Montenegro
republic
Montenegro as the 2014 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 147 fields, one of 20 editions from 2006 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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. The later medieval state of Zeta maintained its existence until 1496 when Montenegro finally fell under Ottoman rule. Over subsequent centuries Montenegro managed to maintain a level of autonomy within the Ottoman Empire. From the 16th to 19th centuries, Montenegro was a theocracy ruled by a series of bishop princes; in 1852, it transformed into a secular principality.
Montenegro was recognized as an independent sovereign principality at the Congress of Berlin in 1878. After World War I, during which Montenegro fought on the side of the Allies, 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, creating the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and, after 2003, shifting to a looser State 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 barely exceeded 55% - the threshold set by the EU - allowing Montenegro to formally restore its independence on 3 June 2006.
Geography
Southeastern Europe, between the Adriatic Sea and Serbia
18 fieldsLand useshare of 13,812 sq km
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
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
People and Society
30 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2014 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2014 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2011 est.)
Religions(2011 est.)
Languages
Serbian 42.9%, Montenegrin (official) 37%, Bosnian 5.3%, Albanian 5.3%, Serbo-Croat 2%, other 3.5%, unspecified 4% (2011 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.07 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 0.95 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 0.89 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 1.17 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 0.99 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.66 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.99 male(s)/female (2014 est.)
Major infectious diseases
- degree of risk:
- intermediate
- food or waterborne diseases:
- bacterial diarrhea
- vectorborne disease:
- Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (2013)
Government
Republic; President Filip VUJANOVIC (since 6 April 2008); Prime Minister Milo DJUKANOVIC (since 4 December 2012)
21 fieldsAssembly, 81 seats, elected 14 October 2012one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- none
- conventional short form:
- Montenegro
- local long form:
- none
- local short form:
- Crna Gora
- former:
- People's Republic of Montenegro, Socialist Republic of Montenegro, Republic of Montenegro
Capital
- name:
- Podgorica; note - the Old Royal Capital is Cetinje mentioned in the constitution
- geographic coordinates:
- 42 26 N, 19 16 E
- time difference:
- UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- daylight saving time:
- +1 hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Administrative divisions
- 23 municipalities (opstine, singular - opstina);
- Andrijevica, Bar, Berane, Bijelo Polje, Budva, Cetinje, Danilovgrad, Gusinje, Herceg Novi, Kolasin, Kotor, Mojkovac, Niksic, Petnijica, Plav, Pljevlja, Pluzine, Podgorica, Rozaje, Savnik, Tivat, Ulcinj, Zabljak
Constitution
- several previous;
- latest adopted 22 October 2007;
- note - in early 2013, Montenegro's parliamentary constitutional committee began debate on proposed amendments (2013)
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICC jurisdiction
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Filip VUJANOVIC (since 6 April 2008)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Milo DJUKANOVIC (since 4 December 2012)
- cabinet:
- Ministers act as cabinet; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
- elections:
- president elected by direct vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term);
- election last held on 7 April 2013 (next to be held in 2018);
- prime minister proposed by president, accepted by Assembly
- election results:
- Filip VUJANOVIC re-elected president; Filip VUJANOVIC 51.2%, Miodrag LEKIC 48.8%%
Legislative branch
unicameral Assembly (81 seats; members elected by direct vote to serve four-year terms)
- elections:
- last held on 14 October 2012 (next to be held by 2016)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party/coalition - Coalition for European Montenegro 45.6%, Democratic Front 22.8%, SNP 11.1%, Positive Montenegro 8.2%, Bosniak Party, 4.2%, other (including Albanian and Croatian minority parties) 8.1%;
- seats by party - Coalition for European Montenegro 39, Democratic Front 20, SNP 9, Positive Montenegro 7, Bosniak Party 3, Albanian and Croatian minority parties 3
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- Supreme Court or Vrhovni Sud (consists of the court president and 6 judges); Constitutional Court or Ustavni Sud (consists of the court president and 6 judges)
- judge selection and term of office:
- president of Supreme Court proposed jointly by the president of Montenegro, the speaker of the Assembly, and the prime minister;
- other judges elected by the Judicial Council;
- court president term is 5 years;
- term of other judges is 9 years;
- Constitutional Court judges proposed by the president of Montenegro and elected by the Assembly;
- court president elected among its members;
- term of judges is 9 years;
- court president term is 3 years
- subordinate courts:
- Administrative Court;
- Court of Appeal;
- regional and first instance courts
Political parties and leaders
Albanian Coalition (includes Democratic League in Montenegro or DSCG [Mehmed BARDHI], Democratic Party [Fatmir DJEKA], and Albanian Alternative or AA [Djerdj DAMAJ])
Bosniak Party or BS [Rafet HUSOVIC]
Coalition for European Montenegro (bloc) [Milo DJUKANOVIC] (includes Democratic Party of Socialists or DPS [Milo DJUKANOVIC], Liberal Party of Montenegro or LP [Andrija POPOCVIC], and the Social Democratic Party or SDP [Ranko KRIVOKAPIC])
Coalition FORCA for Unity (includes FORCA [Nazif CUNGU] and Civic Initiative [Vaselj Sinistaj])
Croatian Civic Initiative or HGI [Marija VUCINOVIC]
Democratic Center or DC [Goran BATRICEVIC]
Democratic Front (bloc) [Miodrag LEKIC] (includes New Serb Democracy or NOVA [Andrija MANDIC] and Movement for Change or PZP [Nebojsa MEDOJEVIC], a splinter faction of the Socialist People's Party or SNP)
Democratic Union of Albanians or DUA [Mehmet ZENKA]
Just Montenegro [Rade BOJOVIC]
Positive Montenegro [Darko PAJOVIC]
Serbian National Alliance (bloc)(includes Party of Serb Radicals or SSR, Democratic Serb Party or DSS [Ranko KADIC], and the Serbian National Council)
Serbian Unity (bloc) (includes Serbian People's Party or NS [Predrag POPOVIC], the Serb List or SL, the Serbian Homeland Party, the Serbian Radical Party, and the Democratic Centre of Boka or DCB [Dejan COROVIC])
Socialist People's Party or SNP [Srdan MILIC]
Together (bloc) (includes Pensioners' Party [Vojo VULETIC], Disabled and Social Justice, and the Yugoslav Communist Party of Montenegro or JKPCG)
International organization participation
CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Srdjan DARMANOVIC (since 30 November 2010)
- chancery:
- 1610 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20009
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 234-6108
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 234-6109
- consulate(s) general:
- New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Sue K. BROWN (since 27 April 2011)
- embassy:
- Dzona Dzeksona 2, 81000 Podgorica, Montenegro
- mailing address:
- use embassy street address
- telephone:
- [382] (0) 20 410 500
- FAX:
- [382] (0) 20 241 358
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 harkens back to the three and a half centuries that Montenegro was ruled as a theocracy
Economy
Montenegro's economy is slowly transitioning to a market system, but the state sector remains large and additional institutional changes are needed.
