Although Montserrat is known as the Green Island of the Caribbean because of its historic links with the Irish, it is in fact a territory dependent on the United Kingdom and on the verge of becoming the Lesser Antilles' third largest island after Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The pear-shaped island is also known to its Irish inhabitants, but due to its large number of Irish settlers it has been dubbed "the green island of the Caribbean." It is also known for its rich history as a destination for people from Ireland.

In the early 1990s, more than 10,000 people lived on the island, but more than two-thirds of Montserratans left the country for neighboring Antigua and other parts of the Caribbean, and many of their original residents returned to Mont Serrat. By the mid-1990s, the island's population had surpassed 15,500, with the majority of those who migrated to neighbouring islands such as Barbados, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada leaving the island. In 2010, 8,000 refugees returned, many of whom had found new homes in Britain, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Haiti.

Although Montserrat has a relatively autonomous local government, the UK is the only UK member with a permanent presence on the island and hosts a large number of people from all over the Caribbean and the world. Although Mont Serrat has a "relatively autonomous" local government, it has been ruled by Britain for the past two decades, with the exception of a brief period in the 1990s.

The executive power of Montserrat rests with Her Majesty the Queen, who must act in accordance with the laws that guarantee peace, order and good government in Mont Serrat. Democratic governance remains in place under the rule of Queen Elizabeth II and her successor Queen Victoria.

British citizens, not all of whom became British citizens until 1983, when the current British Nationality Act came into force. Some colleagues were responsible for this and are therefore subject to the laws of the United Kingdom and the laws of Montserrat itself.

Note: Information on requests related to Montserrat can be found in the Barbados section of this page, and information on the legal status of the United Kingdom in the Dominican Republic can be found here. Note: For information on requests relating to Monterrey and other parts of the Caribbean, such as the island of St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Lucia and Dominica and Barbada and Antigua and Tobago and Puerto Rico and Grenada, please refer to our Barbado section.

British Overseas Territory (BOT), Montserrat is a dependent territory of the United Kingdom and is subject to the same laws as the rest of its neighbours. However, the English common law on which its law is based remains the responsibility of those in the United Kingdom to defend Mont Serrat. British embassies that represent it abroad (see our UK section) and as a British overseas territory, the Montserrat defence remains their responsibility.

A Montserratian can travel with a British passport issued by the local authorities, provided he meets certain elements of British citizenship which will be discussed later. Customs only accept cash, others require a passport which you can present to the customs officer responsible for your destination (such as a local police officer or customs officer). The passport will be labelled 'Montserrrat' but not 'British' or 'United Kingdom' in any other way.

International businessmen can operate in Antigua and Montserrat and do business on the same day as in Mont Serrat. If you are planning a meeting or trip, please see what you can see when a country like Mont serrat is on holiday on this page.

It has a tropical climate and the best time to visit Montserrat is the driest time of year. The most violent hurricane to hit Mont Serrat was Okeechobee in September 1928. Another was Hugo, who hit the island on 17 September 1989, and another on the same day as Hugo.

Montserrat is a tropical paradise with decent beaches blessed with golden sand. Little Bay Beach, as the name suggests the small area of the beach, is located on the west side of Montserrrat.

The island is part of the Wind Islands, a chain known as the Lesser Antilles, and is one of five islands in the Caribbean. From 1871 to 1956, Montserrat was administered as part of the Leeward Islands group and became a short-lived federation in 1958. The LeEWard Island Federation was dissolved in 1956 and Mont Serrrat became a province.

Today, Montserrat is a self-managed UK overseas territory, with less than half the points remaining. It is the second largest island in the Caribbean with a population of about 5,000 people and is home to about 2,500 inhabitants, most of them from the island of St. Kitts and Nevis, as well as St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Mont Serrrat has been the subject of a series of military operations by the US Army and the Royal Navy.