Montenegro
Capital: Podgorica; note - the Old Royal Capital
History
The use of the name Crna Gora (Montenegro) began in the 13th century in reference to a highland region in the Serbian province of Zeta. The later medieval state of Zeta maintained its existence until 1496 when Montenegro finally fell under Ottoman rule. Over subsequent centuries, Montenegro, while a part of the Ottoman Empire, was able to maintain a level of autonomy. From the 16th to 19th centuries, Montenegro was a theocracy ruled by a series of bishop princes; in 1852, it was transformed into a secular principality. Montenegro was recognized as an independent sovereign principality at the Congress of Berlin in 1878. After World War I, during which Montenegro fought on the side of the Allies, Montenegro was absorbed by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which became the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929; at the conclusion of World War II, it became a constituent republic of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. When the latter dissolved in 1992, Montenegro federated with Serbia, first as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and, after 2003, in a looser State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. In May 2006, Montenegro invoked its right under the Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro to hold a referendum on independence from the state union. The vote for severing ties with Serbia barely exceeded 55% - the threshold set by the EU - allowing Montenegro to formally restore its independence on 3 June 2006.
Geography
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
13,812
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
625
km
|
| Border Countries |
Albania 172 km, Bosnia and Herzegovina 225 km, Croatia 25 km, Kosovo 79 km, Serbia 124 km |
| Coastline |
293.5
km
|
| Terrain |
highly indented coastline with narrow coastal plain backed by rugged high limestone mountains and plateaus |
| Minimum Elevation |
0
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
2,522
m
|
| Climate |
Mediterranean climate, hot dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfalls inland |
| Natural Resources |
bauxite, hydroelectricity |
| Arable Land |
12.45% |
| Permanent Crops |
1.16% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$489.2 million |
| Export Items |
No data |
| Export Partners |
Croatia 22.7%, Serbia 22.7%, Slovenia 7.8% (2012 est.) |
| Imports |
$2.4 billion |
| Import Items |
No data |
| Import Partners |
Serbia 28.4%, Greece 7.9%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 7.6% (2011 est.) |
People
| Population |
653,474 |
| Population Growth |
-0.56% |
| Ethnic Groups |
Montenegrin 43%, Serbian 32%, Bosniak 8%, Albanian 5%, other (Muslims, Croats, Roma (Gypsy)) 12% (2003 census) |
| Religion |
Orthodox 74.2%, Muslim 17.7%, Catholic 3.5%, other 0.6%, unspecified 3%, atheist 1% (2003 census) |
| Life Expectancy |
98.4 years |
| Infant Mortality |
0.99 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
0.1 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
