Profile of Montenegro 

The Republic of Montenegro, along with the Republic of Serbia, is one of the two federal units that comprise the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The present status was acquired in the 1992 referendum, after the break-up of former Yugoslavia where Montenegro used to be one of the six constituent republics. The people of Montenegro, unlike their counterparts in Serbia, took part in a referendum, and ticked "yes", answering the somewhat ambiguous referendum question: "Are you for, that Montenegro, as a Sovereign Republic, continues living in the common state - Yugoslavia, entirely equal with other republics that wish the same?" (Da li ste za to da Crna Gora, kao suverena republika, nastavi da zivi u zajednickoj drzavi -Jugoslaviji, potpuno ravnopravno sa drugim republikama koje to zele?). 

According to its Constitution, Montenegro is defined as a "democratic, social, and ecological state" (article 1.) which is "sovereign in matters that are not transferred to competence of FR Yugoslavia" (article 2.). 

The tradition of independent statehood in the area of what is now Montenegro is almost 1000 years old. Montenegro was internationally recognized as a sovereign state in 1878, after having been an independent Principality for almost 5 centuries. History of Montenegrin independence took a tumble in 1918, when Montenegro, in somewhat controversial circumstances (Podgorica's Assembly), opted to join Serbia. 

Montenegro is situated in the Mediterranean part of Europe, on the Adriatic Sea. The surface area of Montenegro is 13.812 square kilometers (5.333 square miles), and its population figures 630.000.  

Montenegro is a multi-ethnic and multi-confessional community (see religion) in which Montenegrins make the majority of population (62%). The administrative seat of Montenegro is Podgorica, and the state capital is Cetinje, which is the historical and cultural center of the Republic. 

The most important sector of the economy is tourism, the basis of which lies in the unmatched beauty of nature and the vast treasure of cultural heritage. The total length of the spectacular Montenegrin coastline is 290 kilometers, 73 km. of which are sandy beaches. 

Along the line of it's "green" policies, and hoping to achieve rapid economic development, the Government of Montenegro proclaimed Montenegro A Free Economic Zone. It claims that, the system of free-trade zones, offshore activities and special incentives to wealthy foreign individuals will make Montenegro one of the financial and business centers of Europe in the near future. 

Being aware that, "protection of the identity of the land in which we live and work has become our most immediate and pressing task", the Parliament of Montenegro, in 1991, adopted the Declaration whereby Montenegro got proclaimed the first ecological state in the world.