Montenegro  
Flag of Montenegro
Click to enlarge
Categories Banner
 Introduction
 Geography
 People
 Government
 Economy
 Communications
 Transportation
 Military
 Transnational Issues

This page was last updated on 4 September 2008


Map of Montenegro



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Montenegro Top of Page
Background:
Definition Field Listing
The use of the name Montenegro began in the 15th century when the Crnojevic dynasty began to rule the Serbian principality of Zeta; over subsequent centuries Montenegro was able to maintain its independence from the Ottoman Empire. From the 16th to 19th centuries, Montenegro became a theocracy ruled by a series of bishop princes; in 1852, it was transformed into a secular principality. After World War I, 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 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 exceeded 55% - the threshold set by the EU - allowing Montenegro to formally declare its independence on 3 June 2006.
   Geography    Montenegro Top of Page
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Southeastern Europe, between the Adriatic Sea and Serbia
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
42 30 N, 19 18 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Europe
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 14,026 sq km
land: 13,812 sq km
water: 214 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
total: 625 km
border countries: Albania 172 km, Bosnia and Herzegovina 225 km, Croatia 25 km, Kosovo 79 km, Serbia 124 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
293.5 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: defined by treaty
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
Mediterranean climate, hot dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfalls inland
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
highly indented coastline with narrow coastal plain backed by rugged high limestone mountains and plateaus
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Bobotov Kuk 2,522 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
bauxite, hydroelectricity
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 13.7%
permanent crops: 1%
other: 85.3%
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
destructive earthquakes
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
pollution of coastal waters from sewage outlets, especially in tourist-related areas such as Kotor
Environment - international agreements:
Definition Field Listing
party to: Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ship Pollution
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
strategic location along the Adriatic coast
   People    Montenegro Top of Page
Population:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
678,177 (July 2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
-0.925% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
11.17 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
8.51 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
Definition Field Listing
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea and hepatitis A
vectorborne disease: Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (2008)
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Montenegrin(s)
adjective: Montenegrin
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
Montenegrin 43%, Serbian 32%, Bosniak 8%, Albanian 5%, other (Muslims, Croats, Roma (Gypsy)) 12% (2003 census)
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Orthodox 74.2%, Muslim 17.7%, Catholic 3.5%, other 0.6%, unspecified 3%, atheist 1% (2003 census)
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
Serbian 63.6%, Montenegrin (official) 22%, Bosnian 5.5%, Albanian 5.3%, unspecified 3.7% (2003 census)
Education expenditures:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
   Government    Montenegro Top of Page
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Montenegro
local long form: none
local short form: Crna Gora
former: People's Republic of Montenegro, Socialist Republic of Montenegro, Republic of Montenegro
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
republic
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
name: Podgorica
geographic coordinates: 42 26 N, 19 16 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1 hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
21 municipalities (opstine, singular - opstina); Andrijevica, Bar, Berana, Bijelo Polje, Budva, Cetinje, Danilovgrad, Herceg Novi, Kolasin, Kotor, Mojkovac, Niksic, Plav, Pljevlja, Pluzine, Podgorica, Rozaje, Savnik, Tivat, Ulcinj, Zabljak
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
3 June 2006 (from Serbia and Montenegro)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
National Day, 13 July (1878)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
19 October 2007 (approved by the Assembly)
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: President Filip VUJANOVIC (since 11 May 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister Milo DJUKANOVIC (since 29 February 2008)
cabinet: Ministries act as cabinet
elections: president elected by direct vote for five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 6 April 2008 (next to be held in 2013); prime minister proposed by president, accepted by Assembly
election results: Filip VUJANOVIC reelected president; Filip VUJANOVIC 51.89%, Andrija MANDIC 19.55%, Nebojsa MEDOJEVIC 16.64%, Srdan MILIC 11.92%
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
unicameral Assembly (81 seats; members elected by direct vote for four-year terms; changed from 74 seats in 2006)
elections: last held 10 September 2006 (next to be held 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - Coalition for European Montenegro 47.7%, Serbian List 14.4%, Coalition SNP-NS-DSS 13.8%, PZP 12.9%, Liberals and Bosniaks 3.7%, other (including Albanian minority parties) 7.5%; seats by party - Coalition for European Montenegro 41, Serbian List 12, Coalition SNP/NS/DSS 11, PZP 11, Liberals and Bosniaks 3, Albanian minority parties 3
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Constitutional Court (five judges with nine-year terms); Supreme Court (judges have life tenure)
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Albanian Alternative or AA [Vesel SINISHTAJ]; Coalition for European Montenegro or DPS-SDP (bloc) [Milo DJUKANOVIC] (includes Democratic Party of Socialists or DPS [Milo DJUKANOVIC] and Social Democratic Party of SDP [Ranko KRIVOKAPIC]); Coalition SNP-NS-DSS (bloc) (includes Socialist People's Party or SNP [Srdjan MILIC], People's Party of Montenegro or NS [Predrag POPOVIC], and Democratic Serbian Party of Montenegro or DSS [Ranko KADIC]); Democratic League-Party of Democratic Prosperity or SPP [Mehmet BARHDI]; Democratic Union of Albanians or DUA [Ferhat DINOSA]; Liberals and the Bosniak Party (bloc) [Miodrag ZIVKOVIC] (includes Liberal Party of Montenegro or LP [Miodrag ZIVKOVIC] and Bosniak Party or BS [Rafet HUSOVIC]); Movement for Changes or PZP [Nebojsa MEDOJEVIC]; Serbian List (bloc) [Andrija MANDIC] (includes Party of Serb Radicals or SSR [Dusko SEKULIC], People's Socialist Party or NSS [Emilo LABUDOVIC], and Serbian People's Party of Montenegro or SNS [Andrija MANDIC])
