Facts
Official name: Republic of Montenegro Local long form: Republike
Crna Gora
Area: 13,938 sq km
Capital: Podgorica
Independence: 21 May 2006 National Holiday: St. Vitus Day, 28
June
Population: 650,000
Suffrage: 18 years old
Ethnicity: Montenegrin 62%, other 38%
Languages: Montenegrin-Serbian, English, Italian, German
Religions: Orthodox 65%, Muslim 19%, Roman Catholic 4%, Protestant 1%,
other 11%
Geography
Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea, between Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Geographic coordinates: 44 00 N, 21 00 E
Area:
land: 102 13,812 sq km
water: 214 sq km
Area comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries:
total: 524km
border countries: Albania 173 km, Bosnia and Herzegovina 215 km, Croatia 25 km, Serbia 211km
Coastline: 199 km
Maritime claims: NA
Climate: in the north, continental climate (cold winters and hot, humid summers with well distributed rainfall); central portion, continental and Mediterranean climate; to the south, Adriatic climate along the coast, hot, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall inland
Terrain: extremely varied; to the north, rich fertile plains; to the east, limestone ranges and basins; to the southeast, ancient mountains and hills; to the southwest, extremely high shoreline with no islands off the coast
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Adriatic Sea 0 m
highest point: Daravica 2,656 m
Natural resources: oil, gas, coal, antimony, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, gold, pyrite, chrome, hydro power
Political System
President
In Montenegro, the president is elected in direct elections and by secret
ballot, on the basis of a general and equitable voting right, and for a term of
office of five years. A person may be elected only two times to the post of
president of Montenegro. The president's powers and responsibilities include:
representing the state at home and abroad; promulgating laws by ordinance;
calling elections for new assembly; proposing to the Assembly candidates for the
prime minister, president and justices of the Constitutional Court; proposing to
the Assembly calling of a referendum; etc. The president of the Republic is also
a member of the Supreme Defence Council.
President of Montenegro: Filip
Vujanovic
Executive
The Government of Montenegro
is responsible for the internal and external affairs of the republic. The prime
minister directs the work of the government, and submits to the parliament the
Government's Program including a list of proposed ministers.
Montenegrin Prime Minister: Milo Djukanovic
Legislative
The Montenegrin
Parliament is a 75-seat unicameral body. Deputies serve a four-year term
and elect the president, his two deputies, and the cabinet, which is then
directly answerable to the parliament. Decisions are made by majority vote.
Judiciary
Judicial power in Montenegro is vested in the local courts of law. The protection of
constitutionality, as well as the protection of legality, in accordance with the
Constitution, is vested in the Constitutional Court under each republic
constitution, whenever this protection is not within the competencies of the
Federal Constitutional Court and whenever some other legal remedy is not
prescribed.
