Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
🗺️

Montenegro

geography Maturity 7-9 Next article →

Montenegro is a country located in Southeast Europe.

Montenegro Map
Montenegro Map

It sits on the Balkan Peninsula near several other lands. To the northeast lies Serbia. Bosnia and Herzegovina is to the northwest. Kosovo is to the east and Albania is to the southeast. Croatia sits to the west. The beautiful Adriatic Sea is to the southwest.

Montenegro Map
Montenegro Map

The country covers an area of 13,883 square kilometers. About 633,158 people live in its 25 municipalities. Podgorica is the capital and the largest city. Cetinje is known as the Old Royal Capital and a center for culture.

Statistical regions of Montenegro
Statistical regions of Montenegro

The name Montenegro has a very special meaning.

NP Lovćen (by Pudelek) 01
NP Lovćen (by Pudelek) 01

In the local language, it is called Crna Gora. This literally means "Black Mountain." The name comes from the look of Mount Lovćen. This mountain was once covered in thick, dark green evergreen forests.

NP Lovćen (by Pudelek) 01
NP Lovćen (by Pudelek) 01

The name was used for a small area at first. Later, it began to describe the whole mountainous region. By the 19th century, people used the term "Old Montenegro" to talk about the independent part of the land.

Montenegro has a very long and busy history.

Map Byzantine Empire 1045 2000px svg
Map Byzantine Empire 1045 2000px svg

Long ago, the Illyrian people lived in this area. Later, different groups like the Slavs arrived in the Balkans. During the Early Medieval period, three main areas existed here. These were Duklja in the south, Travunia in the west, and Rascia in the north.

Map Byzantine Empire 1045 2000px svg
Map Byzantine Empire 1045 2000px svg

The Principality of Zeta appeared during the 14th and 15th centuries. Many different groups ruled the land over the many years.

Many different powers controlled parts of the land for a long time.

The Venetian Republic ruled parts of the south for many years. The Ottoman Empire also ruled large parts of the country. In the 1600s, Montenegro gained some freedom under the House of Petrović-Njegoš. This rule was a theocracy, which means religious leaders held power. In 1878, the Great Powers recognized Montenegro as an independent nation.

Later, the country became a kingdom in 1910.

Montenegro has changed many times in the modern age.

Former Yugoslavia durning war
Former Yugoslavia durning war

After World War I, it became part of Yugoslavia. It was a republic for many years under different names. In June 2006, the people voted in a referendum. This vote allowed Montenegro to become an independent country again.

Independent montenegro
Independent montenegro

Today, it is a member of many groups like the United Nations and NATO.

The country is also working to join the European Union.

394 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (20)
National Anthem of Montenegro.ogg
File:Map Byzantine Empire 1045 2000px svg.png
Map Byzantine Empire 1045 2000px svg.png
File:Cytadela w obrębie murów miejskich w Kotorze 02.jpg
Cytadela w obrębie murów miejskich w...
File:Crna Gora - Oslobodjenje od strane okupacije 1711-1918.png
Crna Gora - Oslobodjenje od strane...
File:Locator map Zeta Banovina in Yugoslavia 1929-1939.svg
Locator map Zeta Banovina in Yugoslavia...
File:Osnivanje Osme crnogorske brigade.jpg
Osnivanje Osme crnogorske brigade.jpg
File:Former Yugoslavia durning war.svg
Former Yugoslavia durning war.svg
File:Independent montenegro.jpg
Independent montenegro.jpg
File:Under Secretary Shannon Poses for a Photo With Montenegro's Prime Minister Markovic, Montenegro's Foreign Minister Darmanovic, and NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg at a Ceremony in Washington (34734796140).jpg
Under Secretary Shannon Poses for a Photo...
File:Protest in Kotor, Jan 2020.jpg
Protest in Kotor, Jan 2020.jpg
File:Montenegro_Map.png
Montenegro_Map.png
File:NP Lovćen (by Pudelek) 01.jpg
NP Lovćen (by Pudelek) 01.jpg

+ 8 more

More to explore

✨ What else?

Related topics you might enjoy

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.