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Network of Women Against Violence; National Feminist Committee or CNF [Sofia MONTENEGRO]; Citizen Movement of MC [Sofia MONTENEGRO]
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Miodrag VLAHOVIC
chancery: 1610 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 234-6108
FAX: [1] (202) 234-6109
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Roderick W. MOORE
embassy: Ljubljanska bb, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [382] 81 225 417
FAX: [382] 81 241 358
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
a red field bordered by a narrow golden-yellow stripe with the Montenegrin coat of arms centered
   Economy    Montenegro Top of Page
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
Montenegro severed its economy from federal control and from Serbia during the MILOSEVIC era and maintained its own central bank, used the euro instead of the Yugoslav dinar as official currency, collected customs tariffs, and managed its own budget. The dissolution of the loose political union between Serbia and Montenegro in 2006 led to separate membership in several international financial institutions, such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. On 18 January 2007, Montenegro joined the World Bank and IMF. Montenegro is pursuing its own membership in the World Trade Organization as well as negotiating a Stabilization and Association agreement with the European Union in anticipation of eventual membership. Severe unemployment remains a key political and economic problem for this entire region. Montenegro has privatized its large aluminum complex - the dominant industry - as well as most of its financial sector, and has begun to attract foreign direct investment in the tourism sector.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$5.918 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
Definition Field Listing
$2.974 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
7.5% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$3,800 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
259,100 (2004)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 2%
industry: 30%
services: 68% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
14.7% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
7% (2007 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
Definition Field Listing
30 (2003)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
3.4% (2007)
Investment (gross fixed):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
30.5% of GDP (2006 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: NA
expenditures: NA
Public debt:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
38% of GDP (2006)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
grains, tobacco, potatoes, citrus fruits, olives, grapes; sheepherding; commercial fishing negligible
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
steelmaking, aluminum, agricultural processing, consumer goods, tourism
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.864 billion kWh (2005 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
18.6 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2005)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
450 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA cu m
Current account balance:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$171.3 million (2003)
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Switzerland 83.9%, Italy 6.1%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.3% (2006)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$601.7 million (2003)
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Greece 10.2%, Italy 10.2%, Germany 9.6%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 9.2% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$NA
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$650 million (2006)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$NA
Currency (code):
Definition Field Listing
euro (EUR)
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
euros per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
calendar year
   Communications    Montenegro Top of Page
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
353,300 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
821,800 (2006)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: modern telecommunications system with access to European satellites
domestic: GSM wireless service, available through 2 providers with national coverage, is growing rapidly
international: country code - 382; 2 international switches connect the national system
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
31 (station types NA) (2004)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
13 (2004)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.me
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
266,000 (2006)
   Transportation    Montenegro Top of Page
Airports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Heliports:
Definition Field Listing
1 (2007)
Railways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 250 km
standard gauge: 250 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified 169 km) (2006)
Roadways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 7,368 km
paved: 4,742 km
unpaved: 2,626 km (2006)
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 5 ships (1000 GRT or over) 11,091 GRT/12,312 DWT
by type: cargo 5
registered in other countries: 3 (Bahamas 2, St Vincent and the Grenadines 1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Definition Field Listing
Bar
   Military    Montenegro Top of Page
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Armed Forces of the Republic of Montenegro: Army, Navy (serves as Coast Guard), Air Force (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
Definition Field Listing
compulsory national military service abolished August 2006
Military - note:
Definition Field Listing
Montenegrin plans call for the establishment of a fully professional armed forces
   Transnational Issues    Montenegro Top of Page
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
none
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
Definition Field Listing
refugees (country of origin): 7,000 (Kosovo); note - mostly ethnic Serbs and Roma who fled Kosovo in 1999
IDPs: 16,192 (ethnic conflict in 1999 and riots in 2004) (2007)
Trafficking in persons:
Definition Field Listing
current situation: Montenegro is primarily a transit country for the trafficking of women and girls to Western Europe for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation; women and girls from the Balkans and Eastern Europe are trafficked across Montenegro to Western European countries
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Montenegro is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons in 2007; public attention to the issue of trafficking has diminished considerably in Montenegro in recent years (2008)

This page was last updated on 4 September 2008


 

Source : The World Factbook