Montserrat

Plymouth is a ghost town and the de jure capital of the island of Montserrat, an overseas territory of the United Kingdom located in the Leeward Island chain of the Lesser Antilles, West Indies.

Constructed on historical lava deposits near the then long-inactive Soufrière Hills volcano, the town was evacuated in 1995 when the volcano resumed erupting. Plymouth was eventually abandoned permanently in 1997 after it was substantially burnt and buried mainly by a series of pyroclastic flows and lahars. It had been the only port of entry to the island for centuries. Plymouth is still the de jure capital of Montserrat, making it the only ghost town that is the capital of a political territory. New capital is under construction at Little Bay, with nearby Brades serving as the de facto capital for the time being.

The climate in Montserrat is warm, oppressive, windy, and partly cloudy. Over the year, the temperature typically varies from 73°F to 87°F and is rarely below 71°F or above 89°F.

The official language is English, but most Montserratians also speak the Creole language, similar to Jamaica's.

1. The name Montserrat means “Jagged or serrated mountain” because of the sharp-looking peaks of the mountain. According to the legend, angels came down from the sky and serrated the mountain with the golden saw to create a throne for the Virgin Mary.
2.  The Monastery of Montserrat is largely a reconstruction; Napoleon´s army destroyed it at the beginning of the 19th century. Only a few walls from the original monastery are standing.
3. The choir of Montserrat Escolania is the oldest choir registered in Europe in the 14th century. Over 50 boys aged between 9 and 14 usually stay there until puberty. The selection for the choir boarding school goes according to three criteria: musical talent, academic achievements, and social adaptation.
4.  The library of Montserrat contains over 300,000 books, most written in the 14th and 15th centuries from religious subjects, humanities, music, and science. It mostly has a restricted entrance to professors, researchers, and monks. 
5.  Montserrat has always attracted all sorts of people, always was the point of interest. There is one particularly curious example of attracting someone not so good; during WW2, Heinrich Himmler came to Montserrat searching for the Holy Grail.
   

• The people are well known for their lavish hospitality, respect for seniors, honesty, and sincere generosity. To this day, a visitor will be given tea and food before even being allowed to explain why he has visited!
• Children’s first birthday celebrations, known as kemem, are among the most crucial. Montserratan family gatherings. Extended family and friends celebrate with tunes and massive feasts. Religion is also an essential part of Montserrat culture, and most residents have fairly conservative ideas on nudity and alcohol.
• Most of Montserrat’s population are descendants of people who reached the island against their will. These include the enslaved Africans brought to the Caribbean and Irish indentured servants who came to Montserrat during the 16th century. Irish influence remains strong here, which has celebrated St Patrick’s Day as an official public holiday since 1768 when a failed slave uprising broke out during Ireland’s national holiday.
•  Montserrat’s music contains several African influences, such as shak-shak instruments made from calabash gourds. Cricket is Montserrat’s most popular sport, and the British subjects are happy to welcome foreigners to their casual and peaceful lifestyle.
• Recently Montserrat decided to throw the Calabash Festival: Explosion of Culture, which occurs in July of each year. It offers a good perspective of Montserrat culture. The festival is named after the fruit/vegetable that historically locals used to make eating utensils and musical instruments. At the festival, the food fair shows an assortment of locals. In other words, this festival offers the island's diverse culture, with its strong musical and artistic culture, reflective of many of the Caribbean islands and its Irish and African backgrounds.