Montenegrins Explained

Montenegrins (cnr|Црногорци|Crnogorci|People of the [[Lovćen|Black Mountain]], pronounced as /sh/ or pronounced as /sh/) are a South Slavic ethnic group that share a common ancestry, culture, history, and language, identified with the country of Montenegro.

Montenegrins are mostly Orthodox Christians, but the population also includes Catholics, Muslims and irreligious people. The Montenegrin language is the official language of Montenegro.

Historically, the Montenegrin nation comprised many tribes. Most tribes formed in the 15th and 16th centuries, about the time when the Ottoman Empire established its control of the medieval state of Zeta. Today the tribes are mainly studied within the frameworks of social anthropology and family history, as they have not been used in official structures since the time (1852-1910) of the Principality of Montenegro, although some tribal regions overlap with contemporary municipal areas. The kinship groups give a sense of shared identity and descent.

Outside of Montenegro and Europe, Montenegrins form diaspora groups in (for example) the United States, Canada, Australia and Argentina. It is estimated that around 600,000 Montenegrin-descended people reside outside of Montenegro.^{[24] [25]} In 2023 a total of 152,649 Montenegrins both held Montenegrin citizenship and resided outside of Montenegro.

Genetics

According to one triple analysis – autosomal, mitochondrial and paternal — of available data from large-scale studies on South Slavs and their proximal populations, the whole genome SNP data situates Montenegrins with Serbs in between two Balkan clusters.^[26] According to a 2020 autosomal marker analysis, Montenegrins are situated in between Serbs and Kosovo Albanians.^[27]

Y-DNA genetic study done in 2010 on 404 male individuals from Montenegro gave the following results: haplogroup I2a (29.7%), E-V13 (26.9%), R1b (9.4%), R1a (7.6%), I1 (6.1%), J2a1 (4.7%), J2b (4.4%), G2a (2.4%), Q (1.9%), I2b (1.7%), N (1.4%), H (1.4%), L (1.2%), and J1 (0.49%). A 2022 study on 267 samples from northeastern Montenegro found that the "most common haplogroups are I2 and R1b, both identified in 23.97% of samples, followed by E (22.47%), J2 (11.61%), I1 (6.74%), G2 (3.75%), R1a (3.37%), I1 (1.12%), G (1.12%), N (0.75%), C (0.37%), T1 (0.37%) and Q1 (0.37%)".^[28]

History

See main article: History of Montenegro.

Middle Ages

Slavs settled in the Balkans during the sixth and seventh centuries. According to Latin: [[De Administrando Imperio]], there existed three Serb polities on the territory of modern Montenegro: Duklja, roughly corresponding to the southern half; Travunia, the west; and the Principality of Serbia, the north. Duklja emerged as an independent state during the 11th century, initially held by the Vojislavljević dynasty, later to be conquered and incorporated into the state of the Nemanjić dynasty. De Administrando Imperio does not mention which Slavic people lived in Duklja,^[29] but the state was considered to be one of the first Serb states, alongside Raška formed chiefly under the Vlastimirović and Vojislavljević dynasties respectively.^{[30] [31]} Who exactly were the Slavic inhabitants of Duklja differs among authors, as other historians maintain that it is not possible to equate the people of Duklja with either Serbs or Croats, considering most historical Byzantian documents from that time.^[32]

In the late 14th century, southern Montenegro (Zeta) came under the rule of the Balšić noble family, then the Crnojević noble family, and by the 15th century, Zeta was more often referred to as Crna Gora (Venetian: Monte Negro). The Crnojevići were driven out from Zeta by the Ottomans and forced to retreat above the Bay of Kotor where they built a monastery and a royal court in Cetinje, the future royal capital of Montenegro, before eventually fleeing to Venice.

