Geography of Montenegro
Encyclopedia
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
(Montenegrin
Montenegrin language
Montenegrin is a name used for the Serbo-Croatian language as spoken by Montenegrins; it also refers to an incipient standardized form of the Shtokavian dialect of Serbo-Croatian used as the official language of Montenegro...
: Crna Gora, Црна Гора meaning "black mountain") is a small, mountainous state in south-west Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
. Montenegro borders Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
, Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
and the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
. While being a small country (13,812 km²), it is very diverse regarding the terrain configuration.
Terrain
Terrain in Montenegro ranges from high mountains in the northern part of the country, through karstKARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
segment in central and western part, to a narrow coastal plain. The coastal plain disappears completely in the north, where Mount Lovćen
Mount Lovcen
Lovćen is a mountain and national park in southwestern Montenegro.The Mount Lovćen rises from the borders of the Adriatic basin closing the long ang twisting bays of Boka Kotorska and making the hinterland to the coastal town of Kotor...
and other mountain ranges plunge abruptly into the inlet of the Gulf of Kotor. The coastal region is noted for active seismicity.
Montenegro's section of the karst lies generally at elevations of 100 m (328 ft) above sea level-although some areas rise to 1800 m (5,906 ft). The lowest segment is in the valley of the Zeta River
Zeta River
Zeta is a river in Montenegro. It starts near Nikšić, under the Planinica hill flows eastwards for until it confluences into the Morača River just north of Podgorica....
, which flows at an elevation of 450 m (1,476 ft). The river occupies the centre of Nikšić
Nikšić
Nikšić is a city in Montenegro . In 2003 the city had a total population about 75,000.Nikšić is located in Nikšić plain, at the foot of Mount Trebjesa. It is the center of the municipality , which is the largest in Montenegro by area...
field, a flat-floored, elongated depression typical of karstic regions. The underlying rock is predominantly limestone, which dissolves to form sinkholes and underground caves.
The Zeta River Valley, or Bjelopavlići plain, merges in the southeast with the second significant flat lowland in Montenegro, the Zeta plain
Zeta plain
Zeta Plain is a fertile lowland in Montenegro. It stretches from Podgorica in the north to the Skadar Lake in the south. It is the biggest plains area in Montenegro, with an average elevation around above sea level....
. Zeta plain stretches north of the Lake Scutari
Lake Scutari
Lake Skadar, also called Lake Scutari and Lake Shkodër is a lake on the border of Montenegro with Albania, the largest lake in the Balkan Peninsula. It is named after the city of Shkodra in northern Albania .- Geography :...
at elevation of 40 m (131 ft). The two plains are today the most densely populated areas of Montenegro, housing the two biggest Montenegrin cities, Podgorica
Podgorica
Podgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
and Nikšić
Nikšić
Nikšić is a city in Montenegro . In 2003 the city had a total population about 75,000.Nikšić is located in Nikšić plain, at the foot of Mount Trebjesa. It is the center of the municipality , which is the largest in Montenegro by area...
.
The high mountains of Montenegro include some of the most rugged terrain in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. They average more than 2000 m (6,562 ft) in elevation. Among notable peaks is Bobotov Kuk
Bobotov Kuk
Bobotov Kuk is a peak in northern Montenegro. At , it is the highest peak on Durmitor mountain, and had been thought to be the highest point in Montenegro, but new surveys have revealed there are three higher peaks on the border with Albania...
in the Durmitor
Durmitor
Durmitor is a massif and the name of a national park in North Western Montenegro. It reaches a height of 2,522 m .The massif is bordered by Tara River Canyon on the North, Piva River Canyon on the West, and by Komarnica River Canyon on the South. To the East, Durmitor is open to a vast ...
mountain, which reaches 2523 m (8,278 ft). The Montenegrin mountains were the most ice-eroded section of the Balkan Peninsula during the last glacial period.
The Coast
The coast of Montenegro is 294 km (183 mi) long. Unlike its northern neighbour CroatiaCroatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, Montenegro has no large inhabited islands along the coast. A notable feature of the Montenegrin coast is Bay of Kotor
Bay of Kotor
The Bay of Kotor in south-western Montenegro is a winding bay on the Adriatic Sea. The bay, sometimes called Europe's southernmost fjord, is in fact a submerged river canyon of the disintegrated Bokelj River which used to run from the high mountain plateaus of Mount Orjen...
, a fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
-like gulf, which is in fact a submerged river canyon. The Bay of Kotor is surrounded by mountains up to 1000 m (3,281 ft) high, which plunge alsmost vertically into the sea.
To the south of the Bay of Kotor, there is a narrow coastal plain, no more than 4 km wide, which is guarded from the north by high mountains. The plain provided space for numerous small coastal settlements.
Hydrology
Montenegro's surface runoff in the north is carried away by the LimLim River
The Lim is a river flowing through Montenegro, Albania, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. long, it's the right and the longest tributary of the Drina.- Montenegro and Serbia :...
and Tara
Tara River (Montenegro)
The Tara is a river in Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. It emerges from the confluence of the Opasnica and Veruša Rivers in the Prokletije mountain, part of Dinaric Alps of Montenegro...
river systems, which enter the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
via the Drina River of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
. In southern Montenegro, streams flow toward the Adriatic Sea
Adriatic Sea
The Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
. Much of the drainage of the karstic region is not on the surface but travels in underground channels.
