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Go Montenegro!!! Best Country in the world!!! Go Montenegro!!! I'm from Gusinje by the way. ] - The Biggest Fagget on Misplaced Pages!!!
: ''This article is about the country in Europe. For other places named Montenegro, see ].''
{{Infobox_Country|
|native_name = ''Република Црна Гора''<br/>''Republika Crna Gora''<br/>Republic of Montenegro
|common_name = Montenegro
|image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg|100px
|image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg
|image_map = LocationMontenegro.PNG
|national_motto = None
|national_anthem = ]
|official_languages = ] of the ] dialect<sup>1</sup>
|capital = ]
|latd=42 |latm=47 |latNS=N |longd=19 |longm=28 |longEW=E |
|largest_city = ]
|government_type = ]
|leader_title1 = ]
|leader_title2 = ]
|leader_name1 = ]
|leader_name2 = ]
|area_rank = 157th
|area_magnitude = 1 E10
|area = 13,812
|areami²= 5,333
|percent_water = N/A
|population_estimate = 620,145
|population_estimate_rank = 164th
|population_estimate_year = 2003
|population_census =
|population_census_year =
|population_density = 44.9
|population_densitymi² = 115.6
|population_density_rank = 126th
|GDP_PPP_year = 2005
|GDP_PPP = $1.91 billion
|GDP_PPP_rank = 167th
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $3,100
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 117th
|sovereignty_type = ]
|sovereignty_note = Dissolution of ]
|established_event1 = ]
|established_date1 = ], ]
|established_event2 = Declared
|established_date2 = ], ]
|established_event3 = ]
|established_date3 = ], ]
|HDI_year = N/A
|HDI = N/A
|HDI_rank = N/A
|HDI_category = <font color=gray>unranked</font>
|currency = ]<sup>2</sup>
|currency_code = EUR
|country_code =
|time_zone = ]
|utc_offset = +1
|time_zone_DST = ]
|utc_offset_DST = +2
|cctld = ]<sup>3</sup>
|calling_code = 381<sup>4</sup>
|footnotes = <sup>1</sup> - Defined as such in constitution, but subject to some controversy. See article on ] for more details.<br><sup>2</sup> - Adopted unilaterally; Montenegro is not a member of the ]<br><sup>3</sup> - .yu is a holdover from the former Yugoslavia. ] was reserved for the State Union but is likely to go unused in Montenegro. The introduction of a new ccTLD based on whatever ] code is soon assigned to Montenegro is probable.<br><sup>4</sup> - Shared with Serbia; a new code 382 will be in use soon.
}}

The '''Republic of Montenegro''' <!-- What language is this a pronunciation in? Certainly not English, which is either %mQnt@"ni:gr@U or %mQnt@"negr@U (or -"nEg- if you prefer that symbol for the short vowel) --> (]: ''Црна Гора''/''Crna Gora'', ] {{IPA|}}) is a ] located in ], bordering the ] and ] to the west, ] to the north, ] to the east and ] to the south. In ], Montenegro was a constituent ] of various incarnations of ] and the ] of ]. Based on the results of a ] held on ] ], Montenegro declared independence on ] ].

By its current ], Montenegro is defined as a "], ], and ] state" with ] as its official language. Its ] is ]. It is also the most recently independent state in the world.

== Name ==
Montenegro's native name, ''Crna Gora'', translates literally to "black mountain", a reference to the dark forests that once covered the slopes of the ] as seen from the coast . The country's name in most Western European languages, including English, reflects an adoption of the ] term ''{{lang|vec|monte negro}}'', also meaning "black mountain," which probably dates back to the era of ] ] over the area in the Middle Ages. Other languages, particularly nearby ones, use their own direct translation of the term, e.g. ]: ''{{lang|sq|Mali i Zi}}'', ]: ''{{lang|ro|Muntenegru}}'', ]: ''{{lang|el|Μαυροβούνιο}}'' and ]: ''{{lang|tr|Karadağ}}''; "black mountains" from further afield include ]: ''{{lang|ru|Черногория}}''; ]: {{lang|zh-cn|黑山}} (]: "hēishān"<ref>this literal translation is used in Mainland China and Hong Kong; ] uses {{lang|zh-tw|蒙特內哥羅}} "méngtènèigēluó", a phonetic transcription of "Montenegro"</ref>); ]: "Hahar Hashahor"; and ]: ''{{lang|is|Svartfjallaland}}'' (in the latter case, literally "black mountain land").

