Demographic history of Montenegro 729754 224828323 2008-07-10T16:28:35Z RussBot 279219 Robot-assisted fix [[WP:DPL|links to disambiguation page]] Turks {{Montenegro topics}} [[Image:Montenegro ethnic03.png|thumb|250px|Ethnic map of Montenegro according to the 1991 census]] [[Image:Montenegro ethnic02.png|thumb|250px|Ethnic map of Montenegro according to the 2003 census]] This article presents the '''demographic history of Montenegro''' through [[census]] results and official documents which mention demographic composition. See [[Demographics of Montenegro]] for a more detailed overview of the current demographics of Montegro. == Medieval == Montenegro was settled by Serbs in the 7th century. Duklja, today's Montenegro, under [[Stefan Vojislav]], was inhabited by Serbs.<ref>''The Early Medieval Balkans'' by John Van Antwerp Fine, 1983</ref> Various documents listed that the population of Medieval [[Doclea]] i. e. [[Zeta]] were not only [[Serbs]], but also minor populations of [[Latins]], [[Albanians]] and [[Vlachs]]. The language in usage was primarily the Serbian dialect [[Old Slavonic]], while in the early stages [[Latin]] also had importance and [[Greek language|Greek]] to an extent among the high-class members of the society. Between the 15th and 17th century, Montenegro had a little history on paper, however it is said that the montenegrin population never exceeded 10 000. During these years, hundreds of [[Bosnian Serbs]] and [[Rascia|Rascian Serbs]] sought refugee in the heights of Montenegro, together with Vlachs from the East and [[Albanians]] from Southern Balkans. The majority of Montenegrin medieval documents state that the [[Serbs in Montenegro|Montenegrins were ethnic Serbs]]. == 1756 == In a letter to [[Justinian Bert]], [[Serb clans|Montenegrin chieftains]] said: "We are of the Orthodox Christian faith and law of the [[Eastern Church]], of the honorable and glorious [[Serbs|Slav-Serb kin]].<ref>[http://www.njegos.org/clans/chiefs.htm Montenegrin Chieftains]</ref> == 1757 == Jovan Stefanov Balevic of the [[Bratonozic]] clan, who later became a major in the [[Russian army]] wrote "A brief and objective description of the present state of Montenegro" in [[St. Petersburg]] in [[1757]], where it says: *All inhabitants of Montenegro are [[Montenegrin Serbs|ethnically Slav-Serbs]] and confessionally [[Serb Orthodox]]. As they are incompetent in some skills it is because of their lack of school, but they are naturally capable, especially with weapons. <ref>http://www.njegos.org/past/balevicen.htm</ref> *The number of Montenegrin warriors who live free on the peaks of Montenegro, called by [[Ottoman Empire|Turks]] disobedient, does not get over 5000. <ref>http://www.njegos.org/past/balevicen.htm</ref> *Montenegrins count among themselves neighbouring Slav-Serbs of different provenience: Kuci, Bratonozici, Donji and Gornji Vasojevici, Piperi, Rovcani, Moracani, Bjelopavlici, who are [[Serb Orthodox]] but [[Ottoman]] citizens. They, also, count [[Roman Catholics]]: Hoti, Klimenti, Grudi, Tuzi, Skrivali, Huzi, Maltezi, Kastrati and others who outnumber Montenegrins.