Montenegro

I

Introduction

Montenegro (in Serbian, Crna Gora; Italian, Monte Negro, “black mountain”), former constituent republic of the federal republic of Serbia and Montenegro, and formerly a republic of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). Montenegro is bounded on the north by Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the east by Serbia, on the south by Albania, and on the south-west by the Adriatic Sea. The area of Montenegro is 13,812 sq km (5,333 sq mi). Podgorica is the capital of Montenegro.

II

Land and Resources

The topography of Montenegro is largely mountainous, with heights from 762 to 2,438 m (2,500 to 8,000 ft) above sea level. The most famous peak is Mount Lovçen (1,749 m/5,738 ft), called the “black mountain” because of its basaltic rock, from which the region’s name is derived. The land is part of the limestone Karst Plateau along the Adriatic. The few arable regions are in river valleys, mainly along the River Zeta, on the plain around Lake Scutari in the south-west, and near the town of Cetinje.

III

Population

Montenegro is much smaller than Serbia, its northern neighbour; the population at the 1991 census was 615,035. In 2007 the population estimate was 684,736, giving an average density of 50 people per sq km (128 per sq mi). Around 60 per cent of the population belongs to the Montenegrin ethnic group; the chief minorities are ethnic Muslims (15 per cent), Serbs (10 per cent), and ethnic Albanians (8 per cent). Podgorica, called Titograd from 1946 until 1992, is the largest city as well as the capital; at the 1991 census it had a population of 118,059 (2002; 138,000). Serbian Orthodoxy was the chief religion until 1993, when an autonomous Montenegrin Church was established. Another important religion in Montenegro is Islam. The Serbian language is the main language of Montenegro.

IV

Economy

The economy of Montenegro is based on agriculture and animal husbandry; around 60 per cent of the labour force was estimated to be employed in the agricultural sector in the early 1990s. Crops include cereals, tobacco, vegetables, grapes, figs, and olives. The main industries are forestry, and salt- and tobacco-processing. Bauxite, lignite (brown coal), and iron ore were the main minerals produced in 1992. The Montenegrin economy suffered from the economic sanctions imposed by the UN on Serbia and Montenegro in May 1992 because of continuing Serbian military activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Croatia. In addition, Montenegro was badly affected by the diversion of labour, medicines, and economic resources for the war. The republic has its own central bank. In November 2000 Montenegro abandoned the Yugoslav dinar as its national currency and adopted instead the Deutschmark as the only legal tender in the republic; on January 1, 2002, the Deutschmark was replaced by the Euro. As at early 2007, 0.77 Euros equalled US$1.