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Montenegro

Culture & History

Personality, Culture, & Identity

Montenegro is the unfortunate younger brother of Serbia; he grew up idolizing both Serbia and Russia, but never truly formed an independent identity, but instead lived in the shadows of these two giants. Like a younger brother who can't see any wrong in his idol, Montenegro looked up to Serbia and for much of history simply did what he asked without question. This has finally changed.

As the Balkan Wars erupted, Montenegro wisely stuck with Serbia, the heart of the former Yugoslavia and only fought on the side of the Serbs or, on occasional instances, against the Croatians to gain more land. This strategic alliance protected Montenegro from full-scale violence, but also made it apparent to Montenegro that Serbia wasn't the knight in shining armor that he had imagined, creating a stronger Montenegrin identity and independence movements.

Since the 1990s, and in particular, since independence in 2006, Montenegrins have begun to create a stronger independent identity. Prior to the 1990s most Montenegrins defined themselves on items that were primarily Serbian or Russian, but today they are beginning to understand and cling to their own history and traditions. What Montenegrin identity will mean in 20, or even in 5 years may be vastly different from what it is today.

History

Modern Montenegrin history begins in the 400 and 500s when the Slavs entered the region, but for most of the next 500 years remained under the rule of, first Rome, then Byzantium.

In 1042 present-day Montenegro gained independence from the Byzantium Empire, but from the late 1100s it became a Serbian possession on and off until 1499 when the entire region was overrun by the Turks. In the 1600s the Montenegrins rebelled against the Turks and as the Ottoman Empire slowly shrank, Montenegro gained it's freedom until around 1800 when the Austrians took over. In 1878 Montenegro again gained independence and worked well with their neighbors, including the Turks.

At the outbreak of World War I Montenegro sided with Serbia against the Austrian-Hungarian Empire and after the war and Montenegro continued to side with Serbia as one country. In 1922 this union grew as it added Slovenia, Bosnia, Croatia, and numerous other territories to form Yugoslavia.

After Yugoslavia fell apart in 1992, Montenegro decided to remain tied to Serbia as one country, although opinions throughout the nation were divided. As neighboring Croatia separated itself from Yugoslavia, Montenegro joined Serbia to fight this, while also trying to expand their borders.

Following the war, opinions for independence were again divided until 2006 when the people of Montenegro decided to seek independence and Serbia immediately recognized this act. Despite this friendly division, tensions have not always been perfect and with each year, Montenegro seems to lean more to the European Union (EU) and away from Serbia.

Dress & Behavior

There are few dress or behavioral restrictions in Montenegro. The only issue to be aware of is that nakedness and women going topless is restricted in most locations. If in doubt, follow local examples or ask.

To learn about dining etiquette in Montenegro, visit the Montenegrin Food page.

This page was last updated: September, 2011