Montenegro
Updated: Sep 26, 2022
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Country Name
Montenegro, Crna Gora.
Location
Montenegro is a country in southeast Europe on the Adriatic coast of the Balkans.
It borders Bosnia and Herzegovina to the north, Serbia and Kosovo to the east, Albania to the southeast, The Adriatic Sea, and Croatia to the west.
Capital
Podgorica.
Reason for Naming
The name “Crna Gora” (Montenegro) is mentioned for the first time in the Charter of King Milutin, in 1276. It is believed that it got its name after the dense forests that covered Mount Lovcen and the surrounding area. The forests were so dark that the viewers got the impression of a “black” mountain.
Flag
The flag of Montenegro was officially adopted on 13 July 2004.
The Montenegro flag consists of a red background surrounded by a golden border, in the middle of the flag there is the coat of arms of Montenegro.
The coat of arms is a double-headed golden eagle wearing a golden crown. In its right claw, it holds a golden scepter while on the left it holds a blue orb. On the eagle’s breast, there is a blue shield that has a lion on a green field in front of a blue sky.
The used colors in the flag are blue, green, red, and yellow.
The red color represents the Montenegrin people, in other theories, it
represents the blood of Christ and the blood that was shed in the quest for independence.
The gold color surrounding the red color on all edges also shows the royal heritage that it once had. The double-headed golden eagle on the coat of arms is of ancient Roman origin and represents the unity of the church and the state. The shield on the eagle’s breast has a lion on a green field representing the lion of Judah.
The lion represents the Christian resurrection theme in the bible.
The golden crown atop the eagle heads has a cross on top of them to show that the country subscribes to Christianity.
The eagle holds a wand and a blue orb, which are symbols of power and authority just like the gold crown) as well as the royal history. These two objects also have the cross on them.
The blue orb represents spiritual guidance for the country.
Language
Montenegrin is the official language used in the country. About half of the population used the Serbian language as their primary medium of communication, a factor that has introduced some controversy concerning the language that the country should use as the official language, as a few numbers only use the Montenegrin language about 25%. In 1991, the country stated that its official language was Serbian before it changed to Montenegrin as per the 2007 Constitution. Just like other Serbo-Croatian languages such as Serbia, Bosnia, and Albania, Montenegrin uses Cyrillic and Latin alphabets. Major Minority Languages Spoken In Montenegro, Croatian Language, Bosnian Language, Albanian Language.
Religion
Orthodox Christianity is the religion of the majority in Montenegro, 72.1% of the country’s population adhere to this religion. The Largest Minority Religion In Montenegro is; Islam is the largest minority religion in the nation. Most of the Muslims in Montenegro are affiliated with the Sunni branch of Islam. Religion became popular in the country during the rule of the Ottoman Empire. Today, there are two main groups of Muslims in the country, the Slavic Muslims and the Albanian Muslims. There is also a small Roman Catholic population, Atheists, and Jews, as, In 2012, an agreement was signed by Igor Lukšić, the former Prime Minister of the country where Judaism was established as one of the four official religions* of Montenegro. *(The other three are Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Islam, and Roman Catholicism). The people of Montenegro are generally tolerant of each religion of each other. Freedom of religion is granted to the residents of the country. Religious institutions present here are separate from the state. The laws of the state ensure that religious minorities are allowed to practice their religion freely. For example, Muslim women are allowed to wear headscarves to school or work. Halal foods are served at military facilities for Muslims. They can also take Fridays off work to attend the Friday prayers.
Currency
Euro (€) (EUR).
Time Zone
+02:00 GMT. (Summer Time)
+01:00 GMT.
Government Regime
Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy.
Climate
The climate of Montenegro is the Mediterranean on the coast, with heavy rains from September to April, while moving inland it becomes progressively more continental, with colder winters, also due to the higher altitude.
On the coast, the climate is mild but rainy in autumn and winter, while in summer it's hot and sunny, though tempered by the breeze.
Winter is mild, with average temperatures in January around 7/8 °C (45/46 °F), however, cold air masses of Russian origin may reach the coast, bringing a dry, down-slope wind that descends from the mountains and lowers the temperature. Usually, this wind does not bring snow, except in limited areas where cold air manages to penetrate between the mountains.
The best time to visit Montenegro goes from May to September. On the coast, summer is a good season for a beach holiday, especially in July and August: the weather is sunny and hot but tempered by the breeze.
International Phone Code
+382
Internet Code
.me