Montenegrins

Montenegrins (Montenegrin: Crnogorci / Црногорци, lit.'People of the Black Mountain', pronouncedor) are a South Slavic ethnic group native to the country of Montenegro. They share a common culture, ancestry, history, and speak the Montenegrin language.

Montenegrins are mostly Orthodox Christians; however, the population also includes Catholics, Muslims and irreligious people. The Montenegrin language is the official language of Montenegro.

Historically, the Montenegrin nation comprised many tribes. Most tribes formed in the 15th and 16th centuries, about the time when the Ottoman Empire established its control of the medieval state of Zeta. Today, the tribes are mainly studied within the frameworks of social anthropology and family history, as they have not been used in official structures since the time (1852–1910) of the Principality of Montenegro; however, some tribal regions overlap with contemporary municipal areas. The kinship groups give a sense of shared identity and descent.

Outside Montenegro and Europe, Montenegrins form diaspora groups in (for example) the United States, Canada, Australia and Argentina. It is estimated that around 600,000 Montenegrin-descended people reside outside Montenegro. In 2023 a total of 152,649 Montenegrins both held Montenegrin citizenship and resided outside Montenegro.