<ref>http://www.njegos.org/past/balevicen.htm</ref> == 1789 == In June 1789, [[Serb clans|Montenegrin Chieftains]], wrote to [[Russia]]n Empress [[Katarina II]], in the name of the entire [[Serb Montenegrin]] community: "We Serbs Montenegrins hope that we shall not be left without help" and "If we could have organization and munition, we would liberate our glorious [[Serb lands]] entirely from the Barbarian yoke ([[Ottoman Empire]]), together with our armed Serb brothers who aim to attack this enemy from all sides. == 1826 == According to letters to Russia by Bishop [[Petar I Petrović Njegoš]] from [[March 5th]], 1826, the people of Montenegro are Serb of Orthodox Christian faith. == 1855 == According to "paragraph 92" in [[Danilo I, Prince of Montenegro|the code of Prince Danilo]], established 1855: "Although there is no other nationality in this land except Serb nationality and no other religion except Eastern Orthodoxy..." about [[Serbdom]]: "...of our homogenous Serb nation. the Montenegrin prince has, in his heart, carved sense of love and devotion not only towards his people, but towards entire Serbdom and everything named and called - Serb."<ref>[http://www.njegos.org/clans/chiefs.htm Montenegrin Chieftains - Serbian Patriots]</ref> == 1882 == [[Schwartz]] estimated in 1882 that the Princedom of Montenegro had 160,000 inhabitants. Although, a more usual estimate is that it was around 230,000 inhabitants. == 1895 == The inhabitants of Montenegro was said to be "pure Serbs", who speak Serbian language and followers of the Eastern Orthodox Church. There is a Catholic and Muhammedan minority. == 1900 == In 1900, according to international sources, the Principality of Montenegro had 311,564 inhabitants. By religion: * 293,527 [[Serbian Orthodox]] (94,21%) * 12,493 [[Muslims]] (4,01%) * 5,544 [[Roman Catholic]] (1,78%) By literacy: - * ''77%'' illiterate - * 71,528 (''23%'') literate The Princedom had around 5,000 [[Albanians]] and a colony of 800 [[Roma people|Romas]]. == 1905 == This year there were 6,674 emigrants, mostly to the [[United States]]. == 1906 == This year there were 4,346 emigrants, mostly to the United States. == 1907 == It has been estimated that there were around 282,000 inhabitants in Montenegro this year. == 1909 == [[Image:Montenegro1910.gif|thumb|right|Map from 1910<br /> Dark - Serbs; Light - Albanians]] The [[1909]] official census was undertaken by the authorities of the Principality of [[Montenegro]]. Ethnicity was decided according to the [[mother tongue]], the [[official language]] being the [[Serbian language]]: Total: 317,856 inhabitants. By language: * [[Serbs]]: about ''95%'' * others mostly [[Albanians]] By religion: * [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christians]]: ''94.38%'' * ''others'' (mostly [[Muslims]]) == 1911 == The official statistics of the Princedom of Montenegro estimated that there were 220,000 people in the realm in 1911. In a geographic textbook for Montenegrin 3rd graders of elementary school, it was written that: "In Montenegro live only true and pure Serbs who speak [[Serbian language]]... Besides Montenegro there are more [[Serb lands]] in which our Serb brothers are living... Some of them are free as we are and some subjugated to foreigners." and "Each Serb in Montenegro is obligated to love his entire Fatherland, all Serb lands - in which our free and unfree Serb brothers are living."<ref>[http://www.njegos.org/heritage/educat.htm Education in Montenegro]</ref> == 1914 == The Cetinje government stated in the Code of Law in [[1914]] that there are around 500,000 citizens of Montenegro. It was declared that the term ''Montenegrin people'' can only refer to all citizens of the Kingdom of Montenegro, since a Montenegrin ethnicity doesn't exist and [[Montenegrins]] are ethnic [[Serbs]]. == 1921 == In [[1918]] Montenegro entered the [[Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes]]. In [[1921]] it organised a census which recorded the mother tongue and religion. A category called ''Serbian or Croatian'' was to include all respondents who