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Montenegro: rugged mountains, a fjord and a beautiful coast

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Montenegro (Republika Crna Gora), became an independent nation after its separation from Serbia in 2006. This small country, which had previously only been independent from 1878 to 1918, is located in the southern part of the Balkan peninsula, which overlooks the coast along the Adriatic Sea between the border with Albania to the south and the Croatian border to the north-west.

A COUNTRY VERY MOUNTAINOUS

Montenegro mainly consists of a vast karst plateau, The country is very mountainous. The mountains, which run parallel to the coast, often steeply come to an end on the coast. Among the wild and rugged mountains the highest point is Mount Durmitor with 2,522 meters, located in the northern part of the country, bordering with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Only the rivers of the southern part of the country flow into the Adriatic Sea or the Lake Scutari. The most important of these rivers is the Morača, which flows into the Lake Scutari, while the Boiana river leaves the lake and reaches the Adriatic Sea. The only flat areas of Montenegro are those where the Morača flows and the area of the Lake Scutari, the southern part of this laker belonging to Albania. The rivers of the rest of the country flow from south to north and are tributaries of the Drina River, a tributary of the Save, which in turn is a tributary of the Danube. Some of these rivers form beautiful canyons such as the Tara and the Piva Rivers.

A FLUVIAL VALLEY INVASED BY THE SEA

Characteristic of the coast of Montenegro is the area of ​​the Bay of Kotor/Cattaro, an ancient river valley flooded by the waters of the sea to form a kind of fjord. But it is to be noted that the real fjords are of glacial origin. The landscape of the Bay of Kotor/Cattaro is surrounded by high mountains similar to that of the Norwegian fjords. The highest mountain overlooking the Bay of Kotor/Cattaro is Mount Lovcen with 1.749 m.

The climate of Montenegro. Tourist attractions of Montenegro.

English text correction by Dietrich Köster. 

  • Area: 13,938 sq km
  • Population: 670,000
  • Capital: Podgorica
  • Official Language: The official language is Serbian. The Albanian language is used in the Ulcinj area near the border with Albania. In Kotor/Cattaro Italian is spoken, too.
  • Religion: Christian Orthodoxy is the dominant religion in Montenegro 74%; Islam 17% and Catholicism 3%.
  • Currency: Euro (EUR)
  • Time Zone: Central European Time UTC+1, Daylight Saving Time UTC+2

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