MONTERSERRAT CULTURE

THESE CARIBBEAN ISLAND HAS LUSH GREEN MOUNTAINS AND UNSPOILED BLACK SAND BEACHES. THE LAND HERE IS FERTILE. THE TERRITORY HERE COVERS 40 SQUARE MILES. CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS GAVE THIS ISLAND IT'S NAME. HE THOUGHT IT LOOKED LIKE THE SPANISH SANTA MARIA DE MONTSERRAT.

IT HAS MUCH VOLCANIC ACTIVITY, EARTHQUAKES, AND HURRICANES. THE COUNTRY IS INDEPENDENT
FROM BRITAIN. IT HAS A BLEND OF AFRICO AMERICAN AND ANGLO CULTURES THEY HAD A VOLCANIC ERUPTION IN 1995 THAT KILLED 5,000 FOLKS!

THEIR NATIONAL EMBLEM IS A CARVED IRISH SHAMROCK WITH A CROSS AND A HARP. THE ABORIGINALS WHO WERE ARAWAK WERE KILLED OFF CARIB INDIANS BY 1494 WHEN COLUMBUS CAME HERE. MONTSERRAT REFERRED TO AN EMERALD ISLAND OF THE WEST BECAUSE OF IRISH EARLY HISTORY. THEY WERE SERVANTS WITH DEPENDANTS ON BRITAIN FOR SURVIVALS.

THEY HAD SLAVES IN 1600 WITH SUGAR AND TOBACCO PLANTATIONS. NATIONALISM IS HELD BY A SMALL SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION AND THEY HAVE A LOW POPULATION AND THEY HAVE A LOW POPULATION GROWTH AND POVERTY. THEIR FOODS ARE BREADFRUIT, MANGO, PAWPAW CASHEWS (LESS DESIRABLE). THEY VOTED TO NOT HAVE HIGH RISE HOTELS AND NIGHTCLUBS.

BY THE 60'S, THE FOLKS OF MONTSERRAT EMBARKED ON A TOURISM VENTURE FOR RESIDENTIAL TOURISM. 90% OF THEW CITIZENS ARE BLACK AND HELPED TOURISM. SOME WHITE FOREIGNERS LIVE BY THE SEA. MONTSERRAT WAS A REGIONAL MEDIA CENTER, BROADCASTING TO THE ENTIRE ANTILLES REGION. THERE AGRICULTURAL HISTORY HAS FAILED REPEATEDLY. THEY WERE BEGINNING TO BUILD FARMING PLOTS AND CREATE A TOURIST INDUSTRY AND SUPPORT REAL ESTATE CONSTRUCTION.

LOWER CLASSES HAVE SPORADIC EMPLOYMENT. GREAT BRITAIN HAD BAILED THEM OUT ONCE MORE. MARRIAGE IS VALUED AND EVEN LOWER CLASS FOLKS LEGALLY MARRIED. DIVORCE IS FAIRLY RARE. ABOUT 1/2 OF CHILDREN ARE ILLEGITIMATE. THEY ARE CARED FOR WITHIN THE FAMILY UNIT. THEY HAVE PRESCHOOLS PRIMARILY EDUCATION. RELIGION IS A STRONG INFLUENCE. RELIGION PLAYED A VITAL ROLE IN EDUCATION. SECONDARY EDUCATION IS WELL DEVELOPED THROUGHOUT THE ISLANDS. CATHOLICS WERE STRONG IN THE 1800'S, BUT TODAY THE THE LARGEST DENOMINATION IS ANGLICAN. THEY HAVE FREE MEDICAL ATTENTION AND MEDICATION IS PROVIDED FOR CHILDREN AND THE AGED. THEY HAVE HEALTH CENTERS SCATTERED THROPUGHOU THE ISLAND.

THEY LIKE CELEBRATINGS ST. PATRICK'S DAY. SCHOLARS MADE IT A NATIONAL DAY ON WHICH TO CELEBRATE THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS OF THE SLAERY IN 1768. EMANCEPATION WAS AUGUST 1768 AND THEY HAVE A NATIONAL HOLIDAY. THEIR NEW CONSCIOUSNESS HAS FOUND EXPRESSION IN RESEARCH, LOCAL FOLK MUSIC, FOLK TALES, PROVERBS, RIDDLES, AND DALECTS.

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