== History ==
{{main|History of Montenegro}}
] in the 10th century]]
The Slav tribes, mixed with Illyrians, Avars and Romans, formed the semi-independent dukedom of ] by the ]. In ], ] recognized Duklja as an independent state, acknowledging its King Mihailo (Michael) (of the ] dynasty founded by nobleman ]) as ''{{lang|la|rex Docleae}}'' (King of Duklja). The kingdom, however, paid tribute to the ]; later to the ]; it gave birth to the later medieval kingdom of the ] ] ({{lang-sr|''župan''}}) ], who originated from Duklja.

The ] of ] (which more closely corresponds to the early modern state of Montenegro) asserted itself towards ]. The ] (]–]) and the ] (]–]) ruled Zeta; and though the ] controlled the lands to the south and east from the ], it never fully conquered Zeta.

In ], the secular prince ] abdicated in favor of the Archbishop Vavil, who then made Montenegro into a ] state under the rule of the prince-bishop (''vladika'') of ], a position held from ] by the Petrović-Njegoš family of the Riđani clan. ], perhaps the most influential ''{{lang|sr|vladika}}'', reigned in the first half of the ]. In ] ] became ''{{lang|sr|vladika}}'', but in ] he married, left the priesthood, assumed the title of ''{{lang|sr|knjaz}}'' (Prince), and transformed his land into a secular principality.

In ], Prince Nikola I became King of Montenegro. Two years later, in October, 1912, King Nikola declared war on the ], precipitating the two ]. The Montenegrin army attacked the Ottoman fortress city of ], and forced the empire to gather a large army in neighboring ]. This Ottoman army was then attacked by the forces of ], ], and ] which entered the war by pre-arrangement. The result was a military disaster for the Ottomans, who were thrown back to an area north of ].

Montenegro emerged from the Balkan Wars doubled in size, receiving half of the former Ottoman territory known as the ], but without ], the country's major prize in the war. The ] awarded Skutari to an independent ].

An allied power during ], Montenegro was occupied by ] troops. In 1918, the ] voted for uniting Montenegro with the ]. However, pro-independence Montenegrins revolted on ] 1919 against ]. The revolt was finally supressed in 1924.

From ] to ], Montenegro was a part of the ], which renamed itself the ] in ]. During ], Montenegro was occupied by ] troops and later ] ] troops (]–]). From 1945 to 1992, Montenegro separated from Serbia and became a constituent republic on its own right of the ]. It was during this time that the present capital ] was renamed Titograd, after ], leader of Yugoslavia. Over the next half century, Montenegro remained one of six constituent republics of Yugoslavia.

=== Former union with Serbia ===
After the dissolution of the ] in 1992, Montenegro agreed on a ] with ], first as ], then as a looser State Union of ] that broke up as soon as a deadline for holding an independence referendum expired.

In the ], 95.96% of the votes were cast for remaining in the federation with Serbia, although the turnout was at 66% because of a ] by the Muslim and Catholic minorities as well as of pro-independence Montenegrins. The poll was organized under undemocratic conditions, during war time in the former Yugoslavia, with widespread propaganda from the state-controlled media in favour of a pro-federation vote. There is no international report from a credible international monitoring mission that testifies to the fairness of the 1992 referendum or to compliance with international standards. In fact, the 1992 referendum was totally unmonitored, unlike the 2006 vote, which was monitored by the European Union.<small></small>

In 1996, ]'s government '']'' severed ties between Montenegro and ], which was then still under ]. Montenegro formed its own ] and adopted the ] as its currency. It has since adopted the ], though it is not formally part of the ]. Subsequent governments of Montenegro carried out pro-independence policies, and political tensions with Serbia simmered despite political changes in Belgrade.

In ], Serbia and Montenegro came to a new agreement regarding continued cooperation. In ], the Yugoslav federation was replaced in favour of a looser state union named ] and a possible referendum on Montenegran independence was postponed for a minimum of three years.

