MONTENEGRO 



3912 



MONTENEGRO 



architecture 

 of the capital city 



ONTENEGRO, montana'gro, until 1918 a 

 small and ruggedly-picturesque kingdom, situated in the 

 western part of the Balkan Peninsula. Early in the War 

 of the Nations, which began in 1914, it was unfortunately 

 in the path of the southerly drive of the Austro-German 

 armies, and after stubborn resistance gave way to over- 

 powering military strength and lost its identity as a 

 sovereign state. Its aged king and queen fled to Italy, 

 the government was practically disbanded, and 

 German arms ruled the little country. Upon 

 the formation of the new state of Jugo-Slavia 

 Montenegro was made a part of it. Early in 

 1919, however, it protested against the union. 



Montenegro is quite irregular in shape, and 

 lies between Austrian Dalmatia on the west, 

 Herzegovina on the west and north, Serbia on 

 the east and Albania and the Adriatic Sea on 

 the south. Covering an area of 5,603 square 

 miles, it is only a little larger than the state of 

 Connecticut, and its population of about 516,- 

 000 is not quite half as great as that of the 

 American state. 



The name Montenegro means Black Moun- 

 tain, and many explanations of its origin are 

 given. One belief is that the name was sug- 

 gested by the dusky appearance of Mount Lov- 

 chen in the south, under whose shadow lies 

 what is known as "the cradle of Montenegrin 

 liberty," the Katunska, or "Shepherds' Huts." 



The People and Their Occupations. The 

 Montenegrins are a primitive, warlike Serbian 

 race speaking a Serbian dialect. The men are 

 tall, muscular and well-proportioned. They 

 are vain and lazy, but as warriors are brave, 

 patriotic and chivalrous. No matter what they 

 may be doing, they are usually fully armed, 

 and military service is compulsory between the 

 ages of eighteen and sixty-two. The women, 

 though often beautiful when young, age quickly 

 and remain short and stunted, for upon them 

 falls the hardest work at home and in the fields. 

 They are treated as inferior beings. Whereas 



the men wear gayly-colored, picturesque cos- 

 tumes, the women are usually attired in black. 

 Most of the houses in rural districts are of 

 stone, with one door, one window and a straw 

 roof without a chimney. Around each dwell- 

 ing is usually a little plot of land planted to 

 wheat, maize and potatoes, for the principal 

 food consists of cheese, potatoes and maize 



LOCATION MAP 



(a) Montenegro (1914) (g) Bulgaria 



(b) Italy (h) Serbia 



(c) Germany (i) Albania 



(d) Jugo-Slavia (j) Greece 



(e) Russia (fc) Turkey 



(/) Rumania (Im) Austria and Hun- 



gary 



cake, meat seldom being eaten. Primitive 

 methods are still employed in agriculture, and 

 stock raising is the most important industry. 

 Cattle, sheep, goats, wool, hides and skins are 

 exported. Tobacco, grapes and olives are 

 raised to some extent, but the tobacco industry 



