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.

Southeastern Europe, between the Adriatic Sea and Serbia

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Mediterranean climate, hot dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfalls inland

highly indented coastline with narrow coastal plain backed by rugged high limestone mountains and plateaus

bauxite, hydroelectricity

destructive earthquakes

pollution of coastal waters from sewage outlets, especially in tourist-related areas such as Kotor

strategic location along the Adriatic coast

Montenegrin 43%, Serbian 32%, Bosniak 8%, Albanian 5%, other (Muslims, Croats, Roma (Gypsy)) 12% (2003 census)

Serbian 63.6%, Montenegrin (official) 22%, Bosnian 5.5%, Albanian 5.3%, unspecified (includes Croatian) 3.7% (2003 census)

Orthodox 74.2%, Muslim 17.7%, Catholic 3.5%, other 0.6%, unspecified 3%, atheist 1% (2003 census)

657,394 (July 2012 est.)

10.89 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

9.03 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

PODGORICA (capital) 144,000 (2009)

8 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

3.98 beds/1,000 population (2007)

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

3 June 2006 (from Serbia and Montenegro)

National Day, 13 July (1878)

approved 19 October 2007 (by the Assembly)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

unicameral Assembly (81 seats; members elected by direct vote to serve four-year terms)

Constitutional Court (five judges serve nine-year terms); Supreme Court (judges have life tenure)

Albanian Alternative or AA [Vesel SINISHTAJ]; Coalition for European Montenegro (bloc) [Milo DJUKANOVIC] (includes Democratic Party of Socialists or DPS [Milo DJUKANOVIC], Social Democratic Party or SDP [Ranko KRIVOKAPIC], Bosniak Party of BS [Rafet HUSOVIC], and Croatian Civic Initiative or HGI [Marija VUCINOVIC]); Democratic Center or DC [Goran BATRICEVIC]; Democratic League-Party of Democratic Prosperity or SPP [Mehmet BARDHIJ]; Democratic Serbian Party of Montenegro or DSS [Ranko KADIC]; Democratic Union of Albanians or DUA [Mehmet ZENKA]; FORCA [Nazif CUNGU]; Liberal Party of Montenegro or LP [Andrija POPOVIC]; Movement for Change or PZP [Nebojsa MEDOJEVIC]; New Serb Democracy or NOVA [Andrija MANDIC]; People's Party of Montenegro or NS [Predrag POPOVIC]; Socialist People's Party or SNP [Srdjan MILIC]

CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

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

Montenegro's economy is transitioning to a market system, but the state sector remains large and additional institutional changes are needed. The economy relies heavily on tourism and the export of refined metals. Unprofitable state-owned enterprises weigh on public finances. Montenegro severed its economy from federal control and from Serbia during the MILOSEVIC era and maintained its own central bank, adopted the deutsch mark, then the euro - rather than 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. In January 2007, Montenegro joined the World Bank and IMF. Montenegro became the 156th member of World Trade Organization in December 2011. The European Council (EC) granted candidate country status to Montenegro at the December 2010 session. Montenegro will begin negotiations to join the EC in 2012, if it meets the conditions set down by the European Council, which call on Montenegro to take further steps to fight corruption and organized crime. Unemployment and regional disparities in development are key political and economic problems. 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. The global financial crisis had a significant negative impact on the economy, due to the ongoing credit crunch, a decline in the real estate sector, and a fall in aluminum exports. In 2011, real GDP growth reached 1.8%, the highest it has been in three years.

$7.249 billion (2011 est.)

$7.075 billion (2010 est.)

$6.903 billion (2009 est.)

$4.536 billion (2011 est.)

22% of GDP (2011 est.)

37.5% of GDP (2011 est.)

-4.4% of GDP (2011 est.)

45% of GDP (2011 est.)

38% of GDP (2006 est.)

9.69% (31 December 2011 est.)

9.53% (31 December 2010 est.)

$749 million (31 December 2011 est.)

$1.172 billion (31 December 2007)

$1.982 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$1.446 billion (31 December 2007)

$3.29 billion (31 December 2009)

$3.771 billion (31 December 2008)

$3.322 billion (31 December 2011)

$3.604 billion (31 December 2010)

$4.289 billion (31 December 2009)

tobacco, potatoes, citrus fruits, olives, grapes; sheep

steelmaking, aluminum, agricultural processing, consumer goods, tourism

-$1.927 billion (2011 est.)

-$1.102 billion (2007 est.)

$640 million (2011 est.)

Serbia 17.5%, Hungary 16.9%, Croatia 10.1% (2011 est.)

$2.5 billion (2011 est.)

Serbia 28.4%, Greece 7.9%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 7.6% (2011 est.)

$400 million (31 December 2011)

$1.2 billion (2011 est.)

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

2.621 billion kWh (2009 est.)

4.1 billion kWh (2010 est.)

1.5 billion kWh (2010 est.)

868,000 kW (2009 est.)

24.2% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

75.8% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

4,446 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

3,666 bbl/day (2008 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

1.941 million Mt (2010 est.)

state-funded national radio-TV broadcaster operates 2 terrestrial TV networks, 1 satellite TV channel, and 2 radio networks; 4 public TV stations and some 20 private TV stations; 14 local public radio stations and more than 40 private radio stations (2007)

Armed Forces of the Republic of Montenegro: Army of Montenegro (includes Montenegrin Navy (Mornarica Crne Gore, MCG)), Air Force (2011)

compulsory national military service abolished August 2006