Montenegro facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Montenegro
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Anthem:
Oj, svijetla majska zoro (English: "Oh, Bright Dawn of May") |
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![Location of Montenegro (green)on the European continent (dark grey) — [Legend]](/Image:Europe-Montenegro.svg)
Location of Montenegro (green)
on the European continent (dark grey) — [Legend] |
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| Capital and largest city
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Podgorica 42°47′N 19°28′E / 42.783°N 19.467°E |
| Official languages | Montenegrin |
| Languages in official use | |
| Ethnic groups
(2011)
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| Religion
(2011)
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| Demonym(s) | Montenegrin |
| Government | Unitary parliamentary republic |
| Jakov Milatović | |
| Dritan Abazović | |
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• Speaker
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Danijela Đurović |
| Legislature | Skupština |
| Establishment history | |
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• Duklja
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10th century |
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• Zeta
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1356 |
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• Prince-Bishopric
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1516 |
| 13 March 1852 | |
| 13 July 1878 | |
| 28 August 1910 | |
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• Creation of Yugoslavia
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26 November 1918 |
| 29 November 1945 | |
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• Republic
State union with Serbia |
27 April 1992 |
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• Independence referendum
Independence restored |
21 May 2006 |
| 1 January 2024 | |
| Area | |
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• Total
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13,812 km2 (5,333 sq mi) (156th) |
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• Water (%)
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2.6 |
| Population | |
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• 2023 estimate
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 602,445 (169th) |
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• Density
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43.6/km2 (112.9/sq mi) (133rd) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2023 estimate |
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• Total
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$17.282 billion (149th) |
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• Per capita
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$28,686 (63rd) |
| GDP (nominal) | 2023 estimate |
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• Total
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$7.027 billion (153rd) |
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• Per capita
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$11,664 (73rd) |
| Gini (2020) | ▼ 32.9 medium |
| HDI (2021) |  0.832very high · 49th |
| Currency | Euro (€)a (EUR) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
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• Summer (DST)
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UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Date format | dd.mm.yyyy. |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +382 |
| ISO 3166 code | ME |
| Internet TLD | .me |
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Montenegro ( Montenegrin: Crna Gora, Црна Гора, lit. Black Mountain) is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast, Kosovo to the east, Albania to the southeast, Croatia and the Adriatic Sea to the southwest with a coastline of 293.5 km. Podgorica (Cyrillic: Подгорица) is the country's capital and its largest city, it covers 10.4% of Montenegro's territory of 13,812 square kilometres (5,333 sq mi), and is home to roughly 31% of its total population of 621,000. Cetinje (Cyrillic: Цетиње) is the former royal capital and cultural centre of Montenegro and is the location of several national institutions, including the official residence of the President of Montenegro.
During the Early Medieval period, three principalities were located on the territory of modern-day Montenegro: Duklja, roughly corresponding to the southern half; Travunia, the west; and Rascia proper, the north. 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 and incorporated into Venetian Albania. The name Montenegro was first used to refer to the country in the late 15th century. After falling under Ottoman Empire rule, Montenegro gained semi-autonomy in 1696 under the rule of the House of Petrović-Njegoš, first as a theocracy and later as a secular principality. Montenegro's independence was recognised by the Great Powers at the Congress of Berlin in 1878. In 1910, the country became a kingdom. After World War I, the kingdom became part of Yugoslavia. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, the republics of Serbia and Montenegro together proclaimed a federation. In June 2006 Montenegro declared its independence from Serbia and Montenegro following an independence referendum, creating Montenegro and Serbia as they exist today. Montenegro is therefore one of the newest internationally-recognised countries in the world.
Montenegro has an upper-middle-income economy, and ranks 49th in the Human Development Index. 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. Montenegro is also a founding member of the Union for the Mediterranean, and has been in the process of joining the European Union since 2012.
Geography
Internationally, Montenegro borders Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, and Albania. It lies between latitudes 41° and 44°N, and longitudes 18° and 21°E.
