Government and society
Montserrat is an internally self-governing overseas territory within the Commonwealth. The British monarch is the head of state, represented by an appointed governor. The most-recent constitution was promulgated on September 1, 2011, and came into force later that month, on September 27. It provides for an executive branch, consisting of a premier and an Executive Council, and a unicameral legislature called the Legislative Assembly. The governor appoints the premier, who is an elected member of the nine-seat Legislative Assembly and is usually the head of the majority party. The Executive Council includes four official members—the governor, the premier, and three ministers—and members of the Legislative Assembly are popularly elected at large for five-year terms. In addition, the attorney general and the finance secretary serve as ex officio members of both the Executive Council and the Legislative Assembly. The superior court of record is the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, based in Saint Lucia. Notable political parties in Montserrat have included the New People’s Liberation Movement, the National Progressive Party, the Movement for Change and Prosperity, and the Montserrat Democratic Party.
Primary education is free and compulsory for children aged 5 to 16. Nearly all Montserratians are literate. Montserrat Community College (2004) provides courses in trades and in business and liberal arts disciplines. Higher education is available elsewhere in the region at the various campuses of the University of the West Indies.
Cultural life
Montserratian society is a mixture of African, Irish, and British traditions, although North American culture has become a major influence. Traditional rites, such as the jumbie dance, a manifestation of folk religion, had nearly disappeared by the late 20th century. The dance once took place following Christian rituals (e.g., baptisms or weddings) or in times of crisis. Jumbie music helped produce a trancelike state in the worshipers who sought cures for ills or the lifting of an obeah (obia) spell, a traditional form of witchcraft. Folk instruments included flutes, triangles, and flat goatskin-covered drums. Folk music has declined partly because of imported musical styles such as calypso, reggae, soca, and pop. Carnival, which was brought to Montserrat in 1962, is held between Boxing Day (December 26) and New Year’s (Jump-up) Day (January 1). St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) is an official holiday; locally, it commemorates a slave revolt and Montserratian heroes, and festivities surrounding it generally continue for a week.
Prior to the economic upheaval caused by the eruptions, Montserratians enjoyed a relatively high standard of living, including dependable housing and imported consumer goods; many also took holidays abroad, often to the United States. Older, rural residents still have more traditional lifestyles based on family, land, and church. Extended families and connections with family members overseas remain important for all Montserratians. The island’s cuisine is best known for “goat water,” a thick goat-meat stew that is the national dish.
In 1977 Beatles producer George Martin opened a music-recording studio on the island. It was frequented by rock luminaries, including Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, and Elton John, and was in operation until 1989, when it was badly damaged by Hurricane Hugo. Martin later raised funds to build the Montserrat Cultural Centre, a multiuse performing arts centre that opened in Little Bay in 2006. Cable and satellite television services are available, and radio programming is popular, particularly through ZJB Radio Montserrat, the government-owned radio station. The main newspaper, the Montserrat Reporter is published weekly; its online edition is updated more frequently.