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Islam in Montenegro

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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[1]
  95–100%
  90–95%
  50–55%
  30–35%
  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.

History

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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

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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

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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

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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 22,964 94.95
Plav Municipality 13,108 76.64
Ulcinj Municipality 19,921 71.82
Bijelo Polje Municipality 46,051 46.18
Bar Municipality 42,048 30.14
Berane Municipality 33,970 27.97
Pljevlja Municipality 30,786 16.37
Podgorica Municipality 185,937 11.23
Tivat Municipality 14,031 5.10
Budva Municipality 19,218 3.40
Herceg Novi Municipality 30,864 2.01
Kotor Municipality 22,601 1.66
Danilovgrad Municipality 18,472 1.41
Nikšić Municipality 72,443 1.39
Cetinje Municipality 16,657 0.76
Šavnik Municipality 2,070 0.58
Kolašin Municipality 8,380 0.55
Mojkovac Municipality 8,622 0.29
Andrijevica Municipality 5,071 0.16
Žabljak Municipality 3,569 0.14
Plužine Municipality 3,246 0.00
Montenegro 620,029 19.11%
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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Muslim Population Growth in Europe Pew Research Center". 2024-07-10. Archived from the original on 2024-07-10.
  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

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