Montenegro ranges from high peaks along its borders with Serbia, Kosovo, and Albania, a segment of the Karst of the western Balkan Peninsula, to a narrow coastal plain that is only 1.5 to 6 kilometres (1 to 4 miles) wide. The plain stops abruptly in the north, where Mount Lovćen and Mount Orjen plunge into the inlet of the Bay of Kotor.
Montenegro's large karst region lies generally at elevations of 1,000 metres (3,280 ft) above sea level; some parts, however, rise to 2,000 m (6,560 ft), such as Mount Orjen (1,894 m or 6,214 ft), the highest massif among the coastal limestone ranges. The Zeta River valley, at an elevation of 500 m (1,600 ft), is the lowest segment.
The mountains of Montenegro include some of the most rugged terrain in Europe, averaging more than 2,000 metres (6,600 feet) in elevation. One of the country's notable peaks is Bobotov Kuk in the Durmitor mountains, which reaches a height of 2,522 m (8,274 ft). Owing to the hyperhumid climate on their western sides, the Montenegrin mountain ranges were among the most ice-eroded parts of the Balkan Peninsula during the last glacial period.
- Longest beach: Velika Plaža, Ulcinj – 13,000 m (8.1 mi)
- Highest peak: Zla Kolata, Prokletije at 2,535 m (8,317 ft)
- Largest lake: Skadar Lake – 391 km2 (151 sq mi) of surface area
- Deepest canyon: Tara River Canyon – 1,300 m (4,300 ft)
- Biggest bay: Bay of Kotor
- Deepest cave: Iron Deep 1,169 m (3,835 ft), exploring started in 2012, now more than 3,000 m (9,800 ft) long
Biodiversity
The diversity of the geological base, landscape, climate, and soil, and the position of Montenegro on the Balkan Peninsula and Adriatic Sea, created the conditions for high biological diversity, putting Montenegro among the "hot-spots" of European and world biodiversity. The number of species per area unit index in Montenegro is 0.837, which is the highest index recorded in any European country.
- Biodiversity outlook
- Freshwater algae of Montenegro – so far 1,200 species and varieties have been described.
- The vascular flora of Montenegro has 3,250 species. The number of endemics is also high – there are 392 Balkan (regional) endemic species, equivalent to over 7% of Montenegrin flora.
- There are 354 species of marine molluscs in Montenegro.
- Lake Skadar is among the most important habitats of freshwater fish, with 40 species, including species that migrate from marine to freshwater ecosystems, such as the eel (Anguilla anguilla) and shad (Alossa falax nilotica).
- The diversity of marine fish fauna of the Adriatic Sea includes 117 recorded families, but with a low level of endemism. To date, 40,742 marine fish species have been recorded in Montenegro, which represent 70% of the species recorded in the Mediterranean.
- Currently, 56 species (18 amphibian and 38 reptile) and 69 subspecies are recorded within 38 genera, and the list is probably incomplete. The mountain regions of Lovćen and Prokletije are particular hot spots for amphibians and reptiles.
- Of 526 European bird species, 333 are assumed to be regularly present in Montenegro. Of these, 204 species nest in the country.
Politics
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Since the breakup of the political union of Serbia and Montenegro in 2006, Montenegro has been an independent, sovereign state.
Montenegro is parliamentary representative democratic republic with a codified constitution established in 2007. The constitution describes Montenegro as a "civic, democratic, ecological state of social justice, based on the reign of Law". Montenegro is a multi-party system.
The President of Montenegro is the representative head of state, elected for a period of five years through direct election. The President promotes the country internationally through diplomatic engagements, promulgates laws by ordinance, calls elections for the Parliament, and ceremonially proposes candidates for Prime Minister, president and justices of the Constitutional Court to the Parliament. The President also ceremonially proposes the calling of a referendum to Parliament, grants amnesty for criminal offences prescribed by the national law, confers decoration and awards and performs other constitutional duties and is a member of the Supreme Defence Council. The official residence of the President is in Cetinje. The incumbent president is Jakov Milatović who has held the position since 2023.
