The use of the name Crna Gora or Black Mountain (Montenegro) began in the 13th century in reference to a highland region in the Serbian province of Zeta. The later medieval state of Zeta maintained its existence until 1496 when Montenegro finally fell under Ottoman rule. Over subsequent centuries, Montenegro managed to maintain a level of autonomy within the Ottoman Empire. From the 16th to 19th centuries, Montenegro was a theocracy ruled by a series of bishop princes; in 1852, it transformed into a secular principality. Montenegro was recognized as an independent sovereign principality at the Congress of Berlin in 1878. After World War I, during which Montenegro fought on the side of the Allies, 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 joined with Serbia, creating the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and, after 2003, shifting to a looser State 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 two-state union. The vote for severing ties with Serbia barely exceeded 55% - the threshold set by the EU - allowing Montenegro to formally restore its independence on 3 June 2006. In 2017, Montenegro joined NATO and is currently completing its EU accession process, having officially applied to join the EU in December 2008.
land: 13,452 sq km
water: 360 sq km
border countries (5): Albania 186 km; Bosnia and Herzegovina 242 km; Croatia 19 km; Kosovo 76 km; Serbia 157 km
continental shelf: defined by treaty
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
mean elevation: 1,086 m
arable land: 12.9% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 1.2% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 24.1% (2018 est.)
forest: 40.4% (2018 est.)
other: 21.4% (2018 est.)
602,445 (2023 est.)
noun: Montenegrin(s)
adjective: Montenegrin
Montenegrin 45%, Serbian 28.7%, Bosniak 8.7%, Albanian 4.9%, Muslim 3.3%, Romani 1%, Croat 1%, other 2.6%, unspecified 4.9% (2011 est.)
Serbian 42.9%, Montenegrin (official) 37%, Bosnian 5.3%, Albanian 5.3%, Serbo-Croat 2%, other 3.5%, unspecified 4% (2011 est.)
major-language sample(s):
Knjiga svetskih činjenica, neophodan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Serbian)
Knjiga svjetskih činjenica, neophodan izvor osnovnih informacija. (Montenegrin/Bosnian)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Orthodox 72.1%, Muslim 19.1%, Catholic 3.4%, atheist 1.2%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.6% (2011 est.)
0-14 years: 17.93% (male 55,690/female 52,340)
15-64 years: 64.65% (male 194,334/female 195,127)
65 years and over: 17.42% (2023 est.) (male 45,993/female 58,961)
total dependency ratio: 52.5
youth dependency ratio: 27.7
elderly dependency ratio: 24.8
potential support ratio: 4 (2021 est.)
total: 40.7 years (2023 est.)
male: 39.2 years
female: 42.2 years
-0.43% (2023 est.)
11 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
10.3 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
-5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
highest population density is concentrated in the south, southwest; the extreme eastern border is the least populated area
urban population: 68.5% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
177,000 PODGORICA (capital) (2018)
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
26.3 years (2010 est.)
6 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 3.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 2.7 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.7 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 78 years (2023 est.)
male: 75.6 years
female: 80.5 years
1.81 children born/woman (2023 est.)
0.89 (2023 est.)
20.7% (2018)
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 98.2% of population
total: 99.4% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 1.8% of population
total: 0.6% of population (2020 est.)
11.4% of GDP (2020)
2.74 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
3.9 beds/1,000 population (2017)
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 93.9% of population
total: 98% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 6.1% of population
total: 2% of population (2020 est.)
degree of risk: intermediate (2023)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne diseases: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever
23.3% (2016)
total: 9.91 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 3.83 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 2.68 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 3.22 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.16 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total: 31.4% (2020 est.)
male: 31.6% (2020 est.)
female: 31.1% (2020 est.)
3.7% (2018/19)
57.1% (2023 est.)
women married by age 15: 1.9%
women married by age 18: 5.8%
men married by age 18: 3.2% (2018 est.)
NA
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99.4%
female: 98.5% (2021)
total: 15 years
male: 15 years
female: 16 years (2021)
pollution of coastal waters from sewage outlets, especially in tourist-related areas such as Kotor; serious air pollution in Podgorica, Pljevlja and Niksie; air pollution in Pljevlja is caused by the nearby lignite power plant and the domestic use of coal and wood for household heating
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Mediterranean climate, hot dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfalls inland
agricultural land: 38.2% (2018 est.)
arable land: 12.9% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 1.2% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 24.1% (2018 est.)
forest: 40.4% (2018 est.)
other: 21.4% (2018 est.)
urban population: 68.5% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.45% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
0.43% of GDP (2018 est.)
0.12% of GDP (2018 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 19.3 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 2.02 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 0.75 megatons (2020 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 332,000 tons (2015 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 17,994 tons (2015 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 5.4% (2015 est.)
fresh water lake(s): Lake Scutari (shared with Albania) - 400 sq km
note - largest lake in the Balkans
Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)
municipal: 100 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 60 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 1.7 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
upper middle-income Balkan economy; unsanctioned euro user; controversial religious property ownership law; persistent corruption; major infrastructure investments and high expenditures; growing offshore banking destination
$12.757 billion (2021 est.)
$11.346 billion (2020 est.)
$13.397 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
12.43% (2021 est.)
-15.31% (2020 est.)
4.06% (2019 est.)
$20,600 (2021 est.)
$18,300 (2020 est.)
$21,500 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$5.486 billion (2019 est.)
2.41% (2021 est.)
-0.26% (2020 est.)
0.36% (2019 est.)
Moody’s rating: B1 (2016)
Standard & Poors rating: B+ (2014)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
agriculture: 7.5% (2016 est.)
industry: 15.9% (2016 est.)
services: 76.6% (2016 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 76.8% (2016 est.)
government consumption: 19.6% (2016 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 23.2% (2016 est.)
investment in inventories: 2.9% (2016 est.)
exports of goods and services: 40.5% (2016 est.)
imports of goods and services: -63% (2016 est.)
milk, potatoes, grapes, vegetables, tomatoes, watermelons, wheat, apples, cabbages, barley
steelmaking, aluminum, agricultural processing, consumer goods, tourism
1.39% (2021 est.)
277,400 (2021 est.)
18.49% (2021 est.)
17.9% (2020 est.)
15.12% (2019 est.)
total: 31.6% (2021 est.)
male: 28.3%
female: 36.7%
24.5% (2018 est.)
36.8 (2018 est.)
on food: 27.5% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 6.8% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
lowest 10%: 3.5%
highest 10%: 25.7% (2014 est.)
revenues: $2.051 billion (2020 est.)
expenditures: $2.568 billion (2020 est.)
-5.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
67.2% of GDP (2017 est.)
66.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
note: data cover general government debt, and includes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions
37.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
calendar year
-$540.073 million (2021 est.)
-$1.237 billion (2020 est.)
-$796.134 million (2019 est.)
$2.502 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$1.247 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$2.424 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Serbia 17%, Hungary 15%, China 11%, Russia 7%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 6%, Germany 6%, Italy 5%, Poland 5% (2019)
copper ore, aluminum, electricity, dried legumes, packaged medicines, lead, scrap iron, lumber (2021)
$3.637 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$2.917 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$3.6 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
Serbia 30%, Bosnia and Herzegovina 8%, Croatia 8%, Italy 6%, Greece 6%, Germany 5% (2019)
refined petroleum, cars, packaged medicines, recreational boats, cigarettes (2019)
$1.982 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$2.135 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$1.529 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
$2.516 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$2.224 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
euros (EUR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
0.845 (2021 est.)
0.877 (2020 est.)
0.893 (2019 est.)
0.847 (2018 est.)
0.885 (2017 est.)
note: Montenegro, which is neither an EU member state nor a party to a formal EU monetary agreement, uses the euro as its de facto currency
electrification - total population: 99.7% (2021)
electrification - urban areas: 100% (2021)
electrification - rural areas: 99.3% (2021)
installed generating capacity: 1.007 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 3,246,760,000 kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 943 million kWh (2019 est.)
imports: 1.196 billion kWh (2019 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 493 million kWh (2019 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 42.3% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 10.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 47.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
production: 1.456 million metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 1.351 million metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 96,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 1,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 142 million metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 7,600 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
357 bbl/day (2015 est.)
6,448 bbl/day (2015 est.)
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
2.447 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 1.333 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 1.114 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
77.286 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 1 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 4
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 565,522 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 130,000 (2018) mt-km
4O
5 (2021)
5
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
1 (2021)
total: 250 km (2017)
standard gauge: 250 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge (224 km electrified)
total: 7,762 km (2010)
paved: 7,141 km (2010)
unpaved: 621 km (2010)
total: 18 (2022)
by type: bulk carrier 4, other 14
major seaport(s): Bar
manyapis