 | McLae´s guide to Montenegro |  |
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Montenegro  Montenegro (Montenegrin: Crna Gora) is a republic in the Balkans, currently one of the two constituent states of the state union of Serbia and Montenegro. Montenegro borders the Adriatic Sea, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia (including the UN-administered protectorate of Kosovo) and Albania. By its current constitution, Montenegro is defined as a "democratic, welfare, and ecological state" On May 21, 2006, Montenegro held a referendum to determine whether or not to terminate the union with Serbia. The next day, state-certified results showed 55.5% of voters favoring independence, just above the 55% mandate required by the referendum. Accordingly, Montenegro's Parliament is now bound to start the legal procedures to enact the split. Montenegrin leaders have indicated they will not issue a unilateral declaration of independence and instead foresee negotiations with Serbia lasting for "a few weeks or up to two to three months" before formal separation occurs. Serbia, the European Union and the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council have all signalled they will likely recognize Montenegrin independence, removing any obvious obstacles from Montenegro becoming the world's newest independent state. Throughout a number of centuries Montenegro was a de facto independent principality ruled by a succession of dynasties and rulers. The country obtained de jure international recognition of its independence, following the Eastern Crisis (1875-1878), at the Congress of Berlin. On 28 August 1910, Montenegro's ruler Prince Nikola Petrovic'-Njegos proclaimed himself King. In 1918, Montenegro's Serb-approved legislature, sitting in Podgorica, voted for Montenegro to become part of Serbia. Montenegrins loyal to King Nicholas rebelled in 1919 and were suppressed by 1924 by the Serbian Army. Between 1945 and 2003, Montenegro was a Republic of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and later the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Montenegro borders Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to the west, Serbia and serbian province of Kosovo to the north, and Albania to the east. Adriatic sea lies to the south of Montenegro, across which lies Italy. Montenegro's tourism had suffered greatly from unrests and wars in surrounding countries in the 1990-s, as Balkans had been considered generally unsafe by tourists from the west. In recent years, along with the stabilized situation in the region, tourism in Montenegro began to recover, and Montenegro is being re-discovered by tourists from around the globe. Climate: Montenegro's lower areas enjoy a Mediterranean climate, having dry summers and mild, rainy winters. Temperature varies greatly with elevation. Podgorica, lying near sea level, is noted for having a warm July with temperatures averaging 27°C (81 F). Cetinje, in the Karst at an elevation of 670m (2,200 ft), has a temperature 5°C (10 F) lower. January temperatures range from 8°C (46 F) at Bar on the southern coast to -3°C (27 F) in the northern mountains. Montenegro's mountainous regions receive some of the highest amounts of rainfall in Europe. In the northern mountains, snow is present throughout the winter. Terrain: The terrain of Montenegro ranges from high mountains along its borders with Kosovo and Albania, through a segment of the Karst of the western Balkan Peninsula, to a narrow coastal plain that is only one to four miles wide. The coastal plain disappears completely in the north, where Mount Lovcen and other ranges plunge abruptly into the inlet of the Gulf of Kotor. Montenegro's section of the Karst lies generally at elevations of just below 1000m (3,000 ft) above sea level-although some areas rise to 1800m (6,000 ft). The lowest segment is in the valley of the Zeta River, which flows at an elevation of 460m (1,500 ft). The high mountains of Montenegro include some of the most rugged terrain in Europe. They average more than 2100m (7,000 ft) in elevation. History: The Slav tribes mixed with Illyrians, Avars, and Romans organized into a semi-independent dukedom of Duklja by the 10th century. In 1077, Pope Gregory VII recognized Duklja as an independent state, acknowledging its King Mihailo (Michael) (of the Vojisavljevic' dynasty founded by nobleman Stefan Vojislav) as rex Docleae (King of Duklja). The kingdom, however, paid tribute to the Byzantine Empire; it gave birth to the later medieval kingdom of Serbian Grand Prince (Serbian: župan) Stefan Nemanja, who originated from Duklja. The Principality of Zeta (which more closely corresponds to the early modern state of Montenegro) asserted itself towards 1360. The House of Balšic' (1360s–1421) and the House of Crnojevic' (1421–1499) dynasties ruled Zeta; and though the Ottoman Empire controlled the lands to the south and east from the 15th century, it never fully conquered Zeta. In 1516, the secular prince ?ura? Crnojevic' abdicated in favor of the Archbishop Vavil, who then formed Montenegro into a theocratic state under the rule of the prince-bishop (vladika) of Cetinje, a position held from 1697 by the Petrovic'-Njegoš family of the Ri?ani clan. Petar Petrovic' Njegoš, perhaps the most influential vladika, reigned in the first half of the 19th century. In 1851 Danilo II Petrovic' Njegoš became vladika, but in 1852 he married, threw off his ecclesiastical character, assuming the title of knjaz (Prince), and transformed his land into a secular principality. In 1910, Prince Nikola I became King of Montenegro. Two years later, in October, 1912, King Nikola declared war on the Ottoman Empire, precipitating the two Balkan Wars. The Montenegrin army attacked the Ottoman fortress city of Skutari, forced the empire to gather a large army in neighboring Macedonia. This Ottoman army was then attacked by the forces of Greece, Serbia, and Bulgaria 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 Constantinople. Montenegro emerged from the Balkan Wars doubled in size, receiving half of the former Ottoman territory known as the Sanjak of Novi Pazar, but without Skutari, the country's major prize in the war. The London Conference awarded Skutari to an independent Albania. An allied power during World War I, Montenegro was occupied by Austro-Hungarian troops. In 1918, the Podgorica Assembly voted for joining Montenegro to Serbia. However, pro-independence Montenegrins revolted on Christmas Day, 1919 against Serbia. The revolt was supressed in 1924. From 1919 to 1941, Montenegro was a part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. During World War II, Montenegro was occupied by Italian troops and later German Axis troops (1941–1944). From 1945 to 1992, Montenegro was a constituent republic of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It was during this time that the present capital Podgorica was known as Titograd. After dissolution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1992 Montenegro went into federacy with Serbia firstly as Federal Republic of Yugoslavia; the federation of the two countries later loosened as the reconstituted Serbia and Montenegro. Union with Serbia In the referendum on remaining in Yugoslavia in 1992, 95.96% of the votes were cast for remaining in the federation with Serbia, although the turnout was at 66% because of a boycott by the Muslim and Catholic minorities as well as of pro-independence Montenegrins. Proponents of independence claim that the poll was organized under undemocratic conditions, with widespread propaganda from the state-controlled media in favour of a pro-federation vote. In 1996, Milo ?ukanovic''s government severed de facto ties between Montenegro and Serbia (then still under Miloševic'). Montenegro formed its own economic policy and switched to using the Deutsche Mark as its currency as proposed by foreign economic advisors at the time. It currently uses the euro, though it is not formally part of the Eurozone. The Serbian Dinar is not legal tender in Montenegro and is only accepted at a few tourist resorts. The current and previous government of Montenegro are carrying out pro-independence policies. Political tensions with Serbia still simmer regardless of the recent political changes in Belgrade. In 2002, Serbia and Montenegro came to a new agreement regarding continued cooperation. In 2003, the Yugoslav federation was replaced in favour of a looser state union named Serbia and Montenegro and the possible referendum for Montenegro's independence was postponed for a minimum of three years. Independence The status of union of Montenegro with Serbia was decided by a referendum on Montenegrin independence on May 21, 2006. 55.5% of voters voted for independence of Montenegro, narrowly passing the 55% threshold needed to validate the referendum under rules set by the European Union, as reported by 99.80% of the 1,100 polling stations. Both the European Union and Serbian president Boris Tadic have said they will respect the results of the referendum. Predrag Popovic, a leader of one of the unionist parties currently demanding a full recount, said the day after the election that his bloc would lodge a complaint with the head of the election commission, Slovak diplomat Frantisek Lipka. According to the electoral commission, the 55% threshold was passed by only 2000 votes, which incidentally was the number of Albanians that came from the United States to vote in the referendum. If the vote is confirmed, the government in Podgorica is expected to push for a meeting of the Montenegrin Parliament to rewrite the Constitution. This requires a two-thirds parlimentary majority, which might be problematic if pro-unionist parties continue to object. Provided this is successful, however, Montenegro would then be able to seek international recognition and a seat at the United Nations. With the change in the national flag to match that of the pre-1918 royal standard, there is speculation that the exiled king of Montenegro, Crown Prince Nikola II Petrovic'-Njegos, could return to the country as a constitutional monarch. Nikola II is currently living in exile in Paris. 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. |
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