Montenegro
The Black Mountain of the Balkans
Montenegro is a country in Southeast Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Its 25 municipalities have a total population of 633,158 people in an area of 13,883 km2 (5,360 sq mi). It is bordered by Serbia to the northeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Kosovo to the east, Albania to the southeast, and Croatia to the west, and has a coastline along the Adriatic Sea to the southwest. The capital and largest city is Podgorica, while Cetinje is the Old Royal Capital and cultural centre.
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Podgorica
- Region
- Southeast Europe
- Languages
- Montenegrin
- Currency
- Euro
- Region:
- Southeastern Europe (Balkans)
- Coastline:
- Adriatic Sea
- Notable landmark:
- Bay of Kotor
Lore & Background
Montenegro's English name is a literal translation from a Venetian calque of the Montenegrin phrase 'Crna Gora', or 'Black Mountain', deriving from the appearance of Mount Lovćen, which was covered in dense evergreen forests. The name was first used to refer to the country in the late 15th century. Before the arrival of the Slav peoples in the 6th and 7th centuries CE, the area was inhabited principally by Illyrians. During the Early Medieval period, three principalities were located on its territory: Duklja, Travunia, and Rascia. The Principality of Zeta emerged in the 14th and 15th centuries. From the late 14th century to the late 18th century, large parts of southern Montenegro were ruled by the Venetian Republic. After falling under Ottoman rule, Montenegro gained semi-autonomy in 1696 under the House of Petrović-Njegoš. Independence was recognised at the Congress of Berlin in 1878. In 1910, it became a kingdom, then part of Yugoslavia after World War I. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro formed a federation. Montenegro declared independence in June 2006 after a referendum.
Reader's Guide
Montenegro has an upper-middle-income economy, mostly service-based, and is in late transition to a market economy. It is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the World Trade Organization, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe, and the Central European Free Trade Agreement. It is also a founding member of the Union for the Mediterranean, and has been in the process of joining the European Union since 2012.
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