The use of the name Montenegro began in the 15th century when the Crnojevic dynasty began to rule the Serbian principality of Zeta; over subsequent centuries it was able to maintain its independence from the Ottoman Empire. From the 16th to 19th centuries, Montenegro became a theocratic state ruled by a series of bishop princes; in 1852, it was transformed into a secular principality. After World War I, Montenegro was part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, and, 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 federated with Serbia, first as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and, after 2003, in a looser union of Serbia and Montenegro. Following a three-year postponement, Montenegro held an independence referendum in the spring of 2006 under rules set by the EU. The vote for severing ties with Serbia exceeded the 55% threshold, allowing Montenegro to formally declare its independence on 3 June 2006.
Full Name: Republic of Montenegro
Area: 14,026 sq km (land: 13,812 sq km, water: 214 sq km)
Population: 672,180 (July 2009 est.)
Capital City: Podgorica (administrative capital)
People: Montenegrin 43%, Serbian 32%, Bosniak 8%, Albanian 5%, other (Muslims, Croats, Roma (Gypsy)) 12% (2003 census)
Language: Serbian 63.6%, Montenegrin (official) 22%, Bosnian 5.5%, Albanian 5.3%, unspecified 3.7% (2003 census)
Religion: Orthodox 74.2%, Muslim 17.7%, Catholic 3.5%, other 0.6%, unspecified 3%, atheist 1% (2003 census)
Government Type: Republic
Chief of State President Filip VUJANOVIC (since 6 April 2008)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Milo DJUKANOVIC (since 29 February 2008)
GDP: $US 4.848 billion (2008 est.)
GDP per Capita: $US 10,100 (2008 est.)
Inflation: 3.4% (2007)
Unemployment: 14.7% (2007 est.)
Industries: Steelmaking, agricultural processing, consumer goods, tourism
Currency: Euro (€ - EUR)
Member of EU: No
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