Montenegro

Location

• Southeastern Europe, between the Adriatic Sea and Serbia
• strategic location along the Adriatic coast

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Podgorica	236,852	Capital
Nikšić	58,212
Herceg Novi	19,536
Pljevlja	19,489
Budva	18,000
Bar	17,727
Bijelo Polje	15,400
Cetinje	15,137

Size

• 5,415 square miles
• 14,026 square kilometers
• slightly smaller than Connecticut; slightly larger than twice the size of Delaware

History

The use of the name Crna Gora or Black Mountain (Montenegro) began in the 13th century in reference to a highland region in the Serbian province of Zeta. Under Ottoman control beginning in 1496, Montenegro was a semi-autonomous theocracy ruled by a series of bishop princes until 1852, when it became a secular principality. Montenegro fought a series of wars with the Ottomans and eventually won recognition as an independent sovereign principality at the Congress of Berlin in 1878. In 1918, the country was absorbed by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which became the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929. At the end of World War II, Montenegro joined the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). When the SFRY dissolved in 1992, Montenegro and Serbia created the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), which shifted in 2003 to a looser State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. Montenegro voted to restore its independence on 3 June 2006. Montenegro became an official EU candidate in 2010 and joined NATO in 2017.

Climate

Mediterranean climate, hot dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfalls inland

Terrain

highly indented coastline with narrow coastal plain backed by rugged high limestone mountains and plateaus

Languages

Serbian 42.9%, Montenegrin (official) 37%, Bosnian 5.3%, Albanian 5.3%, Serbo-Croat 2%, other 3.5%, unspecified 4% (2011 est.)major-language sample(s): Knjiga svetskih činjenica, neophodan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Serbian) Knjiga svjetskih činjenica, neophodan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Montenegrin/Bosnian)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Religions

Orthodox 72.1%, Muslim 19.1%, Catholic 3.4%, atheist 1.2%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.6% (2011 est.)

Government

parliamentary republic

• Constitution: history: several previous; latest adopted 22 October 2007amendment process: proposed by the president of Montenegro, by the government, or by at least 25 members of the Assembly; passage of draft proposals requires two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly, followed by a public hearing; passage of draft amendments requires two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly; changes to certain constitutional articles, such as sovereignty, state symbols, citizenship, and constitutional change procedures, require three-fifths majority vote in a referendum
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: civil law
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President Jakov MILATOVIC (since 20 May 2023)head of government: Prime Minister Milojko SPAJIC (since 31 October 2023)cabinet: ministers serve as the cabinetelection/appointment process: president directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister nominated by the president, approved by the Assemblymost recent election date: 19 March 2023, with a runoff on 2 April 2023election results: 2023: Jakov MILATOVIC elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Milo DUKANOVIC (DPS) 35.4%, Jakov MILATOVIC (Europe Now!) 28.9%, Andrija MANDIC (DF) 19.3%, Aleksa BECIC (DCG) 11.1%, other 5.3%; percent of vote in second round - Jakov MILATOVIC 58.9%, Milo DUKANOVIC 41.1%2018: Milo DJUKANOVIC elected president in first round; percent of vote - Milo DJUKANOVIC (DPS) 53.9%, Mladen BOJANIC (independent) 33.4%, Draginja VUKSANOVIC (SDP) 8.2%, Marko MILACIC (PRAVA) 2.8%, other 1.7%expected date of next election: 2028
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court or Vrhovni Sud (consists of the court president, deputy president, and 15 judges); Constitutional Court or Ustavni Sud (consists of the court president and 7 judges)judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president proposed by general session of the Supreme Court and elected by the Judicial Council, a 9-member body consisting of judges, lawyers designated by the Assembly, and the minister of judicial affairs; Supreme Court president elected for a single renewable, 5-year term; other judges elected by the Judicial Council for life; Constitutional Court judges - 2 proposed by the president of Montenegro and 5 by the Assembly, and elected by the Assembly; court president elected from among the court members; court president elected for a 3-year term, other judges serve 9-year termssubordinate courts: Administrative Courts; Appellate Court; Commercial Courts; High Courts; basic courts
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: Parliament (Skupstina)legislative structure: unicameralnumber of seats: 81 (all directly elected)electoral system: proportional representationscope of elections: full renewalterm in office: 4 yearsmost recent election date: 6/11/2023parties elected and seats per party: Europe now! (Evropa sad) (24); Together! For the future that belongs to you (DPS – SD – DUA – LP - UDSh) (21); For the future of Montenegro (New Serb Democracy; Democratic People’s Party of Montenegro, Labour Party) (13); Bravery counts! (HRABRO se broji!) (11); It’s clear! (Jasno je!) – Bosniak Party (6); Other (6)percentage of women in chamber: 27.2%expected date of next election: June 2027

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• upper-middle-income, small Balkan economy; uses euro as de facto currency; reduced growth due to slowdown in tourism and industrial production; new impetus for EU accession under Europe Now government; energy price cap and declining food and services prices easing inflation rate  
• Budget: revenues: $1.463 billion (2015 est.)expenditures: $1.491 billion (2015 est.)note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: bauxite, hydroelectricity
• Industries: steelmaking, aluminum, agricultural processing, consumer goods, tourism
• Agricultural Products: milk, potatoes, watermelons, grapes, sheep milk, cabbages, oranges, eggs, goat milk, figs (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 18.8% (2022 est.)arable land: 0.7% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 0.4% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 17.8% (2022 est.)forest: 61.5% (2022 est.)other: 19.7% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: refined petroleum, cars, electricity, packaged medicine, aluminum (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: Serbia 21%, China 10%, Germany 8%, Croatia 6%, Italy 6% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: electricity, aluminum, copper ore, aluminum ore, packaged medicine (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: Italy 38%, Serbia 13%, Spain 6%, Slovenia 5%, Bosnia & Herzegovina 4% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports