Following the dissolution of the Federation of Yugoslavia in 1989, Montenegro had been part of Yugoslavia's successor state (named the State Union of Serbia & Montenegro in 2003) until declaring independence on June 3, 2006.

Montenegro is known for its mountain range, medieval villages, and beaches that line its Adriatic coastline. The Bay of Kotor is lined with coastal churches and walled towns like Herceg Novi and Kotor. You can find glacial lakes, Tara River Canyon, and limestone peaks in the Durmitor National Park.

The name “Montenegro” derives from the Serbian “Crna Gora”, itself derived from the Venetian “Monte Negro”, and can be translated as “black mountain”, referring to the dark forests that once covered the Dinaric Alps.

On February 4, 2003, the F.R.Y. parliament ratified the Constitutional Charter, establishing a new state union and changing the name of the country from Yugoslavia to Serbia and Montenegro. On May 21, 2006, the Republic of Montenegro held a successful referendum on independence and declared independence on June 3.