=== Independence ===
The status of the union between Montenegro and Serbia was decided by a ] on ], ]. A total of 419,240 votes were cast, representing 86.5% of the total electorate. 230,661 votes or 55.5% were for independence and 185,002 votes or 44.5% were against. The 45,659 difference narrowly surpassed the 55% threshold needed to validate the referendum under rules set by the European Union. According to the electoral commission, the 55% threshold was passed by only 2,300 votes. Serbia, the member-states of the ], and the permanent members of the ] have all recognized Montenegro's independence, seemingly removing any obstacles from Montenegro's path towards becoming the world's newest sovereign state. The pro-Union block in Montenegro refused to acknowledge the result of the referendum.

The 2006 referendum was monitored by 5 international observer missions, headed by an OSCE/ODIHR monitoring team, and around 3,000 observers in total (including domestic observers from CEMI and other organizations). The OSCE/ODIHR ROM joined efforts with the observers of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (CLRAE) and the European Parliament (EP) to form an International Referendum Observation Mission (IROM). The IROM - in its preliminary report - "assessed compliance of the referendum process with OSCE commitments, Council of Europe commitments, other international standards for democratic electoral processes, and domestic legislation". Furthermore, the report assessed that the competitive pre-referendum environment was marked by an active and generally peaceful campaign and that "there were no reports of restrictions on fundamental civil and political rights".<small></small>

The 2006 referendum commission, with an equal number of members from both blocks, was headed by a European Union designated official Frantisek Lipka who held the "golden vote".

On ] ], the Parliament of Montenegro declared the independence of Montenegro, formally confirming the result of the referendum on independence. Montenegro has begun the process of seeking international recognition as well as a seat at international organizations.

With the change in the national ] to match that of the pre-1918 royal standard, there is speculation that the exiled king of Montenegro, Prince ] ], could return to the country as a constitutional monarch. Nikola II is currently living in ]. While Nikola II has never renounced his throne and has always championed Montenegrin independence, he recently stated that he "did not want" to be crowned king.{{Citation needed}}

===International recognition of Montenegro===
{{main|Foreign relations of Montenegro}}

The first state to recognise Montenegro was ], on ], ], followed by ] on ], and ] on ]. The ] and the ] recognised Montenegro on ], as have various member states of the EU and other European countries. The ] formally extended recognition on ], as did the ] and ] on ], meaning that all five permanent ] members recognise the government of Montenegro. ], the other former component of the State Union, recognised Montenegro on ].

== Geography ==
{{main|Geography of Montenegro}}
:''See also: ]''
Montenegro borders ], ] (including the UN-administered region of ]), ] and ].

Some of the cities and towns in Montenegro are:
* ] (capital; 136,473 inhabitants)
* ] (58,212)
* ] (21,377)
* ] (15,883)
* ] (16,493, including ])
* ] (11,776)
* The former royal capital and the seat of the throne is ].

The Montenegrin surface ranges from high peaks along its borders with ] and ], a segment of the ] of the western Balkan Peninsula, to a narrow coastal ] that is only one to four miles wide. The plain stops abruptly in the north, where ] and ] plunge abruptly into the inlet of the ].

Montenegro's large Karst region lies generally at elevations of 1,000 ] (3,281 ]) above sea level — however some parts rise to 2,000 m (6,560 ft) like ] (1,894 m / 6,214 ft), the highest massif among the coastal limestone ranges. ] valley is the lowest segment at an elevation of 500 meters (1,640 ft).

The rough mountains of Montenegro include some of the most rugged terrain in Europe. They average more than 2,000 m (6,560 ft) in elevation. One of the country's notable peaks is ] in the ] mountain, which reaches a height of 2,522 meters (8,274 ft). The Montenegrin mountain ranges were among the most ice-eroded parts of the Balkan Peninsula during the last glacial period.

* Longest beach: ], ] — 13,000 m (8 miles)
* Highest peak: ] (]) - 2,522 m (8,274 ft)
* Largest lake: ] — 391 km² (151 ]) of surface area
* Deepest canyon: ] — 1,300 m (4,265 ft)
* Biggest ]: ]
* National parks: ] — 390 km² (150 mi²), ] — 64 km² (25 mi²), ] — 54 km² (21 mi²), ] — 400 km²(154 mi²)
* ]: ] and ] canyon, old city of ].