Yugoslav era

Annexation of the Kingdom of Montenegro on November 13, 1918 gained international recognition only at the Conference of Ambassadors in Paris, held on July 13, 1922.^[33]

Although Montenegrins comprised one of the smallest ethnic groups in the state (2.5% in 1971), they were the most overrepresented ethnic group in the Yugoslav bureaucracy, military, and communist party organs. In the Yugoslav People's Army, 19% of general officers and 30% of colonels were ethnic Montenegrins. Among party elites, Montenegrins made up 16% to 21% of senior officials throughout the existence of communist Yugoslavia, and comprised a similar portion of the state's diplomatic corps.^{[34] [35]} Montenegrins were over-represented among Yugoslavia's elite, largely due to the pre-war strength of the Communist Party of Montenegro, the high proportion of Montenegrins among Partisan commanders and Central Committee members during the war, and a historically militaristic culture.^{[36] [37]} During this period, ethnic Montenegrins also held about 15% of government jobs in Yugoslavia.^[38]

Language

See main article: Montenegrin language.

See also: Controversy over ethnic and linguistic identity in Montenegro. As per the census held from 3 to 28 December 2023, 34.52% of Montenegrin citizens say Montenegrin is their mother tongue.^[39]

Religion

Most Ethnic Montenegrins are Eastern Orthodox, with the majority of them adhering to the Serbian Orthodox Church, while a minority of them adhere to the Montenegrin Orthodox Church, which is canonically unrecognised by the Eastern Orthodox Church.^{[40] [41]}

See also

• Montenegro
• Montenegrin diaspora
• Culture of Montenegro
• List of Montenegrins
• Demographics of Montenegro
• Ethnic groups in Europe
• Tribes of Montenegro
• Montenegrin nationalism

Further reading

• Mirabal . Sheyla . Human Y-Chromosome Short Tandem Repeats: A Tale of Acculturation and Migrations as Mechanisms for the Diffusion of Agriculture in the Balkan Peninsula . . July 2010 . 380–390 . 142 . 3 . 10.1002/ajpa.21235 . etal . 20091845.
• Book: Roberts . Elizabeth . Realm of the Black Mountain: A History of Montenegro . 2007 . Cornell University Press . 9780801446016 .

