More features:

• Montenegro basics

  CommunismThe communist era was a dark age for many countries in Europe, but many older people in Montenegro fondly tell stories of how good it was when called each other comrade (druže) and lived in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, a country with something to say on the world stage....

• History

  Ancient historyThe oldest known inhabitants of what is now Montenegro were the Illyrian tribes who were subdued by the Romans in 9AD and then marginalised by the mass immigration of Slavs in the fifth and sixth centuries....

• Statistics

  Population (2011)Montenegro 620,029, Podgorica 156,169 Ethnic composition (2003)Montenegrins 43% Serbs 32% Bosniaks 8% Albanians 3% Other 14% Territory13,812 square kilometresBordersAdriatic Sea 293km Albania 172km Bosnia 255km Croatia 14km Kosovo 60km Serbia 143kmLongest riverTara (Drina) 144km (110km in Montenegro)Largest lakeSkadar 370-530 square kilometres (shared with Albania, size depends on water level)....

• Purchasing power

  How far does your euro, pound or dollar go?Taxi from airport to city centre    €10Cinema ticket    €3....

• Language

  The locals have recently decided to officially name the language they speak Montenegrin. This is a dialect of Serbian that has been promoted as the national language since independence in 2006, though many locals still declare they simply speak Serbian....

• Lake Skadar

  A short 20km drive or train ride south from Podgorica, Lake Skadar (Skadarsko jezero) is named after the Albanian city of Shkodra (Skadar to Montenegrins) on the opposite shore, and makes for a great daytrip....

• Public holidays in Montenegro

  January 1 New Year’s DayJanuary 7 Orthodox ChristmasApril 13 (2012) Good FridayApril 15-17 ...