Map of Montenegro | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Background: 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 joined 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 two-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. In 2017, Montenegro joined NATO and is currently completing its EU accession process, having officially applied to join the EU in December 2008.


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Location: Southeastern Europe, between the Adriatic Sea and Serbia

Geographic coordinates: 42 30 N, 19 18 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 13,812 km²
Land: 13,452 km²
Water: 360 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut; slightly larger than twice the size of Delaware

Land boundaries
Total: 680 km
Border countries: (5) Albania 186 km; Bosnia and Herzegovina 242 km; Croatia 19 km; Kosovo 76 km; Serbia 157 km

Coastline: 293.5 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Continental shelf: defined by treaty

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

Elevation
Highest point: Zia Kolata 2,534 m
Lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
Mean elevation: 1,086 m

Natural resources: bauxite, hydroelectricity

Land use
Agricultural land: 38.2% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 12.9% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 1.2% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 24.1% (2018 est.)
Forest: 40.4% (2018 est.)
Other: 21.4% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 24 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²: Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 km²)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 100 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 60 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 1.7 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes

Geography
Note: strategic location along the Adriatic coast


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Population
Distribution: highest population density is concentrated in the south, southwest; the extreme eastern border is the least populated area: 602,445 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: -0.43% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: 24.5% (2018 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Montenegrin(s)
Adjective: Montenegrin

Ethnic groups: Montenegrin 45%, Serbian 28.7%, Bosniak 8.7%, Albanian 4.9%, Muslim 3.3%, Romani 1%, Croat 1%, other 2.6%, unspecified 4.9% (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.)
Major-language samples:

Religions: Orthodox 72.1%, Muslim 19.1%, Catholic 3.4%, atheist 1.2%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.6% (2011 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 17.93% (male 55,690/female 52,340)
15-64 years: 64.65% (male 194,334/female 195,127)
65 years and over: 17.42% (2023 est.) (male 45,993/female 58,961)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 52.5
Youth dependency ratio: 27.7
Elderly dependency ratio: 24.8
Potential support ratio: 4 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 40.7 years (2023 est.)
Male: 39.2 years
Female: 42.2 years

Population growth rate: -0.43% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 11 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 10.3 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: -5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution: highest population density is concentrated in the south, southwest; the extreme eastern border is the least populated area

Urbanization
Urban population: 68.5% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 177,000 PODGORICA (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: pollution of coastal waters from sewage outlets, especially in tourist-related areas such as Kotor; serious air pollution in Podgorica, Pljevlja and Niksie; air pollution in Pljevlja is caused by the nearby lignite power plant and the domestic use of coal and wood for household heating
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 19.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 2.02 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 0.75 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 26.3 years (2010 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio: 6 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 3.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 2.7 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 78 years (2023 est.)
Male: 75.6 years
Female: 80.5 years

Total fertility rate: 1.81 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 20.7% (2018)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 100% of population
Improved rural: 98.2% of population
Improved total: 99.4% of population
Unimproved urban: 0% of population
Unimproved rural: 1.8% of population
Unimproved total: 0.6% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure: 11.4% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 2.74 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Hospital bed density: 3.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access
Improved urban:
Unimproved urban:

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: intermediate (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
Vectorborne diseases: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 23.3% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 9.91 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 3.83 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 2.68 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 3.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 31.4% (2020 est.)
Male: 31.6% (2020 est.)
Female: 31.1% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 3.7% (2018/19)

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99%
Male: 99.4%
Female: 98.5% (2021)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years
Male: 15 years
Female: 16 years (2021)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 31.6% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 28.3%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 36.7%


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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
Etymology: the country's name locally as well as in most Western European languages means "black mountain" and refers to the dark coniferous forests on Mount Lovcen and the surrounding area

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital
Name: Podgorica; note - Cetinje retains the status of "Old Royal Capital"
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
Etymology: the name translates as "beneath Gorica"; the meaning of Gorica is "hillock"; the reference is to the small hill named Gorica that the city is built around

