Montenegro Country Information - Geography

The small and sparsely populated Balkan state of Montenegro is a mountainous country, as its melodious name suggests. However, the mountains are not really black. For the most part, they consist of heavily karstified rock, especially in the south and west of the country, while the high mountain ranges in the north and east, alongside the bare, high peaks of the Dinaric Alps, are covered with endless green mixed forests. Countless gorges and canyons characterize the country; the Tara Gorge is considered the deepest in Europe, and the river of the same name is the longest in the country at 141 kilometers. The coastline is 293 kilometers long, with mountains rising up to 2,000 meters high in the immediate background. Only in the south around Ulcinj has a wider coastal plain developed below the Rumija Mountains, where sandy and pebble beaches dominate, including the longest in the eastern Adriatic - Velika plaza.

The Durmitor Mountains, home to the highest mountain within the country's borders, Bobotov Kuk at 2,522 meters, are home to numerous plateaus, while the Prokletije Mountains feature countless rugged peaks and deep valleys. The highest mountain here is Zla Kolata at 2,534 meters, which forms the border with Albania. Large parts of the karst mountains consist of poljes, so-called fields, created by glacial meltwater. These provide the basis for a little agriculture. Even in summer, the high mountain country is criss-crossed by glacial sections. Even in summer, the high mountainous region is crisscrossed by glaciers and firn fields. Montenegro was heavily glaciated in prehistoric times, as evidenced by countless cirque lakes, moraines, and trough valleys. The fertile valley of the Lim River in the northeast is quite densely populated. The same is true around the city of Nikšić, where the extensive Polje with its reservoirs is used to generate hydroelectric power. Montenegro accounts for two-thirds of the largest inland lake in the Balkans (the rest lies in northern Albania), Lake Skadar, which covers 391 km² and is located inland at almost sea level. Despite the numerous rivers rich in water, there is often a shortage of water due to the karst, so imports from neighboring Croatia and Bosnia are often necessary in the summer.

Tectonic processes, which incidentally also created the legendary Bay of Kotor, repeatedly lead to severe earthquakes, the last of which struck Montenegro in April 1979.