Industry

Over the last 50 years, industry has been the chief carrier of the economic development of Montenegro. In that period, the growth of the power industry, metallurgy (steel and aluminium), and transport infrastructure were making the basis for the overall development. The industrial facilities had been sized to the needs of the previous Yugoslavia so that 90% of the produce of Montenegro was marketed outside the Republic. 

Thus, Montenegro presently has at its disposal the facilities for producing 400,000 tons of crude steel; 1,000,000 tons of bauxite; 280,000 tones of alumna; 100,000 tons of aluminium; 75,000 tons of sea salt; 2,700,000 tons of coal; while the power plants (hydro-electric power plants of Perucica and Piva, and the thermoelectric power plant of Pljevlja) produce around 3 bn KWh per year.

Such a basic economic structure is supplemented with a variety of industries - metal-processing, engineering, wood-processing, textile, chemical, leather and footwear, ready-made clothes, household appliances, construction and forestry machines - as well as with significant capacities of the building trade.

Moreover, there are considerable capacities of industrial processing and finishing of agricultural products: abattoirs; fish-processing plants; flour mills with grain silos; dairies; bakeries; breweries and juice factories; fruit processing factories; grape processing plants and wine cellars; medicinal herbs processing plants; tobacco/cigarettes industry; confectioners, etc.

Due to isolation of FRY and the war waged in its neighbourhood, the state in this sector of economy is poorer than before, but with adequate investments and modernisation of the production programs the outputs can within a relatively short period of time again become competitive in the world market.

Agriculture

Agricultural lands and water resources are well preserved from the industrial pollution and thus provide for the production of healthy (organic) foods, particularly meat (poultry, lamb, goat, veal/beef); then milk and dairy produce; honey; fish; vegetables (tomato, pepper, cucumber, and other); fruits (plum, apple, grapes, citrus fruits, olive); high quality wines (Vranac, Krstac, and others); as well as naturally pure potable water of superior quality (tested to the highest world's standards). Growing on the Montenegrin soil are some specific herbs such as "forest fruits" (blueberries, edible mushrooms) and wild medicinal herbs, especially sage (Salvia officinalis), whose exceptional properties are known throughout the world.

Forests and woodlands cover the area of 720,000 ha, thus making 54% of the total surface area of the Republic; of these, the major part (572,000 ha) is in the north-east. 

Official Tourism Industry Data

Source: www.visitmontenegro.com

The tourist accommodation capacities are 150,000 beds, of which 37,000 are in the basic-type facilities (hotels, motels, pensions, tourist villages). A marked disproportion in the physical distribution of the accommodation results in that numerous, highly attractive, ecologically appealing and very demanded tourist potentials be on the margins of development and present a good ground for international investments. The most developed are "swimming" (summer) and "skiing" (winter) forms of tourism.

On the Montenegrin Seaside (the coastline of 293 km) there are numerous sand and pebble beaches - 117 in total, 73 km in length of which sand beaches make 33 km.

The capacity of the beaches is 230,000 bathers. The fact that the air temperature over six months of the year is higher than 18ºC, together with the adequate water temperature and increased insulation, make the Montenegrin Seaside one of the warmest and sunniest tourist regions in Europe.

Although classified as a Mediterranean country, Montenegro is a typical mountainous region in which the zones over 1,000m high comprise 60.5% of its territory. The Montenegrin mountain ranges extending from Maglic, Volujak and Bioce in the west, to Prokletije in the east, are intersected by magnificent canyons of the Piva, the Komarnica, the Susica, the Tara and the Moraca. Adorned with more than 35 picturesque lakes, it presents one of the most attractive and ecologically best preserved mountainous regions of old Yugoslavia and modern Europe. Besides, the winter mountain tourism is provided for, adhering to the requirement of a minimum of 60 m2 of track per skier. Thus, the total capacity is around 200,000 accommodation units (2,800 beds).

The old town of Kotor and the Tara canyonare of particular value and under the protection of UNESCO. There are four national parks, which are the most attractive and ecologically best preserved nature reserves (Durmitor, Biogradska Gora, Lake Skadar, and Lovcen). The intentions are to establish two more (Orjen and Prokletije).