Constituent republic of Serbia and Montenegro .
Area: 5,333 sq mi (13,812 sq km). Population (2001 est.): 658,000. Capital: Podgorica . Currency: euro. The republic's name ("Black Mountain") refers to Mount Lovcen, which rises to 5,738 ft (1,749 m), its ancient stronghold near the Adriatic Sea. Its landscape ranges from arid hills to forests and fertile valleys. Montenegro's economy is based on agriculture, especially the raising of sheep and goats and the cultivation of cereal grains. The majority of its population are Montenegrins who follow the Eastern Orthodox church; there are sizable Muslim and Albanian minorities. Under the Roman Empire the region was part of the province of Illyria . Settled by Slavs in the 7th century, it was incorporated in the Serbian empire in the late 12th century. It retained its independence following the Turkish defeat of the Serbians in 1389 (see Battle of Kosovo ). Often at war with the Turks and Albanians, it began an alliance with Russia in 1711. In the Balkan Wars of 1912–13, it cooperated against Turkey. It supported Serbia during and after World War I. It was then absorbed into Serbia; the union became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia ). During World War II Montenegro was occupied by the Italians and was the scene of heavy fighting. In 1946 the federal constitution of the new Yugoslavia made Montenegro one of Yugoslavia's six nominally autonomous federated units. In 1992, one year after the breakup of Yugoslavia, Montenegro and Serbia combined as the new Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 2003, following agitation for independence in Montenegro, the Serb, Montenegrin, and Yugoslav parliaments ratified a new constitutional agreement that maintained the federation; the accord renamed the country Serbia and Montenegro and gave Montenegro significant autonomy over its own affairs.