== Government and politics ==
<!--Please add new information into relevant articles of the series-->
{{morepolitics|country=Montenegro}}
The current Government of the Republic of Montenegro (''Vlada Republike Crne Gore'') comprises the prime minister, the deputy prime ministers as well as ministers. ] is the Prime Minister of Montenegro and head of the Government. The ruling party in Montenegro is the ] (DPS) (''Demokratska Partija Socijalista Crna Gore'')

===Parliament===
The Montenegrin Parliament (''Skupština Republike Crne Gore'') passes all laws in Montenegro, ratifies international treaties, appoints the ], ministers, and justices of all courts, adopts the budget and performs other duties as established by the Constitution. The Parliament can pass a vote of no-confidence on the Government by a majority of the members. One deputy is elected per 6,000 voters, which in turn results in a reduction of total number of deputies in the Assembly of Montenegro (the present assembly convening comprises 78 deputies instead of previous number of 71). The current president of the Parliament is ].

===President===
The ] is elected for a period of five years through direct and secret ballots. The President shall:
#represent the republic in the country and abroad;
#promulgate laws by ordinance;
#call elections for the ];
#propose to the Assembly candidates for the ], president and justices of the Constitutional Court;
#propose to the Assembly calling of a ].
#grant amnesty for criminal offences prescribed by the republican law;
#confer decoration and awards;
#perform all other duties in accordance with the Constitution.

The President shall be a member of the Supreme Defence Council.

=== Symbols ===
A new official ] was adopted on ] ] by the Montenegrin legislature. The new flag is based on the personal standard of ] of Montenegro. This flag was all red with a gold border, a gold coat of arms, and the initials НІ in Cyrillic script (corresponding to NI in Latin script) representing ]. These initials are omitted from the modern flag.

The national day of ] marks the date in ] when the ] recognised Montenegro as the 27th independent state in the world and the start of the first popular uprising in Europe against the ] on ] ] in Montenegro.

In 2004, the Montenegrin legislature selected a popular Montenegrin folk song, "]", as the ]. Montenegro's official anthem during the reign of King Nikola was {{lang|sr|]}} (To our beautiful Montenegro). The music was composed by the King's son ]. The Montenegrin popular anthem has been ] since King Nikola I wrote it in the 1860s.

== Administrative divisions ==
{{main|Subdivisions of Montenegro}}
]
Montenegro is divided into 21 ] ('']''):
*] ]
*] ]
*] ]
*] ]
*] ]
*] ]
*] ]
*] ]
*] ]
*] ]
*] ]
*] ]
*] ]
*] ]
*] ]
*] ]
*] ]
*] ]
*] ]
*] ]
*] ]

== Economy ==
{{main|Economy of Montenegro}}

During the era of ] Montenegro experienced a rapid period of urbanization and industrialization. An industrial sector based on electricity generation, ], ], ], ] and wood processing, ] and tobacco manufacture was built up, with trade, overseas shipping, and particularly tourism, increasingly important by the late ].

The loss of previously guaranteed markets and suppliers after the break up of ] left the Montenegrin industrial sector reeling as production was suspended and the privatization program, begun in ], was interrupted. The disintegration of the Yugoslav market, and the imposition of the UN sanctions in May ] were the causes of the greatest economic and financial crisis since World War 2. During ], two thirds of the Montenegrin population lived below the poverty line, while frequent interruptions in relief supplies caused the health and environmental protection to drop below the minimum of international standards. The financial losses under the adverse effects of the UN sanctions on the overall economy of Montenegro are estimated to be approximately $6.39 billion. This period was coloured in gray by the second highest ] in the history of humankind (3 million percent in January ]).

Due to its favourable geographical location (it had access to the ] and a water-link to ] across ]) Montenegro became a hub for smuggling activity. The entire Montenegrin industrial production had stopped, and the republic's main economic activity became the smuggling of user goods - especially those in short supply like petrol and cigarettes, both of which skyrocketed in price. It became a de facto legalized practice and it went on for years.

In ], ] took control over the ruling ] (DPS) and began severing ties with ]. He blamed policies of ] for overall decline of the Montenegrin economy. Montenegro introduced the ] as response to again-growing inflation, and insisted on taking more control over its economic fate. This eventually resulted in creation of ], a loose union in which Montenegro mostly took responsibilty for its economic policies.

This was followed by implementation of faster and more efficient ], passing of reform laws, introduction of ] and usage of ] as Montenegro's legal tender. The government established a medium-term plan of economic reforms, popularly called "The Agenda".

