Montenegro is in the Balkan Peninsula in South Eastern Europe. Other countries in this area include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, as well as Albania, Bulgaria and Greece.

The highest point in Montenegro is Bobotov Kuk (2,522 m).

Cetinje dates from the 1480s when the ruler founded a new capital to escape the Turkish invaders.

The name Montenegro (Crna Gora) is Italian for Black Mountain.

Cetinje had a printing house at the end of the fifteenth century. Religious information for people of the Orthodox religion was published.

In 1878 the Congress of Berlin recognised Montenegro as an independent nation.

Following the First World War, the Kingdom of Serbians, Croats and Slovenes was formed. The Kingdom also included Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Macedonia.

In 1929 the name of the Kingdom was changed to Yugoslavia.

After the Second World War (1939-45) Yugoslavia became the Federal Peoples' Republic of Yugoslavia consisting of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Macedonia, and Montenegro.

With the formation of the Federal Peoples' Republic of Yugoslavia, the Republic of Montenegro's capital moved to Podgorica and became known as Titograd. The name changed back to Podgorica in 1992.

In the early 1990s Slovenia, Macedonia, Croatia and Bosnia broke away from Yugoslavia. Montenegro joined Serbia in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

The break-up of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the 1990s resulted in much conflict. Kosovo suffered inter-ethnic unrest and civil war leading to the US-NATO aerial bombardment of Serbia and the deployment of KFOR (NATO-led peacekeeping force K-For) and UNMIK (United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo) to secure and administer the Kosovo region on behalf of the international community.

On 14 March 2002 an agreement was signed by Serbian and Montenegrin officials redefining relations between Serbia and Montenegro. A decision was made to change the name of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to Serbia and Montenegro.

Montenegro held an independence referendum in 2006 under rules set by the EU. Montenegro formally declared its independence from Serbia on 3 June 2006.

Montenegro joined NATO in 2017. Russaia had been Montenegro's traditional ally.