MONTENEGRO is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south and borders Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the southeast. Its capital and largest city is Podgorica, while Cetinje is designated as the Prijestonica or Prestonica, meaning the former Royal Capital City.

A Serbian principality since the Late Middle Ages, Montenegro saw its independence from the Ottoman Empire formally recognized in 1878. From 1918, it was a part of various incarnations of Yugoslavia.

As a result of a referendum held on May 21, 2006, Montenegro declared independence on June 3, 2006; on June 28, 2006, it became the 192nd member state of the United Nations; on May 11, 2007, the 47th member state of the Council of Europe.

The Island Hoppers crew will sail the coast of Montenegro from north to south exploring unique ports and coastal townships steeped in history, culture and ancient architecture.

BASIC FACTS

Official name

Republic of Montenegro

Capital

Podgorica

Area

13,812 sq km
5,333 sq mi

Largest cities (population)

Podgorica 138,000 (2002)

People

Population 678,177 (2008 estimate)
Population growth rate -0.93 per cent (2008 estimate)
Population density 49 persons per sq km (2008 estimate)
127 persons per sq mi (2008 estimate)

Urbanisation

Per cent urban Not available
Per cent rural Not available

Life expectancy

Total 77.2 years (2008 estimate)
Female 80.3 years (2008 estimate)
Male 74.2 years (2008 estimate)

Infant mortality rate

10 deaths per 1,000 live births (2008 estimate)

Ethnic divisions

Montenegrin 43 per cent
Serb 32 per cent
Bosniak 8 per cent
Albanian 5 per cent
Hungarian 3 per cent
Other or none 9 per cent

Languages

Ijekavian dialect of the Serbian language (also known as Montenegrin), Albanian, other

Religions*

Orthodox Christian, Muslim, Roman Catholic, other

Type of government

Republic

Independence

June 3, 2006 (from Federal Republic of Serbia and Montenegro)

Constitution 

February 4, 2003

Voting rights 

Universal at age 18

Economy

Gross domestic product (GDP) (US$)2,491 million (2006)
GDP per capita (US$) 4,143.90 (2006)
GDP by economic sector
GDP, agriculture 7.8 (2006)
GDP, industry 17.6 (2006)
GDP, services 74.6 (2006)

Monetary unit

Montenegro adopted the Euro of 100 cents in January 2002.

Exports

Machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, chemicals, food and live animals, raw materials

Imports

Machinery and transport equipment, fuels and lubricants, manufactured goods, chemicals, foodstuffs, metals, raw materials

Major trading partners for exports

FYRO Macedonia, Russia, Germany, Greece, Switzerland

Major trading partners for imports

Germany, Italy, Russia, FYRO Macedonia

Industries

Machinery, transport equipment, weaponry, electrical equipment, metallurgy, mining, textiles, footwear, foodstuffs, appliances, electronics, petroleum products, chemicals, pharmaceuticals

Agriculture

Grain, cotton, oilseed, maize, sugar beet, wheat, potatoes, chicory, grapes, plums, vegetables, tobacco, olives, rice, fodder; livestock: sheep, cattle, goats, dairy products

Natural resources

Oil, natural gas, coal, antimony, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, gold, pyrite, chrome, fertile soil

MAGICAL MONTENEGRO

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Budua is a coastal town in Montenegro. It has around 15,000 inhabitants, and is a centre of Budva municipality. The coastal area around Budva, called the Budvanska rivijera, is the centre of Montenegro's tourism, and is well known for its sandy beaches, diverse nightlife, and beautiful examples of Mediterranean architecture.

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Sveti Stefan is a seaside resort located 5kms southeast of Budva, on the Budva Riviera. It used to be an tidal island, but is now permanently connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus.

Sveti Stefan was inhabited in 15th century as a fisherman's village. In 1950s last residents of the village were evicted, and Sveti Stefan was transformed into a luxury town-hotel. It is the most exclusive resort on Montenegro's coast.

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Sveti Nikola island is located opposite to the town of Budva, 1 km from Budva's old town. The island is 2kms long, and it has the area of 36ha. Highest point on the island is a cliff that rises 121m above the sea.

The island is a popular excursion site in the Budva area. It has three bigger sandy beaches of total length of 840m, and numerous small beaches around the island, accessible only by boat.

Deer inhabit the uncultivated part of the island. The island is called Školj by the locals, while the youth refers to it as "Hawaii" island.

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The Savina monastery, located near the town of Herceg-Novi, was built amidst rich mediterranean vegetation in one of the most attractive corners of the northern Montenegrin coast.

The name originates from the 4th Century martyr St. Sabbi. There is considerable controversy regarding its age. The monastery consists of three churches: the church of the Assumption, the church of St.Sava of Serbia and the larger cathedral of the Assumption.

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Perast lies beneath the hill of St. Elijah (873m), on a cape that separates the bay of Risan from the bay of Kotor (two smaller bays within the Boka Kotorska) and overlooks the Verige strait, the narrowest part of Boka.

The average yearly temperature in Perasto is 18.3°C, and the number of sunny days is 240 (or around 2,500 sunny hours per year).

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