Administrative divisions: 25 municipalities (opstine, singular - opstina); Andrijevica, Bar, Berane, Bijelo Polje, Budva, Cetinje, Danilovgrad, Gusinje, Herceg Novi, Kolasin, Kotor, Mojkovac, Niksic, Petnjica, Plav, Pljevlja, Pluzine, Podgorica, Rozaje, Savnik, Tivat, Tuzi, Ulcinj, Zabljak, Zeta

Dependent areas

Independence: 3 June 2006 (from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro); notable earlier dates: 13 March 1852 (Principality of Montenegro established); 13 July 1878 (Congress of Berlin recognizes Montenegrin independence); 28 August 1910 (Kingdom of Montenegro established)

National holiday: Statehood Day, 13 July (1878, the day the Berlin Congress recognized Montenegro as the 27th independent state in the world, and 1941, the day the Montenegrins staged an uprising against fascist occupiers and sided with the partisan communist movement)

Constitution
History: several previous; latest adopted 22 October 2007
Amendments: proposed by the president of Montenegro, by the government, or by at least 25 members of the Assembly; passage of draft proposals requires two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly, followed by a public hearing; passage of draft amendments requires two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly; changes to certain constitutional articles, such as sovereignty, state symbols, citizenship, and constitutional change procedures, require three-fifths majority vote in a referendum; amended 2013

Legal system: civil law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Montenegro
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Jakov MILATOVIC (since 20 May 2023)
Head of government: Prime Minister Milojko SPAJIC (since 31 October 2023)
Cabinet: ministers act as cabinet
Elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 19 March 2023 with a runoff on 2 April 2023 (next to be held in 2,028); prime minister nominated by the president, approved by the Assembly
Election results:

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Assembly or Skupstina (81 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last held on 11 June 2023 (next to be held in June 2,027)
Election results: percent of vote by party/coalition - Europe Now! 25.5%, Together! 23.2%, For the Future of Montenegro 14.7%, Aleksa and Dritan - Count Bravely 12.5%, BP 7.1%, SNP-DEMOS 3.1%, Albanian Forum 1.9%, HGI 0.7%; seats by party/coalition Europe Now! 24, Together! 21, For the Future of Montenegro 13, Aleksa and Dritan - Count Bravely 11, BP 6, SNP-DEMOS 2, Albanian Forum 2, Albanian Alliance 1, HGI 1; composition - as of October 2023 - men 64, women 17, percent of women 21%

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court or Vrhovni Sud (consists of the court president, deputy president, and 15 judges); Constitutional Court or Ustavni Sud (consists of the court president and 7 judges)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president proposed by general session of the Supreme Court and elected by the Judicial Council, a 9-member body consisting of judges, lawyers designated by the Assembly, and the minister of judicial affairs; Supreme Court president elected for a single renewable, 5-year term; other judges elected by the Judicial Council for life; Constitutional Court judges - 2 proposed by the president of Montenegro and 5 by the Assembly, and elected by the Assembly; court president elected from among the court members; court president elected for a 3-year term, other judges serve 9-year terms
Subordinate courts: Administrative Courts; Appellate Court; Commercial Courts; High Courts; basic courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Note: Montenegro is an EU candidate country whose satisfactory completion of accession criteria is required before being granted full EU membership

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Nebojsa TODOROVIC (since 7 December 2022)
In the us chancery: 1610 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20,009
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 234-6,108
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 234-6,109
In the us email address and website: usa@mfa.gov.me
In the us consulate(s) general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Judy Rising REINKE (since 20 December 2018)
From the us embassy: Dzona Dzeksona 2, 81,000 Podgorica
From the us mailing address: 5,570 Podgorica Place, Washington DC 20,521-5,570
From the us telephone: +382 (0)20-410-500
From the us FAX: [382] (0)20-241-358
From the us email address and website:

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 a symbol of episcopal authority and harkens back to the three and a half centuries when Montenegro was ruled as a theocracy

National symbols: double-headed eagle; national colors: red, gold

National anthem
Name: "Oj, svijetla majska zoro" (Oh, Bright Dawn of May)
Lyrics/music: Sekula DRLJEVIC/unknown, arranged by Zarko MIKOVIC
Note: adopted 2004; music based on a Montenegrin folk song

National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites: 4 (3 cultural, 1 natural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales:


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Economy overview: upper middle-income Balkan economy; unsanctioned euro user; controversial religious property ownership law; persistent corruption; major infrastructure investments and high expenditures; growing offshore banking destination

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 76.8% (2016 est.)
Government consumption: 19.6% (2016 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 23.2% (2016 est.)
Investment in inventories: 2.9% (2016 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 40.5% (2016 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -63% (2016 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 7.5% (2016 est.)
Industry: 15.9% (2016 est.)
Services: 76.6% (2016 est.)

