Montserrat

Montserrat is the only territory whose official capital is a ghost town—Plymouth lies buried under volcanic ash, visible through checkpoints into an exclusion zone that covers the southern half of the island.

Irish Catholics arrived in 1632, sent by British governor Thomas Warner from nearby St. Kitts. More Irish followed from Virginia, establishing tobacco and sugar plantations worked first by Irish indentured servants, then enslaved Africans. The island became known as the 'Emerald Isle of the Caribbean'—not just for its green hills resembling coastal Ireland, but for the Irish surnames (O'Brien, Riley, Sweeney) still common among the population. On March 17, 1768, enslaved Africans planned an uprising timed to St. Patrick's Day celebrations; the rebellion failed, but Montserrat now celebrates a ten-day St. Patrick's Festival—the only place outside Ireland with a national St. Patrick's Day holiday, commemorating resistance rather than heritage.

Britain and France contested Montserrat throughout the 18th century until Britain's final claim in 1783. Sugar declined; cotton rose; the economy languished. Then came an unlikely golden age. In 1979, Beatles producer George Martin opened AIR Studios Montserrat—a world-class recording facility overlooking the Caribbean. For a decade, rock royalty descended on this tiny island: The Police recorded Synchronicity, the Rolling Stones made Steel Wheels, Dire Straits, Elton John, and Paul McCartney all worked there. Montserrat became the improbable capital of 1980s rock production.

Hurricane Hugo ended it in September 1989—140 mph winds destroyed 90% of the island's buildings, including the studio. George Martin couldn't rebuild. Six years later, the Soufrière Hills volcano woke from its dormancy. By August 1997, pyroclastic flows had buried Plymouth—the capital since 1632—under 1.4 meters of ash. Two-thirds of the population fled. The airport was destroyed. The southern half of the island became an exclusion zone.

Today about 4,400 people live in Montserrat's northern 'safe zone.' Plymouth remains the official capital—making it the world's only ghost town capital—while government operates from Brades. A new town is under construction at Little Bay, including a new port. The economy depends on British budget support, tourism (recently named the safest Caribbean destination with a 97/100 safety score), and remittances. GDP growth reached 3.77% in 2024. The volcano last erupted in 2013 and is monitored constantly. AIR Studios' ruins have become a heritage site.

Montserrat's rebuilding is slow but real: ferry connections, improved air access, Little Bay development. The 2026 question is whether the northern zone can sustain a viable economy—or whether the territory that once produced platinum albums will remain dependent on volcanic scientists, UK subsidies, and small-scale tourism.