Montserrat was the Caribbean island heavily affected by the 1995 eruption of Soufrière Hills volcano, which buried its former capital Plymouth.
The volcano began erupting in July 1995 after centuries of dormancy. Pyroclastic flows, ash and volcanic debris progressively covered Plymouth and other settlements in the island's south, forcing a large evacuation.
Plymouth was officially abandoned in 1997 and remains Montserrat's de facto buried capital. Brades now functions as the island's administrative centre, although Plymouth retains its constitutional status as the capital.
Montserrat is a British Overseas Territory in the Lesser Antilles. Its volcanic crisis reshaped the island's population, economy and geography, while the northern region remained the main area for resettlement.