termed their mother tongue as Serbian. In the counties [[Andrijevica]], [[Bar, Montenegro|Bar]], [[Kolasin]], [[Niksic]], [[Podgorica]] and [[Cetinje]], which are categorized in official statistics as Montenegro, there were: Total: 199,227 inhabitants [[Serbs]]: 181,989 (''91.35%'') [[Albanians|Albanian]]: 16,838 (''8.45%'') The counties [[Berane]] and [[Bijelo Polje]], which are today in Montenegro, were considered counties of [[Old Serbia]]: [[Berane]], total 23,864 inhabitants, [[Serbs]] 23,561 or (''98.73%'') [[Bijelo Polje]], total 26,147 inhabitants, [[Serbs]] 26,136 (''99.96%'') Summed results: Total: 249,238 inhabitants [[Serbs]]: 231,686 (''92.96%'') others mostly [[Albanians]] Total population for the area of modern-day Montenegro in precise was 311,341. == 1931 == The [[1931]] census was also taken by the Kingdom of Yugoslavia but was later processed in [[Democratic Federal Yugoslavia|Communist Yugoslavia]]. Results within today's borders of Montenegro were: Total: 360,044 inhabitants :Serbian Orthodox: 272,702 (''80.88%'') :[[Roman Catholicism|Roman Catholics]]: 26,070 (''7.24%'') :[[Muslim]]s 61,038 (''16.96%'') :[[Serbo-Croatian language|Serbian, Croatian, Slovenian and Macedonian language]]: 339,955 (''90.13%'') :[[Albanian language]]: 18,098 (''5.03%'') == 1948 == In [[1945]], after the [[World War II]], Communist Yugoslavia was formed, and Montenegro was proclaimed as one of its constituent republics. The [[1948]] and following censa were taken by the Republic of Montenegro. Total: 377,189 inhabitants :[[Montenegrins]]: 342,009 (''90.67%'') :[[Albanians]]: 19,425 or (''5.15%'') :[[Croats]]: 6,808 or (''1.8%'') :[[Serbs]]: 6,707 or (''1.78%'') :Undecided [[Muslims]]: 387 (''0.1%'') :Others: 1860 or (''0.52%'') ::[[Slovenes]]: 484 ::[[Germans]]: 375 ::[[Russians]]: 277 ::[[Italians]]: 162 ::[[Roma people|Roma]]: 162 ::[[Macedonians (Slavic)|Macedonians]]: 133 ::[[Czechs]]: 93 ::[[Hungarians]]: 62 The people who had in the former census declared themselves as having Serbian mother tongue now declared themselves Montenegrins, after Tito, the Yugoslav president, severed the Montenegrins from the Serbian ethnic group. == 1953 == The [[1953]] census results: Total: 419,873 inhabitants :[[Montenegrins]]: 363,686 (''86.61%'') :[[Albanians]]: 23,460 (''5.58%'') :[[Serbs]]: 13,864 (''3.3%'') :[[Croats]]: 9,814 (''2.33%'') :[[Yugoslavs]]: 6,424 (''1.52%'') :Others: 2,625 (''0.66%'') This census witnesses the forming of the [[Yugoslavs|Yugoslav]] nation. == 1961 == The [[1961]] census results: Total: 471,894 inhabitants :[[Montenegrins]]: 383,988 (''81.37%'') :[[Muslims by nationality|Muslims]]: 30,665 (''6.5%'') :[[Albanians]]: 25,803 (''5.47%'') :[[Serbs]]: 14,087 (''2.99%'') :[[Croats]]: 10,664 (''2.26%'') :[[Yugoslavs]]: 1,559 (''0.33%'') In [[1968]] the Communist Yugoslav government introduced a new category, ''[[Muslims by nationality]]''. == 1971 == The [[1971]] census results: Total 529,604 inhabitants :[[Montenegrins]]: 355,632 (''67.15%'') :[[Muslims by nationality|Muslims]]: 70,236 (''13.26%'') :[[Serbs]]: 39,512 or (''7.46%'') :[[Albanians]]: 35,671 (''6.74%'') :[[Yugoslavs]]: 10,943 (''2.07%'') :[[Croats]]: 9,192 (''1.74%'') == 1981 == The [[1981]] census results: Total: 584,310 inhabitants :[[Montenegrins]]: 400,488 (''68.54%'') :[[Muslims by nationality|Muslims]]: 78,080 (''13.36%'') :[[Albanians]]: 37,735 (''6.46%'') :[[Yugoslavs]]: 31,243 (''5.35%'') :[[Serbs]]: 19,407 (''3.32%'') :[[Croats]]: 6,904 (''1.81%'') :[[Roma people|Roma]]: 1,471 (''0.25%'') :[[Macedonians (Slavic)|Macedonian]]: 875 (''0.15%'') :[[Slovenians]]: 