PROFILE
OFFICIAL NAME:
Montenegro
Geography
Area: Montenegro (13,938 sq. km.) is slightly smaller than Connecticut.
Cities: Capital--Podgorica. Other cities--Bar, Berane, Bijelo Polje, Budva, Cetinje, Herceg Novi, Kotor, Niksic, Pljevlja, Tivat, Ulcinj.
Terrain: Varied; mountainous regions with thick forests; central plains; southwestern Adriatic coast with high shoreline with very few islands off the coast.
Climate: Generally continental; Mediterranean along the coast.
People
Nationality: Noun--Montenegrin(s); adjective--Montenegrin.
Population (2003 Republic census): 630,548.
Population growth rate (EU 2008 Progress Report): 3.0%.
Ethnic groups (2003 census): Montenegrin 43%, Serbian 31%, Bosniak 8%, Albanian 5%, Muslim 5%, Croatian 1%, Roma 0.5%.
Religions (2003 census): Orthodox 74%, Muslim 18%, Roman Catholic 4%.
Languages (2003 Census): Serbian 63.49%, Montenegrin 21.96%, Albanian 5.25%, Bosniak 3.2%, Bosnian 2.28%, Croatian 0.45 and Roma 0.4%. The October 2007 Constitution established Montenegrin as the official language, and decreed that Serbian, Bosniak, Albanian, and Croatian also may be used officially.
Health (2008 EU Progress Report): Infant mortality rate--7.4 deaths/1,000. (2007 data) Life expectancy--male 70.6 yrs., female 74.8 yrs (2006 data).
Government
Type: Republic.
Constitution: Adopted October 19, 2007 and proclaimed October 22, 2007.
Independence: June 3, 2006 (declared by parliament after referendum in favor of independence from state union of Serbia and Montenegro).
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state); prime minister (head of government). Legislative--Montenegrin parliament. Judicial--Constitutional Court and Supreme Court.
Political parties (in alphabetical order): Albanian Alternative (AA), Bosniak Party (BS), Croatian Civic Initiative (HGI), Democratic League in Montenegro (DSCG), Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), Democratic Serbian Party (DSS), Democratic Union of Albanians (DUA), Liberal Party (LP), Movement for Change (PZP), Party of Serbian Radicals (SSR), Party of Serbian Unity (SSJ), People's Party of Montenegro (NS), People's Socialist Party (NSS), Serbian People's Party (SNS), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Socialist People's Party (SNP).
Suffrage: Universal at 18.
Economy
GDP (2007): $3,718.7 billion (€2,528,73 billion).
Real GDP growth rate (2008/2007): 8%.
Per capita GDP (2007): $5,995.5 (€4,077).
Inflation rate (2007): 8.4%.
Natural resources: Bauxite.
Tourism: 20% of GDP.
Industry: 13.8% of GDP.
Agriculture: 8.4% of GDP.
Services: 49.6% of GDP.
Trade (January – September 2008): Exports--$571.3 million (€388.5 million). Major markets-- Italy ($149.2 million; €101.5 million), Serbia ($124.1 million; €84.4 million),Greece ($75.8 million; €51.6 million) Slovenia( $50.3 million, €34.2 million); Kosovo ($39,2 million; €26.7 million). Imports--$2,179.6 billion (€1,481.9 billion). Major suppliers--Serbia ($873.8 million; €594.2 million), Italy ($174.5 million; €118.7 million), Bosnia and Herzegovina ($160 million, €108.8 million); Croatia ($157.2 million, €106.9 million), Slovenia ($154.8 million, €105.3 million).
PEOPLE AND HISTORY
Montenegro resisted the rule of the Ottoman Turks, maintaining its independence and playing off its powerful neighbors against each other. Montenegro was recognized as an independent and sovereign principality by the Great Powers of Europe assembled at the Congress of Berlin on July 13, 1878.
During World War I, Montenegro fought on the side of the Allies but was defeated and occupied by Austria. Upon Austrian occupation, the Montenegrin king, King Nikola I, and his government went into exile. In late 1918, an Assembly met in Podgorica, and under the eyes of the Serbian army, deposed King Nikola and declared unification with Serbia. The government of Montenegro in exile denounced the Assembly's action, to no avail. From 1919 to 1941, Montenegro was part of what became known as the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, despite armed resistance in the early 1920s to rule from Belgrade.
When Yugoslavia was invaded and partitioned by the Axis powers in April 1941, Montenegro was appropriated by the Italians under a nominally autonomous administration. While some Montenegrins sided with Italy, motivated by antipathy against past rule from Belgrade, the Partisan Revolt in Montenegro began early, on July 13, 1941, and initially scored impressive successes against the Italian occupiers. Throughout World War II, Montenegro served as an effective base and refuge for Tito's Partisans. After the war, Montenegro was granted the status of a republic within Yugoslavia.
The breakup of the Yugoslav federation after 1989 left Montenegro in a precarious position. Between 1991 and 1992, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Macedonia all seceded from Yugoslavia. On April 27, 1992 in Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro joined in passing the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Though Montenegro reaffirmed its political attachment to Serbia, a sense of a distinct Montenegrin identity continued to thrive. The government of Montenegro was critical of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's 1998-99 campaign in Kosovo, and the ruling coalition parties boycotted the September 2000 federal elections, which led to the eventual removal of Milosevic's regime.
In March 2002, the Belgrade Agreement was signed by the heads of the federal and republican governments, setting forth the parameters for a redefinition of Montenegro's relationship with Serbia within a joint state. On February 4, 2003, the F.R.Y. parliament ratified the Constitutional Charter, establishing a new state union and changing the name of the country from Yugoslavia to Serbia and Montenegro. On May 21, 2006, the Republic of Montenegro held a successful referendum on independence and declared independence on June 3.
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS
Following Montenegro's declaration of independence, the first parliamentary elections were held on September 10, 2006. Both domestic and international observers asses
![[Country Map]](http://www.state.gov//cms_images/montenegro_map_2008-dos2.jpg)
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
Background Note:
Montenegro