== Demographics ==
]
]
{{main|Demographics of Montenegro|Demographic history of Montenegro}}
Ethnic composition according to the ] ]:
* ]: 267,669 (''43.16%'')
* ]: 198,414 (''31.99%'')
* ]: 48,184 (''7.77%'')
* ]: 31,163 (''5.03%'')
* ]: 24,625 (''3.97%'')
* ]: 6,811 (''1.1%'')
* ]s and ]: 2,826 (''0.46%'')

'''NB:''' Montenegrin and Serb identities are not exclusive, and the size of each group varies with each census, due to political events and as people view themselves, on balance, as more one than the other. A "Montenegrin" may view himself as a "Serb" as well, and vice versa. In both groups there are also those who view themselves as belonging to one group exclusively.

Over 270,000 citizens of ] have Montenegrin citizenship. Around 69,000 of them are Montenegrins, while others are mostly Serbs. It should be noted that those terms have a slightly different meaning in Serbia. People who may declare themselves Serbs if living in Montenegro, to emphasise their connection with the Serbian cultural space, may declare themselves Montenegrins in Serbia, as the identity needing to be emphasised would be the Montenegrin one.

In the constitution of Montenegro adopted in 1992, the official language of the republic was changed from ] to the ] standard dialect of ]. As of 2003, 63.5% of the population declare Serbian their mother tongue, while almost 22% declare ]. The dialects used are the same, very similar to those used by Serbs, Croats, and Muslims in ] and ], with slight nuances.

Over 74% of Montenegrins are ] ], adherents of the ], although there is also the ]. 110,000 ] make up 17.74% of Montenegro's population. They are divided into three main groups: ethnic ], and Slavic Muslims split among ], who speak ] and ], who prefer Serbian. Albanians are a separate group, speaking their own language, ] (5.26%) and living mostly in the south-east, especially in ], where they form the majority of the population. Bosniaks are Slavic Muslims speaking the ] and living mostly in the north. Finally, there are a small groups of autochtonous ] and other ] inhabitants, who live mostly in the coastal areas, particularly the ].

== Culture ==
{{main|Culture of Montenegro}}
Because of the country's location, the culture of Montenegro has been shaped by a variety of influences throughout history. The influence of Orthodox South Slavic, Central European, and seafaring Adriatic cultures have been the most imporant in recent centuries.

Montenegro has many significant cultural and historical sites, including heritage sites from the pre-], ] and ] periods. The Montenegrin coastal region is especially well known for its religious monuments, including the ], the basilica of St. Luke (over 800 years), Our Lady of the Rock (Škrpjela), the ] and others. The ] influence in architecture and in religious artwork is especially apparent in the country's interior. Montenegro's medieval monasteries contain thousands of square meters of frescos on their walls.

The traditional dance of the Montenegrins is the Oro, a circle dance that involves dancers standing on each other's shoulders in a circle while one or two dancers are dancing in the middle while the gusle and drums are playing.

The first literary works written in the region are ten centuries old, and the first Montenegrin book was printed five hundreds years ago. The first state-owned printing press was located in Cetinje in ], where the first ] book was printed the same year (]). Ancient manuscripts, dating from the ], are kept in the Montenegrin monasteries.

Montenegro's capital Podgorica and the former royal capital of Cetinje are the two most importantant centers of culture and the arts in the country.

<gallery>
Image:MilleniumBridgeNight.jpg|], Millennium bridge
Image:RibnicaBridge.jpg|], Old bridge over the Ribnica river
Image:Harbour Budva.JPG|The Harbor in ]
Image:Cathedral Kotor.JPG|Cathedral of Saint Tryphon (Sv. Tripun) in ]
Image:Church Perast.JPG|Church in ]
Image:Islands Perast.JPG|The two islands off ]
Image:Manastir_pv.JPG|Monestery of holy Trinity ]
Image:mosquepv.jpg|Husein-pasa's mosque with the tallest minaret ( 42m )in the Balkans ]
</gallery>

== See also ==
{{combi}}
|{{portal}}
|{{Montenegro_topics}}
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== External links ==
{{commons|Montenegro}}
{{sisterlinks|Montenegro}}
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=== Miscellaneous ===
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{{Europe}}
{{EU countries and candidates}}
{{Mediterranean}}

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Revision as of 03:13, 20 June 2006

Go Montenegro!!! Best Country in the world!!! Go Montenegro!!! I'm from Gusinje by the way. Pravi Gusinjez - The Biggest Fagget on Misplaced Pages!!!