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The Republic of Montenegro is in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea. It surrounds Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina to the north, Serbia to the northeast, Kosovo to the east, and Albania to the south. To the west of Montenegro is the Adriatic Sea. Its capital and largest city is Podgorica, while Cetinje is elected as the Prijestonica (or Prestonica), meaning the former Royal city. In June 2006, following a referendum in which a 55.4% majority chose to split from Serbia, Montenegro declared its independence. Weather: Montenegro's lower areas enjoy a Mediterranean climate, having dry summers and mild, rainy winters. Temperature varies greatly with elevation. Podgorica, lying near sea level, is noted for having the warmest July temperatures in Montenegro, averaging 27°C (81 F). Montenegro's mountainous regions receive some of the highest amounts of rainfall in Europe. In the northern mountains, snow is there throughout the winter.

Talk: Serbo-Croatian is the authorized language. In some municipalities with an Albanian majority and the Malesia district in Podgorica municipality, the Albanian language is usually spoken. Slovene and Macedonian are also universally understood. In Podgorica and the coastal area many people can sparingly speak English, but that is not always the case in the north. Older people often have a working knowledge of German. Russian is spoken and understood more and more widely, especially along the coast, as huge amounts of real estate had been purchased by Russians in 2000s as a summer residence with an extra bonus of Schengen travel permit. Sports: Serbia and Montenegro were represented by a single football team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup tournament, despite having formally split just weeks prior to its start. Water polo is one of the most popular sports here.

Culture: Short pants are usually not allowed inside the public places (hospitals, etc). Wear self-effacing dress when visiting Serbian Orthodox monasteries. At beaches, taking off the bottom piece of a swimsuit will likely create a stir, and is generally reserved for designated nude beaches. Being obviously drunk is a sign of bad taste and worse character in Montenegro: You may be invited to drink gallons, but are expected to be able to hold your drink. Be careful, "rakija" a plum spirit, is stronger than expected, and will make you drunk fast! The culture of Montenegro has been shaped by a variety of influences throughout history. The influence of Orthodox, Slavonic, Central European, Islamic, and seafaring Adriatic cultures (notably parts of Italy, like the Republic of Venice) have been the most important in recent centuries. The traditional folk dance of the Montenegrins is the Oro, a circle dance that involves dancers standing on each other's shoulders in a circle while one or two dancers are dancing in the middle.