33 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2011)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP
Economy - overview
Montenegro's economy is slowly transitioning to a market system, but the state sector remains large and additional institutional changes are needed. The economy relies heavily on foreign tourism and the export of refined metals. Unprofitable state-owned enterprises, especially the Podgorica Aluminum Kombine, the country’s largest exporter, weigh heavily on public finances.
During the MILOSEVIC era, Montenegro severed its economy from Serbia, maintained its own central bank, adopted the Deutsche Mark, then shifted to the euro - rather than the Yugoslav dinar - as official currency, collected customs tariffs, and managed its own budget. The 2006 dissolution of the loose political union between Serbia and Montenegro led to separate memberships 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 became the 156th member of World Trade Organization in December 2011. The European Council (EC) granted candidate country status to Montenegro at the December 2010 session. Montenegro began negotiations to join the EC in June, 2012, having met the conditions set down by the European Council, which called on Montenegro to take steps to fight corruption and organized crime.
Unemployment and disparities in regional development, especially in the north, remain key political and economic problems. The global financial crisis had a significant negative impact on the economy, due to a credit crunch, a decline in the real estate sector, and a fall in aluminum exports.
The Government of Montenegro increased value added tax (VAT) from 17% in 2012 to 19% in 2013 and raised income tax rates from 9% to 15% for those earning over €480 a month. In 2013, the government also retrenched by freezing pensions and limiting salary increases for public enterprises and members of the parliament.
Distribution of family income - Gini index
24.3 (2010) · 30 (2003) country comparison to the world: 139
Public debt
52.1% of GDP (2012 est.) · 45% of GDP (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 61 note: data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; intra-governmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
Commercial bank prime lending rate
9.69% (31 December 2011 est.) · 9.53% (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 89
Stock of narrow money
$749 million (31 December 2011 est.) · $783.3 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 154
Stock of broad money
$1.982 billion (31 December 2011 est.) · $2.01 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 151
Stock of domestic credit
$3.29 billion (31 December 2009) · $3.771 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 123
Current account balance
-$1.938 billion (2012 est.) · -$1.927 billion (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 140
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$400 million (31 December 2011) country comparison to the world: 149
Debt - external
$1.7 billion (2012 est.) · $1.2 billion (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 147
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.7634 (2013 est.) · 0.7752 (2012 est.) · 0.755 (2010 est.) · 0.7198 (2009 est.) · 0.6827 (2008 est.)
Energy
23 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 868,000 kW(2010 est.)
Communications
7 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- modern telecommunications system with access to European satellites
- domestic:
- GSM mobile-cellular service, available through multiple providers with national coverage, is growing
- international:
- country code - 382; 2 international switches connect the national system (2011)
Broadcast media
- state-funded national radio-TV broadcaster operates 2 terrestrial TV networks, 1 satellite TV channel, and 2 radio networks;
- 4 public TV stations and some 20 private TV stations;
- 14 local public radio stations and more than 40 private radio stations (2007)
Transportation
7 fieldsMerchant marine, 2 ships by typeone square, one ship
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 250 km
country comparison to the world: 124
- standard gauge:
- 250 km 1.435-m gauge (169 km electrified) (2010)
Military
Armed Forces of the Republic of Montenegro: Army of Montenegro (includes Montenegrin Navy (Mornarica Crne Gore, MCG)), Air Force (2011)
5 fieldsMilitary branches
Armed Forces of the Republic of Montenegro: Army of Montenegro (includes Montenegrin Navy (Mornarica Crne Gore, MCG)), Air Force (2011)
Military service age and obligation
18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2012)
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsRefugees and internally displaced persons
- refugees (country of origin):
- 6,967 (Kosovo) (2013)
- stateless persons:
- 3,383 (2012)
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Montenegro.” The World Factbook 2014. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/montenegro/2014.