Agriculture products: milk, potatoes, grapes, vegetables, tomatoes, watermelons, wheat, apples, cabbages, barley

Industries: steelmaking, aluminum, agricultural processing, consumer goods, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 1.39% (2021 est.)

Labor force: 277,400 (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 31.6% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 28.3%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 36.7%

Population below poverty line: 24.5% (2018 est.)

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 36.8 (2018 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10%: 3.5%
Highest 10%: 25.7% (2014 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $2.051 billion (2020 est.)
Expenditures: $2.568 billion (2020 est.)
Surplus  or deficit: -5.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 37.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Public debt:
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 intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental 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

Revenue
From forest resources: 0.43% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0.12% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:

Exports:
Partners: Serbia 17%, Hungary 15%, China 11%, Russia 7%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 6%, Germany 6%, Italy 5%, Poland 5% (2019)
Commodities: copper ore, aluminum, electricity, dried legumes, packaged medicines, lead, scrap iron, lumber (2021)

Imports:
Partners: Serbia 30%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 8%, Croatia 8%, Italy 6%, Greece 6%, Germany 5% (2019)
Commodities: refined petroleum, cars, packaged medicines, recreational boats, cigarettes (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

Debt external:

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:
Note: Montenegro, which is neither an EU member state nor a party to a formal EU monetary agreement, uses the euro as its de facto currency


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Electricity
Access electrification-total population: 99.7% (2021)
Access electrification-urban areas: 100% (2021)
Access electrification-rural areas: 99.3% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 1.007 million kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: 3,246,760,000 kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 943 million kWh (2019 est.)
Imports: 1.196 billion kWh (2019 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 493 million kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 42.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 10.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 47.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
Production: 1.456 million metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 1.351 million metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 96,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 1,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 142 million metric tons (2019 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 7,600 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports: 357 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 6,448 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 2.447 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 1.333 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 1.114 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 77.286 million Btu/person (2019 est.)


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 190,595 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 30 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 1,120,074 (2021 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 178 (2021 est.)

Telephone system

Broadcast media: state-funded national radio-TV broadcaster operates 2 terrestrial TV networks, 1 satellite TV channel, and 2 radio networks; 4 local public TV stations and 14 private TV stations; 14 local public radio stations, 35 private radio stations, and several on-line media (2019)

Internet
Country code: .me
Users total: 516,600 (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 82% (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 184,176 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 29 (2020 est.)


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Military expenditures:

Military and security forces: Army of Montenegro (Vojska Crne Gore or VCG): Ground Forces (Kopnene snage), Air Force (Vazduhoplovstvo), Navy (Mornarica) (2023)
Note: the National Police Force, which includes Border Police, is responsible for maintaining internal security; it is organized under the Police Administration within the Ministry of Interior and reports to the police director and, through the director, to the minister of interior and prime minister

Military service age and obligation: 18 is the legal minimum age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2006 (2023)
Note: as of 2023, women made up over 15% of the military's full-time personnel

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 4
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 565,522 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 130,000 (2018) mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 4O

Airports: 5 (2021)
With paved runways: 5
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Heliports: 1 (2021)

Pipelines

Railways
Total: 250 km (2017)
Standard gauge: 250 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge (224 km electrified)

Roadways
Total: 7,762 km (2010)
Paved: 7,141 km (2010)
Unpaved: 621 km (2010)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 18 (2022)
By type: bulk carrier 4, other 14

Ports and terminals
Major seaports: Bar


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Disputes international: Montenegro-Albania: none identified

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees country of origin: 63,790 (Ukraine) (as of 4 December 2023)
Stateless persons: 468 (2022)
Note: 33,825 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-November 2023)

Illicit drugs: drug trafficking groups are major players in the procurement and transportation of of large quantities of cocaine destined for European markets