564 (''0.1%'') :[[Hungarians]]: 238 (''0.04%'') :[[Germans]]: 107 (''0.02%'') :[[Russians]]: 96 (''0.02%'') :[[Italians]]: 45 (''0.01%'') :Other: 816 (''0.14%'') :No response: 301 (''0.05%'') :Regional affiliation: 1,602 (''0.27%'') :Unknown: 4,338 (''0.74%'') == 1991 == The [[1991]] census results: Total: 615,035 inhabitants :[[Montenegrins]]: 380,467 (''61.86%'') :[[Muslims by nationality|Muslims]]: 89,614 (''14.57%'') :[[Serbs]]: 57,453 (''9.34%'') :[[Albanians]]: 40,415 (''6.57%'') :[[Yugoslavs]]: 26,159 (''4.25%'') :[[Croats]]: 6,244 (''1.02%'') :[[Roma people|Roma]]: 3,282 (''0.53%'') :[[Macedonians (Slavic)|Macedonian]]: 1,072 (''0.17%'') :[[Slovenians]]: 369 (''0.06%'') :[[Hungarians]]: 205 (''0.03%'') :[[Germans]]: 124 (''0.02%'') :[[Russians]]: 118 (''0.02%'') :[[Italians]]: 58 (''0.01%'') :Other: 437 (''0.07%'') :No response: 1,944 (''0.32%'') :Regional affiliation: 998 (''0.16%'') :Unknown: 6,076 (''0.99%'') === Language === *[[Serbo-Croatian]]: 510,320 *[[Albanian language|Albanian]]: 43,907 *40,008 Muslims declared their language to be a variant of the [[Serbian language]], while the majority declared either [[Bosnian language|Bosniak]] and [[Bosnian language]]s as their mother tongue. === Religion === *[[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] - 425,133 **[[Montenegrins]] - 355,395 **[[Yugoslavs]] - 11,243 *[[Islam|Muslims]] - 118,016 **[[Albanians]] - 26,216 **[[Montenegrins]] - 2,492 **[[Yugoslavs]] - 1,856 *[[Catholic Church|Catholic]] - 27,153 **[[Albanians]] - 12,772 **[[Yugoslavs]] - 4,149 **[[Montenegrins]] - 3,081 == 2003 == The [[2003]] census was undertaken by authorities in [[Montenegro]], which at this time, together with [[Serbia]], constituted [[Serbia and Montenegro]]. Initial data: Total: 672,656 inhabitants :[[Montenegrins]]: 273,366 or (''40.64%'') :[[Serbs]]: 201,892 or (''30.01%'') :[[Bosniaks]]: 63,272 (''9.41%'') :[[Albanians]]: 47,682 (''7.09%'') :[[Muslims by nationality|Muslims]]: 28,714 (''4.27%'') :[[Croats]]: 7,062 (''1.05%'') Corrected data: Total: 620,145 :[[Montenegrins]] 267,669 (''43.16%'') :[[Serbs]] 198,414 (''31.99%'') :[[Bosniaks]] 48,184 (''7.77%'') :[[Albanians]] 31,163 (''5.03%'') :[[Muslims by nationality|Muslims]] 24,625 (''3.97%'') :[[Croats]] 6,811 (''1.1%'') :[[Roma people|Roma]] 2,601 (''0.42%'') :[[Yugoslavs]] - 1,860 (''0.3%'') :[[Macedonians (Slavic)|Macedonians]] - 819 (''0.13%) :[[Slovenians]] - 415 (''0.07%'') :[[Hungarians]] - 362 (''0.06%'') :[[Russians]] - 240 (''0.04%'') :[[Egyptians (Balkans)|Egyptians]] - 225 (''0.04%'') :[[Italians]] - 127 (''0.02%'') :[[Germans]] - 118 (''0.02%'') :Others - 2,180 (''0.35%'') :No response - 26,906 (''4.34%'') :Regional affiliation - 1,258 (''0.2%'') :Unknown - 6,168 (''0.99%'') This census witnessed the forming of the [[Bosniaks|Bosniak]] nation; quite a few people still thought of themselves [[Muslims by nationality]], however. Also, there are very few people left who consider themselves Yugoslavs. But the biggest difference with 1991 census is the re-awakening of the Serbian nation, which suffered great during the [[Socialist Yugoslavia]]. == Sources == * [http://www.njegos.org/census/index.htm Montenegrin Census' from 1909 to 2003] * [http://www.rastko.org.yu/istorija/srbi-balkan/vrudic-montenegro.html The Ethnic Structure of the Population in Montenegro] * "Petar I Petrovic' - DJELA" publisher CID Podgorica 1999 year, printed by "Vojna tamparija" - Beograd * "Statistički Godišnjak 2006" - Statistical Office of Montenegro == References == <references/> {{Ethnic groups of Montenegro}} [[Category:History of Montenegro]]