Throughout its long and turbulent history Montenegro struggled to get the attention of the most prominent European and global political centers in the fight for its recognition and independence. The first such recognition came at the Berlin congress in 1878 when Montenegro was honored as the 27th independent state in the world, and more recently in two 2006 when Montenegro reestablished its independence via referendum. The fight against various suppressors formed a defiant and resilient ethos still being cultivated by modern Montenegrins. No wonder it is said that Montenegro “has more battle landmarks that monuments, more war flags than schools, and more legends than books”.
Montenegrin identity as a Balkan, Mediterranean, and European county developed through both oriental and occidental culture and influences which can be clearly seen through many monuments, cultural heritage sights and sanctuaries, but also through a unique way of everyday life and mentality. It is the crossroads of three religions – Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Islam and home of different people and ethnicities including Montenegrins, Serbs, Bosniaks, Albanians, Croats, Roma and others.
Nowadays Montenegro is best known as a touristic destination that offers a wide range of activities that is made possible by its unique combination of sea, plains and mountains, rivers and lakes, flora and fauna of high diversity, high quality cultural and entertainment program, and an authentic local cuisine best known for ham, seafood, honey, wine and spirits. Besides many beautiful beaches that vary from stony to sandy, tourists enjoy in five national parks and many other preserved areas. The importance of this treasure to be conserved is well known to Montenegrins and enshrined in the Constitution which defines Montenegro as an ecological state, as well as in the provisions of UNESCO which inscribes four Montenegrin sights and properties on the World Heritage List: Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor, Stećci Medieval Tombstone Graveyards, Venetian Works of Defence between the 16th and 17th Centuries: Stato da Terra – Western Stato da Mar and Durmitor National Park.
