2010 Edition

Background

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 Montenegro was able to maintain its independence from the Ottoman Empire. From the 16th to 19th centuries, Montenegro became a theocracy ruled by a series of bishop princes; in 1852, it was transformed into a secular principality. After World War I, Montenegro was absorbed by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which became the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929; 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. In May 2006, Montenegro invoked its right under the Constitutional Charter of Serbia and Montenegro to hold a referendum on independence from the state union. The vote for severing ties with Serbia exceeded 55% - the threshold set by the EU - allowing Montenegro to formally declare its independence on 3 June 2006.

Area

land

13,452 sq km

total

13,812 sq km

water

360 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Climate

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

Coastline

293.5 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Bobotov Kuk 2,522 m

lowest point

Adriatic Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

pollution of coastal waters from sewage outlets, especially in tourist-related areas such as Kotor

Environment - international agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

42 30 N, 19 18 E

Geography - note

strategic location along the Adriatic coast

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

border countries

Albania 172 km, Bosnia and Herzegovina 225 km, Croatia 25 km, Kosovo 79 km, Serbia 124 km

total

625 km

Land use

arable land

13.7%

other

85.3%

permanent crops

1%

Location

Southeastern Europe, between the Adriatic Sea and Serbia

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

continental shelf

defined by treaty

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

destructive earthquakes

Natural resources

bauxite, hydroelectricity

Terrain

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 16% (male 52,645/female 54,846) 15-64 years: 70.3% (male 244,949/female 227,794) 65 years and over: 13.7% (male 37,217/female 54,729) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

11.09 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

8.76 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Montenegrin 43%, Serbian 32%, Bosniak 8%, Albanian 5%, other (Muslims, Croats, Roma (Gypsy)) 12% (2003 census)

Languages

Serbian 63.6%, Montenegrin (official) 22%, Bosnian 5.5%, Albanian 5.3%, unspecified 3.7% (2003 census)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

intermediate

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne disease

Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (2009)

Median age

female

38.8 years (2010 est.)

male

35.9 years

total

37.2 years

Nationality

adjective

Montenegrin

noun

Montenegrin(s)

Population

666,730 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.777% (2010 est.)

Religions

Orthodox 74.2%, Muslim 17.7%, Catholic 3.5%, other 0.6%, unspecified 3%, atheist 1% (2003 census)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.074 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

-0.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

60% of total population (2008)

Administrative divisions

21 municipalities (opstine, singular - opstina); Andrijevica, Bar, Berane, Bijelo Polje, Budva, Cetinje, Danilovgrad, Herceg Novi, Kolasin, Kotor, Mojkovac, Niksic, Plav, Pljevlja, Pluzine, Podgorica, Rozaje, Savnik, Tivat, Ulcinj, Zabljak

Capital

daylight saving time

+1 hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

geographic coordinates

42 26 N, 19 16 E

name

Podgorica

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

approved 19 October 2007 (by the Assembly)

Country name

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Montenegro

former

People's Republic of Montenegro, Socialist Republic of Montenegro, Republic of Montenegro

local long form

none

local short form

Crna Gora

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Benjamin LOWENTHAL

embassy

Ljubljanska bb, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro

FAX

[382] 81 241 358

mailing address

use embassy street address

telephone

[382] 81 225 417

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

1610 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Srdjan DARMANOVIC

consulate(s) general

New York

FAX

[1] (202) 234-6109

telephone

[1] (202) 234-6108

Executive branch

cabinet

Ministries act as cabinet (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

President Filip VUJANOVIC (since 6 April 2008)

election results

Filip VUJANOVIC reelected president; Filip VUJANOVIC 51.9%, Andrija MANDIC 19.6%, Nebojsa MEDOJEVIC 16.6%, Srdan MILIC 11.9%

elections

president elected by direct vote for five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 6 April 2008 (next to be held in 2013); prime minister proposed by president, accepted by Assembly

head of government

Prime Minister Igor LUKSIC (since 29 December 2010)

Flag description

a red field bordered by a narrow golden-yellow stripe with the Montenegrin coat of arms centered; the arms consist of a double-headed golden eagle - symbolizing the unity of church and state - surmounted by a crown; the eagle holds a golden scepter in its right claw and a blue orb in its left; the breast shield over the eagle shows a golden lion passant on a green field in front of a blue sky; the lion is symbol of episcopal authority and harks back to the three and a half centuries that Montenegro was ruled as a theocracy

Government type

republic

Independence

3 June 2006 (from Serbia and Montenegro)

International organization participation

CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

Constitutional Court (five judges serve nine-year terms); Supreme Court (judges have life tenure)

Legal system

based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral Assembly (81 seats; members elected by direct vote to serve four-year terms; note - seats increased from 74 seats in 2006)

election results

percent of vote by party - Coalition for European Montenegro 51.94%, SNP 16.83%, NOVA 9.22%, PZP 6.03%, other (including Albanian minority parties) 15.98%; seats by party - Coalition for European Montenegro 48, SNP 16, NOVA 8, PZP 5, Albanian minority parties 4

elections

last held on 29 March 2009 (next to be held in 2013)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Sekula DRLJEVIC/unknown, arranged by Zarko MIKOVIC note: adopted 2004; the anthem's music is based on a Montenegrin folk song

name

"Oj, svijetla majska zoro" (Oh, Bright Dawn of May)

National holiday

National Day, 13 July (1878)