The largest lake in Montenegro and the Balkans is Lake Scutari
Lake Scutari
Lake Skadar, also called Lake Scutari and Lake Shkodër is a lake on the border of Montenegro with Albania, the largest lake in the Balkan Peninsula. It is named after the city of Shkodra in northern Albania .- Geography :...
. Known in Montenegro as Skadarsko Jezero, it lies near the coast and extends across the international border into northern Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
. It is 50 km (31 mi) long and 16 km (9.9 mi) wide, with a total surface area of 370 km² (142.9 sq mi). Some 60 percent lies within Montenegrin territory. The water body occupies a karstic polje depression that has a floor lying below sea level.
Montenegro's mountainous regions are noted for their numerous lakes.
Climate
Montenegro's lower areas enjoy a Mediterranean climateMediterranean climate
A Mediterranean climate is the climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin, and is a particular variety of subtropical climate...
, having dry summers and mild, rainy winters. Temperature varies greatly with elevation. Podgorica
Podgorica
Podgorica , is the capital and largest city of Montenegro.Podgorica's favourable position at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta Plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement...
, lying near sea level, is noted for having the warmest July temperatures in Montenegro, averaging 27 °C (80.6 °F).
Cetinje
Cetinje
Cetinje , Цетиње / Cetinje , Italian: Cettigne, Greek: Κετίγνη, Ketígni) is a town and Old Royal Capital of Montenegro. It is also a historical and the secondary capital of Montenegro , with the official residence of the President of Montenegro...
, in the karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
at an elevation of 670 m (2,198 ft), has a temperature 5 °C (9 °F) lower at 22 °C (71.6 °F). January temperatures range from 8 °C (46.4 °F) at Bar
Bar, Montenegro
Bar is a coastal town in Montenegro. It has a population of 17,727...
on the southern coast to -3 °C in the northern mountains.
Montenegro's mountainous regions receive some of the highest amounts of rainfall in Europe. Annual precipitation at Crkvice
Crkvice
Crkvice is a village on Orjen mountain in Montenegro and is the wettest place in Europe. The average annual precipitation for the period 1931-1960 was 4927 mm and for 1961-1990 4631 mm...
, in the Karst above the Bay of Kotor, is 4928 mm (194 in). Like most areas along the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
, precipitation occurs principally during the cold part of the year, but in the higher mountains a secondary summer maximum is present. Snow cover is rare along the Montenegrin coast. It averages 10 days in karstic polje depressions and increases to 120 days in the higher mountains.
Facts
- Geographic coordinates: 42°30′N 19°18′E
- Total area: 14,026 km²
- Land area: 13,812 km²
- Water area: 214 km²
- Population: 620,145 (2003 census); 630,548 (2004 estimate https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mj.html#People)
- Length of the coast (coastline): 293.5 km
- Length of the international borders: 625 km (total)
- With CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
: 14 km or 25 km - With Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
: 225 km - With SerbiaSerbiaSerbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
: 124 km - With AlbaniaAlbaniaAlbania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
: 172 km
- With Croatia
- Land under cultivation: 517,153 ha
- Land use:
- arable land: 13.7%
- permanent crops: 1%
- other: 85.3%
- Area - comparative: slightly smaller than ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
- Maritime claims:
Points
- Lowest point
- Adriatic Sea - 0 m
- Highest point
- Zla KolataZla KolataZla Kolata is a mountain of the Prokletije on the border of Albania and Montenegro. It has an elevation of , making it the highest mountain in Montenegro, and the 16th highest in Albania. It is located on the border of the Plav municipality of Montenegro and the Tropojë district of Kukës County,...
- 2,534 m
- Zla Kolata
- NorthNorthNorth is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.North is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west.By convention, the top side of a map is north....
ernmost point:- Mocevici, PljevljaPljevljaPljevlja is a town and municipality located in the northern part of Montenegro. The city lies at an altitude of...
municipality - 43°32′N 18°58′E
- Mocevici, Pljevlja
- SouthSouthSouth is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.South is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to east and west.By convention, the bottom side of a map is south....
ernmost point:- Mala Ada, UlcinjUlcinjUlcinj is a coastal resort town and municipality in Montenegro. The town of Ulcinj has a population of 10,828 of which the majority are Albanians...
municipality - 41°55′N 19°22′E
- Mala Ada, Ulcinj
- EastEastEast is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.East is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of west and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the right side of a map is east....
ernmost point:- Jablanica, RožajeRožajeRožaje , is a town in northeastern Montenegro. It has a population of 9,121 Rožaje is the centre of the municipality, which has a population of 22,693. The municipality is located in the geographical region of Sandžak.-History:The history of Rožaje goes back to 1571 and 1585 when it was first...
municipality - 42°53′N 20°21′E
- Jablanica, Rožaje
- WestWestWest is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.West is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of east and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the left side of a map is west....
ernmost point:- Prijevor, Herceg NoviHerceg NoviHerceg Novi is a coastal town in Montenegro located at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor and at the foot of Mount Orjen. It is the administrative center of the Herceg Novi Municipality with around 33,000 inhabitants...
municipality - 42°29′N 18°26′E
- Prijevor, Herceg Novi