Brades in Brades include: Secondary students attend Montserrat Secondary School in Salem and sixth formers attend Montserrat Community College in Salem. Brades Brades (also Brades Estate) is a town and the "de facto" capital of Montserrat since 1998 with an approximate population of 1,000. The official capital of Montserrat at Plymouth in the south of the island was abandoned in 1997 after it was buried by the eruption of the Soufriere Hills volcano. Interim government buildings have since been built at Brades, becoming the new capital in 1998. The move was initially intended to be temporary, but it has remained the
Exclusion zone Hills volcano started erupting in 1995 and has continued erupting since. It encompasses the south part of the island, accounting for over half of its land mass and most areas of the island which were populated before the volcano erupted. The volcano destroyed the island's urban center and capital Plymouth, as well as many other villages and neighborhoods. The zone is now strictly enforced; entry into most of the destroyed areas is prohibited, while some areas are subject to restrictions during volcanic activity or open only as a "daytime entry zone". Exclusion zones are commonly used in the construction industry