Montenegro

National name: Republike Crne Gore

Government Republic. Montenegro, formerly part of Serbia and Montenegro, gained independence on June 3, 2006.

Geography
Montenegro, a jumbled mass of mountains, with a small coastline along the Adriatic, borders Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia.

Historical Background
The name Montenegro began in the 15th century when the Crnojevic dynasty began to rule the Serbian principality of Zeta; over subsequent centuries it was able to maintain its independence from the Ottoman Empire. From the 16th to 19th centuries, Montenegro became a theocratic state ruled by a series of bishop princes; in 1852, it was transformed into a secular principality. After World War I, Montenegro was part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and, 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. Following a three-year postponement, Montenegro held an independence referendum in the spring of 2006 under rules set by the EU. The vote for severing ties with Serbia exceeded the 55% threshold, allowing Montenegro to formally declare its independence on 3 June 2006. On April 6, 2008, incumbent Filip Vujanovic won the presidential election.

Facts & Figures

Name

MONTENEGRO

Capital

Podgorica

Government

Parliamentary republic

Language

Montenegrin

Religion

Most Montenegrin inhabitants are Orthodox Christians, followers of the Serbian Orthodox Church's Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral and the Montenegrin Orthodox Church

Area

13,812 km2 (160th) 5,019 sq mi

Population

666,730 (July 2010 est.)

Currency

Euro (€)2

GDP(PPP)

2010 estimate Total  $6.439 billion[2] (146th) Per capita $10,286[2] (78th)

GDP(nominal)

2010 estimate Total $4.105 billion

National Anthem

Oj,  svijetla  majska  zoro Montenegrin Cyrillic