External links

• Matica crnogorska (official pages)
• Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts (official pages)
• The Montenegrin Association of America
• Špiro Kulišić: O Etnogenezi Crnogoraca (On Ethnogenesis of Montenegrins) (in Montenegrin)
• Article about Montenegrin tribes (in montenegrin language)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in Montenegro 2023. Monstat. 15 October 2024.
2. Web site: Širom svijeta pola miliona Crnogoraca . RTCG . 20 September 2014 . 28 November 2023 . Montenegrin.
3. Web site: U dijaspori živi još jedna Crna Gora . Montenegrina. 26 October 2013 . 28 November 2023 . Montenegrin.
4. http://www.rtcg.me/vijesti/dijaspora/66019/sirom-svijeta-pola-miliona-crnogoraca.html Širom svijeta pola miliona Crnogoraca
5. Web site: Présentation du Monténégro . 17 May 2018 . 7 October 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171007085712/http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/dossiers-pays/montenegro/presentation-du-montenegro . live .
6. Web site: RZS objavio rezultate popisa o nacionalnoj pripadnosti stanovnika . N1 . 29 April 2023 . 29 April 2023 . 28 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230428141449/https://n1info.rs/vesti/popis-2022-rezultati-nacionalna-pripadnost/ . live.
7. Web site: Stojović: U Čileu živi 7000 potomaka Crnogoraca . Montengrina.net . 2017-08-19 . 9 October 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191009125601/http://montenegrina.net/dijaspora/stojovic-u-cileu-zivi-7000-potomaka-crnogoraca/ . live.
8. Web site: Statistiche demografiche ISTAT . 11 April 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130701060424/http://demo.istat.it/str2010/index.html . 1 July 2013 . dead .
9. Web site: 2016 Census of Population . Statistics Canada . 7 October 2021 . 8 February 2017 . 15 November 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211115182923/https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=PR&Code1=01&Geo2=PR&Code2=01&SearchText=canada&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=Ethnic%20origin&TABID=1&type=0 . live .
10. Web site: Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek (CBS) . Bevolking; generatie, geslacht, leeftijd en migratieachtergrond, 1 januari . nl . 16 April 2023 . 17 January 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180117210150/http://statline.cbs.nl/StatWeb/publication/?DM=SLNL&PA=37325&D1=0&D2=0&D3=0&D4=0&D5=a&D6=l&VW=T . live .
11. Web site: Statistini urad RS - Popis 2002 . Stat.si . 18 March 2015 . 1 June 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170601143931/http://www.stat.si/popis2002/en/rezultati/rezultati_red.asp?ter=REG&st=17 . live.
12. Web site: Who are the two million foreigners in Switzerland? . 19 November 2017 . 19 November 2017 . en . 19 November 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171119141025/https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/society/migration-series-part-1-_who-are-the-25-foreign-population-in-switzerland/42412156 . live.
13. Web site: Bolivija: Po prvi put se okupili potomci iseljenika iz Crne Gore . cdm.me . 26 March 2018 . 12 April 2018 . cnr . 27 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180327084640/https://m.cdm.me/svijet/planeta/bolivija-po-prvi-put-se-okupili-potomci-iseljenika-iz-crne-gore . live.
14. Web site: 1. Stanovništvo prema etničkoj/nacionalnoj pripadnosti - detaljna klasifikacija . Popis.gov.ba . 28 December 2017 . 21 October 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181021212346/http://www.popis.gov.ba/popis2013/knjige.php?id=2 . live.
15. Web site: Montenegro   Crna Gora   Montenegro . 2013 Census . 26 March 2018 . 17 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180317152855/http://www.montenegro.org.au/cguau2013.html . live. Total responses: 25,451,383 for total count of persons: 19,855,288.
16. Web site: Population by country of birth and country of Origin . Statistics of Sweden . 31 December 2022 . 5 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230705075215/https://www.scb.se/contentassets/e30aa7aebbd246d99878d2a0aa8c81fd/be0101_fodelseland-ursprungsland-2022_eng.xlsx . live.
17. Web site: 2011 Census: Country of birth (expanded), regions in England and Wales . Office for National Statistics . 26 March 2013 . 4 January 2016 . 23 February 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160223092049/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/quick-statistics-for-england-and-wales-on-national-identity--passports-held-and-country-of-birth/rft-qs213ew.xls . live.
18. Web site: Dabase . 2011-02-24 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110309211353/http://www.stat.gov.mk/PXWeb2007bazi/Database/Censuses/databasetree.asp . 2011-03-09 .
19. Web site: Immigrants and Norwegian-born to immigrant parents . 10 April 2021 . 11 April 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160411025653/http://www.ssb.no/en/innvbef . live.
