| |
LOCATION :
Southeastern Europe, between the
Adriatic Sea and Serbia
GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES :
42 30 N, 19 18 E
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.
Population
684,736 (July 2007
est.), Montenegrin 43%, Serbian 32%, Bosniak 8%, Albanian 5% and
other (Muslims, Croats, Roma (Gypsy)) 12%. Official Language is
Serbian and Capital
is Podgorica.
People Groups :
|
|
