Islam in Montenegro

Last updated

Islam in Montenegro
Total population
130,000 (2020)
Regions with significant populations
Largest concentrations in the northeastern municipalities Bijelo Polje, Petnjica, Rožaje, Gusinje and Plav and southeastern municipalities Ulcinj, Bar and Tuzi.
Religions
Sunni Islam
Languages
Montenegrin, Bosnian, Albanian and Roma
Islam in Europe
by percentage of country population
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90-100%
Azerbaijan
Kosovo
Turkey
70-90%
Kazakhstan
50-70%
Albania
Bosnia and Herzegovina
30-50%
North Macedonia
10-20%
Bulgaria
France
Georgia
Montenegro
Russia
5-10%
Austria
Sweden
Belgium
Germany
Greece
Liechtenstein
Netherlands
Switzerland
United Kingdom
Norway
Denmark
4-5%
Italy
Serbia
2-4%
Luxembourg
Malta
Slovenia
Spain
1-2%
Croatia
Ireland
Ukraine
< 1%
Andorra
Armenia
Belarus
Czech Republic
Estonia
Finland
Hungary
Iceland
Latvia
Lithuania
Moldova
Monaco
Poland
Portugal
Romania
San Marino
Slovakia Islam in Europe-2010.svg
Islam in Europe
by percentage of country population
  90–100%
  70–90%
  50–70%
  30–50%
  10–20%
  5–10%
  4–5%
  2–4%
  1–2%
  < 1%

Islam in Montenegro refers to adherents, communities and religious institutions of Islam in Montenegro. It is the second largest religion in the country, after Christianity. According to the 2011 census, Montenegro's 118,477 Muslims make up 20% of the total population. [2] Montenegro's Muslims belong mostly to the Sunni branch. According to the estimate by the Pew Research Center, Muslims have a population of 130,000 (20.3%) as of 2020.

Contents

History

Husein-pasa's Mosque in Pljevlja Pljevlja City-center Mosque.JPG
Husein-paša's Mosque in Pljevlja

In the 15th century the Montenegrin ruler Ivan Crnojević (1465–1490) was at war with the infiltrating Venetians. Unable to maintain war on both fronts, the Ottoman Empire had conquered much of Montenegro's territory and introduced Islam. Ivan's third son Staniša Crnojević was the first prominent Montenegrin of the Muslim faith, and since then Islam was not an uncommon religion to the Crnojević Montenegrin ruling dynasty.

Staniša Crnojević took up the name Skenderbeg Crnojević and ruled from his capital in Shköder from 1513 to 1530. He is well known as one of the most prominent Muslim administrators of Slavic origin in the northern reaches of the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Sultan Selim I. Staniša Crnojević is known to have commanded an army of approximately 3000 Akıncı. He also maintained a correspondence with neighboring contemporaries, such as Gazi Husrev-beg.

Twenty-first century

The Muslims of Montenegro are mostly Bosniaks and Albanians by ethnicity, but also some are declared as ethnic Muslims and Montenegrins. The adherents of Islam in Montenegro can be mostly found in the Sandžak region in northeastern Montenegro and the municipalities of Bar, Tuzi and Ulcinj. Bosniaks have a similar ethnic background to ethnic Muslims, but differ in ideology of what ethnicity they belong to. [3] There are 13 established Councils of the Islamic Community in Montenegro, which include Bar, Berane, Bijelo Polje, Dinoša, Gusinje, Ostros, Petnjica, Plav, Pljevlja, Rožaje, Tuzi, Ulcinj and Podgorica. Montenegro has 145 active mosques in the country. [4]

Demographics

Adherents of Islam in Montenegro, according to the 2011 census MontenegroIslam2011.PNG
Adherents of Islam in Montenegro, according to the 2011 census

According to the 2011 census, there are 118,477 adherents of Islam in Montenegro.

The ethnic composition of Muslims (adherents of Islam) in Montenegro: [5]

Geographical distribution

There are large regional differences in the distribution of the Muslim population. The Rožaje Municipality, for example, is almost exclusively inhabited by adherents of Islam, while there are no Muslims living in the Plužine Municipality.

Municipality
Population
(2011 census)
[6]
Islam/Muslim (%)
Rožaje Municipality 22,96494.95
Plav Municipality 13,10876.64
Ulcinj Municipality 19,92171.82
Bijelo Polje Municipality 46,05146.18
Bar Municipality 42,04830.14
Berane Municipality 33,97027.97
Pljevlja Municipality 30,78616.37
Podgorica Municipality 185,93711.23
Tivat Municipality 14,0315.10
Budva Municipality 19,2183.40
Herceg Novi Municipality 30,8642.01
Kotor Municipality 22,6011.66
Danilovgrad Municipality 18,4721.41
Nikšić Municipality 72,4431.39
Cetinje Municipality 16,6570.76
Šavnik Municipality 2,0700.58
Kolašin Municipality 8,3800.55
Mojkovac Municipality 8,6220.29
Andrijevica Municipality 5,0710.16
Žabljak Municipality 3,5690.14
Plužine Municipality 3,2460.00
Montenegro620,02919.11%

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tuzi Municipality</span> Municipality in Montenegro

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References

  1. "Religious Composition by Country, 2010-2050". Pew Research Center . 12 April 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2017.
  2. "Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in Montenegro 2011" (PDF). Monstat. pp. 14, 15. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
  3. Dimitrova 2001, p. 94-108.
  4. "U Crnoj Gori ima više od 140 džamija". RTCG - Radio Televizija Crne Gore - Nacionalni javni servis (in Bosnian). Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  5. Statistical Office of Montenegro: Population by ethnicity and religion (2011)
  6. Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in Montenegro 2011

Further reading