The Government of Montenegro is the executive branch of government authority of Montenegro and led by the Prime Minister. The role of Prime Minister is the most politically powerful office in Montenegro. All of Montenegro's governments since 2006 have been coalitions comprising a minimum of three political parties. The government is primarily based in Podgorica.
The Parliament of Montenegro is the country's unicameral legislature, located in Podgorica. The Parliament has power to appoint the government, pass legislation (parliamentary law) and scrutinise bills (proposed parliamentary law). It also appoints justices of all courts, approves the budget and performs other duties as established by the country's Constitution. Parliament can pass a motion of no confidence in the Government by simple majority vote. One member of the Montenegrin parliament, known as a Deputy, is elected per 6,000 voters. There are currently 81 deputies. Elections to the Parliament are conducted by the D'Hondt method, a form of proportional representation.
Religion
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Montenegro has been historically at the crossroads of multiculturalism and over centuries this has shaped its unique form of co-existence between Muslim and Christian population. Montenegrins have been, historically, members of the Serbian Orthodox Church (governed by the Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral), and Serbian Orthodox Christianity is the most popular religion today in Montenegro. The Montenegrin Orthodox Church was recently founded and is followed by a small minority of Montenegrins although it is not in communion with any other Christian Orthodox Church as it has not been officially recognized.
Despite tensions between religious groups during the Bosnian War, Montenegro remained fairly stable, mainly due its population having a historic perspective on religious tolerance and faith diversity. Religious institutions from Montenegro all have guaranteed rights and are separate from the state. The second largest religion is Islam, which amounts to 19% of the total population of the country. One third of Albanians are Catholics (8,126 in the 2004 census) while the two other thirds (22,267) are mainly Sunni Muslims; in 2012 a protocol passed that recognizes Islam as an official religion in Montenegro, ensures that halal foods will be served at military facilities, hospitals, dormitories and all social facilities; and that Muslim women will be permitted to wear headscarves in schools and at public institutions, as well as ensuring that Muslims have the right to take Fridays off work for the Jumu'ah (Friday)-prayer. There is also a small Roman Catholic population, mostly Albanians with some Croats, divided between the Archdiocese of Antivari headed by the Primate of Serbia and the Diocese of Kotor that is a part of the Church of Croatia.
Related pages
Images for kids
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Religious structure of Montenegro by settlements, 2011
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Zla Kolata, highest point of Montenegro
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Satellite view of Montenegro
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Bjelasica
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Lake Skadar
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Lake Biograd
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Black Lake
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The Eurasian brown bear, a protected species in Montenegro.
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Pinus heldreichii, Bijela gora.
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The common bottlenose dolphin is often seen in the Bay of Kotor.
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Ruins of the ancient city of Doclea
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Battle of Vučji Do, 1876
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Royal family of Montenegro: King Nicholas I with his wife, sons, daughters, grandchildren and sons- and daughters-in-law
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Expansion of Montenegro from 1711 to 1918 within present borders
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Captured ships of the Yugoslav Navy, Bay of Kotor 1941
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Opening of Belgrade–Bar railway. Construction of the line started in the 1950s and completed in 1976. The line was opened in 1976 by the Yugoslavian President Josip Broz Tito
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Map of the disintegration of Yugoslavia until 2008
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Supporters of Montenegrin independence in June 2006 in Cetinje
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The controversial 2019 law on religious communities, introduced by the former ruling DPS, proposed the transfer of the majority of religious objects and land owned by the largest religious organization in the country, the SPC, to the Montenegrin state. It sparked a series of massive protests across the country, which led to the first government change in the country's history.
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Roads of Montenegro in service and two planned: red – Bar–Boljare highway, blue – Adriatic–Ionian motorway
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Ethnic structure of Montenegro by settlements, 2011
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National Museum of Montenegro
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Podgorica City Stadium, Montenegro fans with national features
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See also
In Spanish: Montenegro para niños
