History
Present-day Montenegro has belonged to successive empires and states for two millennia, from the Roman Empire in the second century BC, to the confederation of Serbia and Montenegro, created in 2003 between the two remaining republics of what was the old one. Yugoslavia.
According to Thereligionfaqs, the territory was integrated into the province of Dalmatia after its conquest by Rome in the 2nd century BC. After the division of the Empire and the subsequent Germanic invasion of the western part, the region was incorporated by Justinian into the Byzantine Empire.
During the early medieval centuries, the region known as Dioclea was gradually populated by Slavic communities. After belonging to different states (Serbia, Bulgaria, Venice and again Byzantium), in the 11th century the emancipation attempts began with the creation of the so-called kingdom of Zeta, under the regency of Esteban Vojislav (1031 – 1050), Miguel (1051 – 1082) and Bodin (1092 – 1101).
The later period was characterized by instability, with a succession of ecclesiastical governments, revolts by the crown princes against the legitimate rulers, foreign wars against the Turks and Venetians, and continuous massacres against the Montenegrin population.
From 1516, Montenegro was ruled by a theocracy supervised by the Petrovic family, in turn feudatory of the Austrian Empire. At the end of the 18th century the theocracy went into decline and it was then, under the reign of Peter I (1782 – 1830), that the formation of the modern Montenegrin state began, with the promulgation of a Constitution in 1798. Pedro II (1830 – 1851) limited the power of the local tribes and organized a modern guard that frequently fought against the Turks during the rest of the 19th and part of the 20th century.
Danilo I (1851 – 1860) continued to modernize the country, but strong opposition from the tribes culminated in his own assassination. He was succeeded by the last and longest reign in the history of Montenegro, that of Nicholas I (1860 – 1918), who helped to consolidate the country’s independence in the treaties of San Stefano and Berlin and maintained excellent relations with Serbia and Russia in detriment to the Ottoman Empire.
Before World War I, Montenegro allied with Greece, Bulgaria, and Serbia against Turkey to liberate the rest of the Balkans that was still under Ottoman rule. In the middle of the war, Serbia and Montenegro allied against the Austro-Hungarian Empire, for which they were invaded. In 1918, the monarchy was finally abolished and Montenegro was united with Serbia that would culminate with the creation of Yugoslavia, although with strong autonomist tendencies.
In World War II, the country was invaded by Fascist Italy and later by Nazi Germany. The 6 of January of 1945, Montenegro was liberated by Communist partisans and became part of Yugoslavia as a socialist federal republic. It was then that the capital moved from Cetinje to Podgorica, which for a time was known as Titograd in homage to President Josip Broz ‘ Tito ‘.
After the ” Balkan War ” (1991 – 1996), Montenegro and Serbia were united in the new confederation of Yugoslavia, and both suffered equally from the sanctions established by the UN for the atrocities of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Under these circumstances, secessionist impetus began to grow, largely fueled by the conflicts in the rest of the former Yugoslavia.
In February of 2003, Montenegro became a member of the federation with Serbia Serbia and Montenegro, with strong autonomy for both sides in economic, military and international issues.
However, separatist groups promote segregation and 3 of June of 2006 the Parliament of Montenegro unilaterally proclaimed independence of this republic, formally confirming the results of the referendum on May 21 of that year. It is recognized by the UN on June 28.
Culture
Due to its geographical situation, there are many cultures that have been found in Montenegro, cultures and religions such as Serbian, Orthodox, Slavic, as well as other arrivals from central Europe or through its coastline with the Adriatic Sea, cultures that have coexisted for centuries.
The Old Cathar, now Kotor, is an impressive city, distinguished as a World Heritage Site for its beauty. On the coast for example, you can see numerous monuments of Catholic origin, while the interior is a preserve of monuments of the Byzantine current.
As a traditional dance in Montenegro, gold can be highlighted, literature is also part of the highlights of Montenegrin culture.
Languages
Montenegrin is the official language, although all the residents speak Serbo-Croatian and Albanian and Bosnian are also recognized as official.
Religion
Most of the country, about 80%, is Orthodox. The remaining 20% profess Islam, while the Catholic religion is a minority religion in Montenegro. Almost all of the Catholic population of Montenegro is concentrated in the coastal area.
