 |
Encyclopedia—MontenegroLand, People, and EconomySituated at the southern end of the Dinaric Alps, Montenegro is almost entirely mountainous, with a small coastline along the Adriatic. It consists of two regions: the barren karst of Montenegro proper, on the west, is separated by the Zeta River and its plain from the higher Brda region, on the east, which has forests and pastures. Lake Scutari, the nation's largest lake, is at the southern end of the karst and forms part of the Albanian border. In addition to the capital, other principal cities are Cetinje, Nikšić, and Kotor, the only Adriatic port. The Montenegrin people, while sharing a language, many customs, and an Orthodox faith with the Serbs, nevertheless are recognized as a separate ethnic nationality with a distinct history. Minorities include Serbs, who make up about a third of the population, Albanians, who are largely Muslim, and Bosniaks, also Muslim, who live mainly in the Sanjak region. Traditionally, the raising of sheep and goats have been important occupations in Montenegro. In the 1990s, smuggling is said to have supplied about a third of the government's revenues. Agriculture, mainly in the Zeta valley and near Lake Scutari (which forms part of the Albanian border), is poorly developed, with only about 6% of the country cultivated. Industry is also relatively underdeveloped, except for aluminum and steel mills. Montenegro has significant deposits of iron, bauxite, and petroleum. Sections in this article: The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
|
|
