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.

Geographic coordinates: 42 30 N 19 18 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 14,026 km²
Land: 13,812 km²
Water: 214 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries
Total: 625 km
Border countries: (4) Albania 172 km; , Bosnia and Herzegovina 225 km; , Croatia 25 km; , Serbia 203 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
Extremes lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Bobotov Kuk 2,522 m

Natural resources: bauxite hydroelectricity

Land use
Arable land: 13.7%
Permanent crops: 1%
Other: 85.3%

Irrigated land: NA

Natural hazards: destructive earthquakes

Geography
Note: strategic location along the Adriatic coast

Population: 684,736 (July 2007 est.)
Growth rate: -1% (2007 est.)
Below poverty line: 12.2% (2003)

Nationality
Noun: Montenegrin
Adjective: Montenegrin

Ethnic groups: Montenegrin 43% Serbian 32% Bosniak 8% Albanian 5% other (Muslims Croats Roma (Gypsy)) 12%

Languages: Serbian (official; Ijekavian dialect) Bosnian Albanian Croatian

Religions: Orthodox Muslim Roman Catholic

Population growth rate: -1% (2007 est.)

Birth rate: 11.18 births/1000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate: 8.39 deaths/1000 population (2007 est.)

Environment
Current issues: pollution of coastal waters from sewage outlets especially in tourist-related areas such as Kotor
International agreements party to: Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ship Pollution

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Montenegro
Conventional short form: Montenegro
Local long form: Republika Crna Gora
Local short form: Crna Gora
Former: People's Republic of Montenegro, Socialist Republic of Montenegro

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Podgorica (administrative 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
Note: Cetinje (capital city)

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

Independence: 3 June 2006 (from Serbia and Montenegro)

National holiday: National Day 13 July (1878)

Constitution: 12 October 1992 (was approved by the Assembly); note - Montenegro is currently writing a new constitution set to be presented to Parliament in spring 2007

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Filip VUJANOVIC (since 11 May 2003)
Head of government: Prime Minister Zeljko STURANOVIC (since 13 November 2006)
Cabinet: Ministries act as cabinet
Elections: president elected by direct vote for five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 11 May 2003 (next to be held in 2008); prime minister proposed by president, accepted by Assembly
Election results: Filip VUJANOVIC elected on the third round; Filip VUJANOVIC 63.3%, Miodrag ZIVKOVIC 30.8%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 10 September 2006 (next to be held 2010)
Election results: percent of vote by party - Coalition for European Montenegro 40.6%, Serbian List 15.3%, Coalition SNP-NS-DSS 14.8%, PZP 13.9%, Liberals and Bosniaks 3.8%, other (including Albanian minority parties) 11.6%; seats by party - Coalition for European Montenegro 39, Serbian List 12, Coalition SNP/NS/DSS 11, PZP 11, Liberals and Bosniaks 3, Albanian minority parties 5

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court (five judges with nine-year terms); Supreme Court (judges have life tenure)

Political parties and leaders: Albanian Alternative or AA [Vesel SINISHTAJ]; Bosniak Party or BS [Rafet HUSOVIC]; Coalition for European Montenegro or DPS-SDP (bloc) [Milo DUKANOVIC] (includes DPS and SDP); Coalition SNP-NS-DSS (bloc) (includes SNP NS and DSS); Democratic League-Party of Democratic Prosperity or SPP [Mehmet BARHDI]; Democratic Party of Socialists or DPS [Milo DJUKANOVIC]; Democratic Serbian Party of Montenegro or DSS [Ranko KADIC]; Democratic Union of Albanians or DUA [Ferhat DINOSA]; Liberal Party of Montenegro or LP [Miodrag ZIVKOVIC]; Liberals and the Bosniak Party (bloc) [Miodrag ZIVKOVIC] (includes LP and BS); Movement for Changes or PZP [Nebojsa MEDOJEVIC]; Party of Serb Radicals or SSR [Dusko SEKULIC]; People's Party of Montenegro or NS [Predrag POPOVIC]; People's Socialist Party or NSS [Emilo LABUDOVIC]; Serbian List (bloc) [Andrija MANDIC] (includes SSR NSS and SNS); Serbian People's Party of Montenegro or SNS [Andrija MANDIC]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Ranko KRIVOKAPIC]; Socialist People's Party or SNP [Srdjan MILIC]

International organization participation: CE CEI EBRD FAO IAEA IBRD ICCt ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ITU ITUC MIGA OPCW OSCE PFP UN UNIDO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Miodrag VLAHOVIC
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
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Roderick W. MOORE
From the us embassy: Ljubljanska bb, 81,000 Podgorica, Montenegro
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [382] 81 225 417
From the us fax: [382] 81 241 358

Flag description: a red field bordered by a narrow golden-yellow stripe with the Montenegrin coat of arms centered

Economy overview: The republic of Montenegro severed its economy from federal control and from Serbia during the MILOSEVIC era and maintained its own central bank used the euro instead of 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. On 18 January 2007 Montenegro joined the World Bank and IMF. 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $3.443 billion (2006 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: $3,800 (2005 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: NA%
Industry: NA%
Services: NA%

Agriculture products: grains tobacco potatoes citrus fruits olives grapes; sheepherding; commercial fishing negligible

Industries: steelmaking aluminum agricultural processing consumer goods tourism

Labor force: 259,100 (2004)
By occupation agriculture: 2%
By occupation industry: 30%
By occupation services: 68% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate: 27.7% (2005)

Population below poverty line: 12.2% (2003)

Budget
Revenues: NA
Expenditures: NA

Public debt: NA% of GDP

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 3.4% (2004)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Current account balance: $NA

Exports: $171.3 million (2003)
Partners: Switzerland 83.9% Italy 6.1% Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.3% (2006)

Imports: $601.7 million (2003)
Partners: Greece 10.2% Italy 10.2% Germany 9.6% Bosnia and Herzegovina 9.2% (2006)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: NA

Debt external: $NA

Exchange rates: euros per US dollar - 0.7964 (2006) 0.8041 (2005) 0.8089 (2004) 0.886 (2003) 1.0626 (2002)

Electricity
Production: 2.864 billion kWh (2005 est.)
Consumption: 18.6 million kWh (2005)

Natural gas
Consumption: NA m³

Telephones
Main lines in use: 353,300 (2006)
Mobile cellular: 821,800 (2006)

Telephone system
General assessment: modern telecommunications system with access to European satellites
Domestic: GSM wireless service, available through 2 providers with national coverage, is growing rapidly
International: country code - 382 (the old code of 381 used by Serbia and Montenegro will also remain in use until Feb 2007); 2 international switches connect the national system

Internet
Country code: .me
Users: 266,000 (2006)

Military service age and obligation: compulsory national military service abolished August 2006

Airports: 5 (2007)
With paved runways total: 3
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Heliports: 1 (2007)

Railways
Total: 250 km
Standard gauge: 250 km 1.435-m gauge (electrified 169 km) (2006)

Roadways
Total: 7,353 km
Paved: 4,274 km
Unpaved: 3,079 km (2005)

Merchant marine
Total: 4 ships (1000 GRT or over) 9,458 GRT/10,172 DWT
By type: cargo 4
Registered in other countries: 3 (Bahamas 2, St Vincent and The Grenadines 1) (2007)

Ports and terminals: Bar

Disputes international: none