20. Web site: DST statistics . DST statistics . DST statistics . DST statistics . 16 April 2023 . 18 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171218002756/http://www.dst.dk/da/Statistik/emner/befolkning-og-valg/indvandrere-og-efterkommere/indvandrere-og-efterkommere . live.
21. Web site: Instituti i Statistikës (INSTAT) . Population and Housing Census 2023 .
22. http://www.gks.ru/free_doc/new_site/perepis2010/croc/Documents/Vol4/pub-04-01.pdf Всероссийская перепись населения 2010. Национальный состав населения
23. Web site: Population par nationalité, sexe, groupe et classe d'âges au 1er janvier 2010 . 12 January 2012 . fr . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111222192722/http://statbel.fgov.be/fr/modules/publications/statistiques/population/population_natio_sexe_groupe_classe_d_ges_au_1er_janvier_2010.jsp . 22 December 2011.
24. Web site: Širom svijeta pola miliona Crnogoraca . RTCG . 20 September 2014 . 28 November 2023 . Montenegrin.
25. Web site: U dijaspori živi još jedna Crna Gora . Montenegrina . 26 October 2013 . 28 November 2023 . Montenegrin.
26. 10.1371/journal.pone.0135820 . 26332464 . 4558026 . Genetic Heritage of the South-Slavic Speaking Populations: A Synthesis of Autosomal, Mitochondrial and Y-Chromosomal Data . PLOS ONE . 10 . 9 . e0135820 . 2015 . Kushniarevich. Alena. etal. 2015PLoSO..1035820K . free .
27. Takic Miladinov . D . Vasiljevic . P . Sorgic . D . etal . 2020 . Allele frequencies and forensic parameters of 22 autosomal STR loci in a population of 983 individuals from Serbia and comparison with 24 other populations . . 47 . 7–8 . 632–641 . 10.1080/03014460.2020.1846784 . 33148044 . free.
28. Sinanovic . A. L. . Licina . F. . 2022 . 10.54062/jb . Genetic diversity of male population in six municipality of the north-eastern Montenegro . Journal of Bioanthropology . 275 . 244764042 . 20 December 2022 . 6 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230206124250/https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/406487 . live .
29. Book: Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, Emperor of the East. De administrando imperio. 1967. Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies. Gyula Moravcsik. 0-88402-021-5. New, rev.. Washington, D.C.. 11970692.
30. Book: Deliso . Christopher . Culture and Customs of Serbia and Montenegro . 2008 . ABC-CLIO . 978-0-31334-437-4 . 13 . 31 May 2023 . 27 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230927202243/https://books.google.com/books?id=6pFxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PR13 . live .
31. Morozova . Maria . Language Contact in Social Context: Kinship Terms and Kinship Relations of the Mrkovići in Southern Montenegro . Journal of Language Contact . 2019 . 12 . 2 . 307 . 10.1163/19552629-01202003 . 15 February 2020 . Morozova. free .
32. Web site: Budak . Neven . 1994 . Prva stoljeća Hrvatske . 46 . croatian . 31 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230531184526/https://www.scribd.com/document/62632020/Neven-Budak . live .
33. Web site: Interesting things about the royal order of Montenegro - Untitled. Orderofdanilo.org. 2017-08-19. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090516203805/http://www.orderofdanilo.org/en/family/index.htm. 2009-05-16.
34. Book: . 2007 . Yugoslavia From "National Communism" to National Collapse: US Intelligence Community Estimative Products on Yugoslavia, 1948-1990 . Government Printing Office . 605 . 978-0160873607.
35. Book: Lampe, John . 2000 . Yugoslavia as History: Twice There Was a Country . Cambridge University Press . 252-253 . 0521774012.
36. Book: Austin, Robert . 2019 . Making and Remaking the Balkans: Nations and States since 1878 . University of Toronto Press . 58 . 978-1487530723.
37. Book: Petersen, Roger . 2011 . Western Intervention in the Balkans: The Strategic Use of Emotion in Conflict . Cambridge University Press . 274 . 978-1139503303.
38. Book: Morrock, Richard . 2014 . The Psychology of Genocide and Violent Oppression: A Study of Mass Cruelty from Nazi Germany to Rwanda . McFarland . 54 . 978-0786456284.
39. Web site: Srpskim jezikom govori 43,18 odsto, crnogorskim 34,52 odsto... . RTCG - Radio Televizija Crne Gore - Nacionalni javni servis . 2024-10-15 . 2024-10-19.
40. Book: Kerrigan . M. . World and Its Peoples . 2010 . Marshall Cavendish Corporation . 9780761479031 . 1691 . 9 January 2023 . 9 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230109025914/https://books.google.com/books?id=ML-aXrrBrv8C&pg=PA1691 . live .
41. Book: Cole . Jeffrey E. . Ethnic Groups of Europe: An Encyclopedia: An Encyclopedia . 2011 . ABC-CLIO . 9781598843033 . 265 . 9 January 2023 . 9 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230109025919/https://books.google.com/books?id=M9fDifnkMJMC&pg=PA265 . live .