Montserrat achieves more Facebook fans than inhabitants!

Less than 40 square miles, the island of Montserrat may only be a dot on the map but has a lot to boast about: extraordinary scenic beauty, the Caribbean's friendliest people, an active volcano - and a growing Facebook fan base, which now surpasses the amount of its inhabitants (5,020 fans 'like' Montserrat on Facebook, as opposed to the island's current population of 5,039).

Montserrat was a famous celebrity hangout in the 1980s: thanks to Sir George Martin's AIR Studios artists like Rolling Stones, Sting, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Dire Straits and Duran Duran were regularly spotted on the island. But in 1989 Montserrat was severely battered by hurricane Hugo and a few years later the Soufrière Hills volcano woke up after a long period of dormancy. The catastrophic eruptions in mid-1990s covered the southern half of the island with ash and mudflows, including its airport and docking facilities, transformed its capital Plymouth into a modern day Pompeii and forced the displacement of more than two thirds of its population overseas.

Today Montserrat is moving forward but has kept that feeling of 'the way the Caribbean used to be'. More and more visitors come to explore the island and Montserratians return to base themselves on their native land. The volcano remains active but its inhabitants have learned to live with it and are keen to promote 'volcano-tourism', including the recent introduction of a Volcano Half Marathon, the only one of its kind in the world.

Montserrat's Facebook page keeps its solid community of fans up to date with events, activities and the latest developments on the island, and also serves as an interactive platform where people can share images, exchange ideas and get in touch directly with the Montserrat Tourism Board.

For more information about visiting Montserrat, go to: visitmontserrat.com

For the Montserrat Facebook page, see: facebook.com/islandofmontserrat