MONTENEGRO

Capital: Podgorica  |  Population: 0.62 million

Country Overview

Welcome to Montenegro, home to diverse wildlife, picturesque coasts and a wealth of religious monuments.

Montenegro is a melting pot of several different histories and cultures, with Ancient Greek, Roman, Serbian, Ottoman, Italian and Yugoslavian influences all helping to create the Montenegro of today. A strong sense of respect for humanity and dignity is a large part of Montenegrin culture. Traditions of epic poetry and songs create a living record of Montenegro’s complex history.

Today, Montenegro is a republic led by a president elected every five years. Montenegrin is the official language, though Serbian, Bosnian, Albanian, and Croatian are also spoken and recognized.

Daily Life

Families in Montenegro tend to be very large, oftentimes with eight children. It is also common for extended families and multiple generations to live together. Both men and women can work outside the home, though it is typical for women to perform most of the domestic duties.

Both religion and the arts play a large part in daily culture in Montenegro. The government also highly encourages an active lifestyle and many forms of outdoor recreation, water polo being especially popular. 

Montenegrins enjoy food that is a mixture of Eastern and Mediterranean. Seafood, goulash, hearty breads and cheeses and stews are typical fare. Crepes, doughnuts and biscuits are sweet treats and local favorites.  

Zdravo!

School

Secondary education in Montenegro is divided into three types: gymnasium (broad education, preparing students for university study), professional schools (more specialized subjects), and vocational schools (specific fields, students generally do not continue on to university).

A student attends their type of secondary school based on their preference and grades in primary school.

Teenagers

Teens in Montenegro enjoy activities typical of teenagers around the world. In cities, they enjoy going to malls and to movies, in nice weather to the beach, and in the winter skiing.

Dress is typically casual in the cities, similar to Western teenagers. In villages, women will oftentimes wear a head scarf.