Islam in Montserrat

Islam in Montserrat is a minority religion. According to the Pew Research Center for 2009, adherents of Islam make up 0.1% of the population of Montserrat.

According to the 2001 United States Central Intelligence Agency, the main religion in Montserrat is Christianity, Catholic 11.6%, Rastafarian 1.4%, other 6.5%, atheist 2.6%, and undeclared 10.8%.

History

From the 1660s, sugarcane was grown on plantations established by the French on the island, and large numbers of slaves were brought from Africa to cultivate and process it. It was during this period that the first Muslims arrived on the island. In 1678, the total number of slaves was 1,000, but by 1800, it had reached 7,000, with blacks far outnumbering whites. From 1783, Montserrat came under the full control of Great Britain. After the abolition of slavery in the colonies of the United Kingdom in 1834 and the fall in sugar prices worldwide in the 19th century, limes were grown on an industrial scale on the island and the famous Montserrat lime juice began to be produced. Land was sold to new settlers and lime cultivation was encouraged. On 18 July 1995, the Soufrière Hills volcano erupted, causing widespread damage to the southern part of the island, including Plymouth. en |Plymouth, Montserrat