Geography
The Republic of Montenegro is in South East Europe. It is bordered by Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and the Adriatic Sea.

Podgorica is the capital. Cetinje, founded at the end of the fifteenth century, is Montenegro's historical centre.

The country's terrain is diverse with Adriatic coastline, limestone mountains and plateaux. Rivers include the Ceotina, Moraca, Piva and Tara.

Summers are hot and winters are cold. The weather along the Montenegrin coast is Mediterranean.

Environment
National Parks in Montenegro are Biogradska Gora, Lovcen, Skadar Lake and Durmitor.

Durmitor National Park, on the World Heritage List, was assessed by UNESCO as a mountain and canyon system of high scenic and scientific value. The Tara river canyon has the deepest gorges in Europe.

Architecture
The Historical Region of Kotor, on the Adriatic coast, was damaged in the 1979 earthquake but its town walls and churches have been restored with assistance from UNESCO.

The old Montenegrin capital of Cetinje is said to be a "town-museum".

Population
The population of Montenegro was estimated at 672,180 in 2009.

Languages
Montenegrin is the official language. Other languages such as Albanian, Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian are also spoken.

Religion
Religions in Montenegro are Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Muslim.

Food
The cuisine of Montenegro is influenced by its Balkan neighbours. Traditional food includes meat, fish, and dairy products. Specialities are djuvec (stew), cevapcici (minced meat), raznjici (meat grilled on a skewer) and sarma (minced meat wrapped in leaves). Fish is smoked, used in chowders, grilled, and fried.

Bread and side salads are eaten with starters and main courses. Salads are made from a variety of fresh and pickled vegetables such as beans, cucumbers, onions, peppers, tomatoes and sauerkraut.

Honey, fruit, and nuts are used in desserts, for example, strudels, pancakes and pastries.

Alcoholic drinks are wine, beer, and grape brandy. Coffee is usually Turkish or espresso. Fruit juices and soft drinks are produced locally.

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