Political parties and leaders

Albanian Alternative or AA [Vesel SINISHTAJ]; Coalition for European Montenegro (bloc) [Milo DJUKANOVIC] (includes Democratic Party of Socialists or DPS [Milo DJUKANOVIC], Social Democratic Party or SDP [Ranko KRIVOKAPIC], Bosniak Party of BS [Rafet HUSOVIC], and Croatian Civic Initiative or HGI [Marija VUCINOVIC); Coalition SNP-NS-DSS (bloc) (includes Socialist People's Party or SNP [Srdjan MILIC], People's Party of Montenegro or NS [Predrag POPOVIC], and Democratic Serbian Party of Montenegro or DSS [Ranko KADIC]); Democratic League-Party of Democratic Prosperity or SPP [Mehmet BARDHIJ]; Democratic Union of Albanians or DUA [Ferhat DINOSHA]; For a Different Montenegro (bloc) [Goran BATRICEVIC] (includes Democratic Center or DC [Goran BATRICEVIC] and Liberal Party of Montenegro or LP [Miodrag ZIVKOVIC]); FORCA [Nazif CUNGU]; Movement for Changes or PZP [Nebojsa MEDOJEVIC]; National Coalition (includes People's Party of Montenegro or NS [Predrag POPOVIC] and Democratic Serbian Party of Montenegro or DSS [Ranko KADIC]); New Serb Democracy or NOVA [Andrija MANDIC]; Socialist People's Party of Montenegro or SNP [Srdjan MILIC]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

tobacco, potatoes, citrus fruits, olives, grapes; sheep

Commercial bank prime lending rate

9.36% (31 December 2009 est.) 9.24% (31 December 2008 est.)

Current account balance

-$1.102 billion (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$650 million (2006)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

30 (2003)

Economy - overview

Montenegro severed its economy from federal control and from Serbia during the MILOSEVIC era and maintained its own central bank, adopted the Deutchmark, then the euro - rather than the Yugoslav dinar - as official currency, collected customs tariffs, and managed 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 European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. In January 2007, Montenegro joined the World Bank and IMF. Montenegro is pursuing its own membership in the World Trade Organization and signed a Stabilization and Association agreement with the European Union in October 2007. The European Council granted candidate country status to Montenegro at the December 2010 session. Unemployment and regional disparities in development are key political and economic problems. 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. The global financial crisis has had a significant negative impact on the economy, due to the ongoing credit crunch, a decline in the real estate sector, and a fall in aluminum exports.

Electricity - consumption

18.6 million kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2005)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2005)

Electricity - production

2.864 billion kWh (2005 est.)

Exchange rates

euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7715 (2010), 0.7179 (2009), 0.6827 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006)

Exports

$171.3 million (2003)

Exports - partners

Italy 29.52%, Greece 22.65%, Slovenia 11.83%, Hungary 8.96%, US 7.93% (2009)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$9,900 (2010 est.) $10,000 (2009 est.) $10,500 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

-1.8% (2010 est.) -5.7% (2009 est.) 6.9% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$3.884 billion (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$6.569 billion (2010 est.) $6.689 billion (2009 est.) $7.093 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Imports

$601.7 million (2003)

Imports - partners

Italy 17.54%, Slovenia 14.62%, Germany 10.5%, Austria 7.82%, China 7.82%, Russia 4.4%, Hungary 4.11%, Greece 4.11%, Netherlands 3.96% (2009)

Industries

steelmaking, aluminum, agricultural processing, consumer goods, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3.4% (2007)

Investment (gross fixed)

30.5% of GDP (2006 est.)

Labor force

259,100 (2004)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

2%

industry

30%

services

68% (2004 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$4.289 billion (31 December 2009) $2.863 billion (31 December 2008) $3.699 billion (31 December 2007)

Natural gas - consumption

NA cu m

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

5,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

314 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports

6,093 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

7% (2007 est.)

Public debt

38% of GDP (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$NA

Stock of broad money

$1.406 billion (31 December 2008) $1.446 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit

$3.29 billion (31 December 2009) $3.771 billion (31 December 2008)

Stock of narrow money

$816.8 million (31 December 2008) $1.172 billion (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate

14.7% (2007 est.)

Broadcast media

state-owned national radio-TV broadcaster operates 2 terrestrial television networks, 1 satellite TV channel, and 2 radio networks; roughly a dozen privately-owned TV broadcasters operate networks nationally, regionally, and locally; in addition to the 2 state-owned national radio networks, roughly 50 privately-owned radio stations and networks broadcast (2007)

Internet country code

.me

Internet hosts

6,247 (2010)

Internet users

280,000 (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

GSM mobile-cellular service, available through multiple providers with national coverage, is growing

general assessment

modern telecommunications system with access to European satellites

international

country code - 382; 2 international switches connect the national system

Telephones - main lines in use

366,600 (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

752,000 (2009)

Airports

5 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2010)

Heliports

1 (2010)

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1

registered in other countries

5 (Bahamas 2, Honduras 2, Slovakia 1) (2010)

total

2

Ports and terminals

Bar

Railways

standard gauge

250 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified 169 km) (2007)

total

250 km

Roadways

paved

4,927 km

total

7,404 km

unpaved

2,477 km (2008)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 151,798 females age 16-49: 134,267 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

3,741 (2010 est.)

male

3,407

Military branches

Armed Forces of the Republic of Montenegro

Army, Navy, Air Force (2009)

Military service age and obligation

compulsory national military service abolished August 2006

Disputes - international

none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

16,192 (ethnic conflict in 1999 and riots in 2004) (2007) page last updated on January 19, 2011 ======================================================================

refugees (country of origin)

7,000 (Kosovo); note - mostly ethnic Serbs and Roma who fled Kosovo in 1999