Montenegro

I

Introduction

Montenegro, country in southeastern Europe, located on the Balkan Peninsula. Montenegro faces the Adriatic Sea, which separates it from Italy, and enjoys a Mediterranean climate. The land is mostly mountainous, with steep slopes jutting up from the sea to the inland borders. Slavic peoples, chiefly Montenegrins and Serbs, make up about three-quarters of the population. The administrative capital and largest city is Podgorica.

From 1946 to 1991 Montenegro was part of a larger federal state of Yugoslavia, which also included the republics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia. That Yugoslav state broke apart in 1991 when several of the republics declared their independence. In 1992 Serbia and Montenegro proclaimed themselves the successor state to Yugoslavia and took the name Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY). In 2003 the FRY adopted a new constitutional charter that gave the member republics more autonomy and changed the name of the country to Serbia and Montenegro. This union dissolved in June 2006 after the people of Montenegro voted in favor of independence from Serbia.

II

The Land

Montenegro is about the same size as Connecticut, covering an area of 13,812 sq km (5,333 sq mi). From west to east, Montenegro is nestled between Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Albania. In the southwest Montenegro faces the Adriatic Sea, part of the Mediterranean Sea. The country’s scenic coastline extends 199 km (124 mi).

A

Mountainous Landscape

The Dinaric Alps run parallel to the Adriatic Sea, forming a natural boundary between the narrow coastal plains and the interior of the Balkan Peninsula. Karst topography of limestone ridges dominates much of Montenegro’s landscape. At the Gulf of Kotor on the coast, steep limestone mountains rise dramatically at the water’s edge, giving the appearance of fjords. Mount Lovcen rises to 1,748 m (5,735 ft) on the southeastern end of the Gulf of Kotor. The name Montenegro, which is derived from the Latin words for “black mountain,” is believed to have originated due to the appearance of Mount Lovcen, either because of the basalt (a black rock) that makes up much of the mountain or the dark pine forests that once blanketed its slopes.

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Beyond the coast, Montenegro is a mostly mountainous country. The northwestern part of the country is famed for its rugged beauty. Durmitor, a mountain massif of the Dinaric Alps, includes 15 peaks that exceed 2,000 m (6,600 ft). Bobotov Kuk, the highest of Durmitor’s summits and the loftiest peak in Montenegro, rises to a height of 2,522 m (8,274 ft). Durmitor National Park, listed as a World Heritage Site in 1980, includes one of the last virgin black pine forests of Europe, numerous glacial lakes, and the Tara River canyon (see World Heritage Committee). With gorges reaching a depth of 1,300 m (4,265 ft), the Tara River canyon ranks as the deepest canyon in Europe.

Montenegro’s few regions suitable for farming are in river valleys, mainly the one along the Zeta River; on the plain around Lake Scutari in the southeast; and near the city of Cetinje, at the eastern foot of Mount Lovcen. Lake Scutari, the largest lake of the Balkan Peninsula, straddles Montenegro’s border with Albania.

B

Plants and Animals

Mixed coniferous (evergreen) and deciduous forests are found in the Dinaric Alps. However, many forests have been cleared or thinned, especially in the southern and western mountains, and the soil has eroded. The deciduous forests include oak, beech, elm, chestnut, and ash trees. Coniferous trees, including pine and fir, grow at higher elevations. The coastal plain of Montenegro contains Mediterranean vegetation, which is adapted to hot, dry summers. This vegetation includes cypress, palm, olive, fig, cherry, almond, and citrus trees, as well as pomegranate shrubs and grapevines.

Mountain slopes are home to wild animals such as brown bears, wolves, foxes, and chamois. Birds include eagles and partridges. Lake Scutari is a freshwater lake that forms one of the largest bird reserves in Europe and abounds in fish. The lake and surrounding marshes provide an important wintering and nesting site for more than 200 species of birds, including pygmy cormorants and Dalmatian pelicans. Lake and river fish include trout, carp, and eel. The Adriatic Sea contains many types of fish, as well as lobster, shrimp, and octopus.

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