Montenegro is located in Southeastern Europe, between the Adriatic Sea and Serbia.
Montenegro has borders with Albania for 172km, Bosnia and Herzegovina for 225km and Croatia for 25km.
Land in Montenegro is highly indented coastline with narrow coastal plain backed by rugged high limestone mountains and plateaus.
land covers an area of 14026 square kilometers which is slightly smaller than Connecticut
As for the climate; Mediterranean climate, hot dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfalls inland.
speak Serbian (Ijekavian dialect - official).
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Montenegro (general) |
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 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.
The republic of Montenegro severed its economy from federal control and from Serbia during the MILOSEVIC era and continues to maintain its own central bank, uses the euro instead of the Yugoslav dinar as official currency, collects customs tariffs, and manages 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 IMF, World Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. 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.
natural resources include bauxite, hydroelectricity
strategic location along the Adriatic coast
religion is Orthodox, Muslim, Roman Catholic.
Natural hazards in Montenegro include destructive earthquakes.