Podgorica

Podgorica Подгорица
—  Municipality and Capital city  —
Flag Coat of arms
Coordinates:
Country	Montenegro
Municipality	Podgorica
Founded	Before 11th century
No. of Settlements	144
Government
- Mayor	Dr. Miomir Mugoša (DPS)
Area
- City	1,441 km² (556.4 sq mi)
Elevation	44 m (144 ft)
Population (2003)
- City	136,473
- Density	117.4/km² (304.1/sq mi)
- Municipality	169,132
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	81000
Area code(s)	+382 81 / New:20
Car plates	PG
ISO 3166	ME 16
Website: www.podgorica.cg.yu/

Podgorica (Montenegrin/Serbian: Подгорица, Podgorica IPA: [ˈpɔdgɔˌriʦa]) is the capital and largest city of Montenegro. It is at , 44 metres (140 ft) above sea level.

A census in 2003 put the city's population at 136,473. Its favourable position, at the confluence of the Ribnica and Morača rivers and the meeting point of the fertile Zeta plain and Bjelopavlići Valley has encouraged settlement. The city is close to winter ski centres in the north and seaside resorts on the Adriatic Sea.

The municipality of Podgorica contains 10.4% of Montenegro's territory and 27.3% of its population. It is the administrative centre of Montenegro and its economic, cultural and educational focus.

Name

The name means "under the Gorica" in the Montenegrin/Serbian languages. Gorica (meaning "little mountain") is the name of the hill that overlooks the city centre.

About 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) northwest of Podgorica are the ruins of Doclea, a town known in pre-Roman and Roman times. The Roman Emperor Diocletian came from this region. In later centuries, Romans "corrected" the name to Dioclea, guessing wrongly that an "i" had been lost in vulgar speech. "Duklja" is the later (Slavic) version of that word.

When founded (before the 11th century), the town was called Birziminium. In the Middle Ages, it was known as Ribnica. The name Podgorica was used from 1326. From 1946 to 1992 it was called Titograd.

History

City hall

Resurrection Church

Podgorica is at the crossroads of several historically important routes, near the rivers Zeta, Morača, Cijevna, Ribnica, and Sitnica, in the valley of Skadar lake and near the Adriatic Sea, in fertile lowlands with favourable climate. The earliest human settlements were in prehistory: the oldest physical remains are from the late Stone Age. In the Illyrian age, the area between the Zeta and Bjelopavlići valleys was occupied by two Illyrian tribes, the Labeates and the Docleats.

The Labeati occupied the area from Skadar to today's Podgorica. They had their own fortress, Meteon (now Medun) and a well-developed way of life, especially militarily.

Docleats also lived in the valley of the Zeta River and, thanks to the fertile plain and favourable geographical and road position, enjoyed fast economic growth. Their biggest settlement was Doclea, a city about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) northwest of today's Podgorica and which reflected the local terrain. The population of the city was 8,000-10,000, in which all core urban issues were resolved. The high population density (in an area of about 10 km/6 mi radius) was made possible by the geographical position, favourable climate and economic conditions and by the defensive positions that were of great importance at that time.

From the 5th century, with the arrival of the first Slavic and Avar tribes and the beginning of the break-up of the Roman Empire, the area bore witness to many noteworthy events. With time, the fortifications ceased their function and new towns were built. Slavic groups in the area were in constant war with Byzantium and tended to establish a new state. The result was establishment of a new settlement that was probably named after the river Ribnica on whose banks it was built. The first mention of Ribnica is during the rule of the Serbian royal family of the Nemanjići. The importance of Ribnica was its position as crossroads in communications with the west. In occupying these areas, the Slavs created a new state and developed their own culture and art, acceptable to the mediaeval church and feudal class.

The name Podgorica is first mentioned in 1326 in a court document of the Kotor archive. The city was economically strong: trade routes between Dubrovnik and the State of Nemanjici, well developed at that time, were maintained via the road that led to Podgorica through Trebinje and Nikšić. As a busy crossroads, Podgorica was a vibrant regional centre of trade and communication. This augmented its development, economic power, military strength and strategic importance. The Turkish occupation of Podgorica in 1474 interrupted its economic, cultural and artistic development. The Turks built a large fortress in Podgorica and the existing settlement, with its highly developed merchant connections, became the main defensive and attacking bastion against rebellious tribes. The fortified city, with towers, gates and defensive ramparts, enabled the Turks to resist all attacks. In 1864, Podgorica became a township (kaza) of İşkodra vilayet as Böğürtlen (Turkish "Blackberry"). It was also known Burguriçe in Albanian.

In accordance with the decision of the Berlin Congress in 1878, Podgorica was integrated to Montenegro. This was the end of four centuries of Turkish occupation and the start of a new era in the development of Podgorica and Montenegro. The city developed quickly and became a strong market. The first forms of capital concentration were seen. In 1904 the first significant financial institution was formed – Zetska savings bank. This would soon grow into Podgorička bank. Roads were built to all neighbouring towns and, in 1902, a tobacco plant became Podgorica's first significant commercial company.

World War I marked the end of dynamic development of Podgorica, by then the largest city in the newly proclaimed Kingdom of Montenegro. Podgorica was occupied, as was the rest of the country, by Austria-Hungary from 1916 to 1918. After the liberation by the allies in 1918, controversial Podgorica Assembly was held at Podgorica Tobacco Monopoly building. The assembly marked the end of Montenegrin statehood, as Montenegro was merged with Serbia, and incorporated in Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Between the two world wars, the population of Podgorica was about 13,000.

Podgorica suffered heavily during World War II: it was bombarded over 70 times and razed to the ground, with the deaths of over 4,100 people. It was liberated on December 19, 1944.

Under the name of Titograd, the city became the capital of the Socialist Republic of Montenegro on 13 July 1946. A period of unprecedented expansion followed, which marked the SFRY era: the population increased dramatically, the city was heavily industrialized, health, educational and cultural institutions were founded, and infrastructure was improved. The city rapidly became the commercial, socio-economic and cultural centre of the country. The progress was halted once again as breakup of SFRY began in the 1990s. The name of Podgorica was reinstated on April 2, 1992.

The destructive Yugoslav wars bypassed Montenegro, but the whole country was greatly affected economically. A period of severe economic stagnation lasted through the 1990s. The economy began to recover in the early years of the 21st century, when Podgorica began to emerge as a modern pro-western city. It became capital of the sovereign state of Montenegro on 3 June 2006, which added to its significance as a regional centre and boosted its economic prospects.

Population

Although medium-sized by European standards, Podgorica is by far the largest city in Montenegro: almost one third of Montenegrin citizens live there. There are about 170,000 people in the Podgorica municipality, including the small towns of Tuzi and Golubovci. About 140,000 people live in the city itself. (This is the official data from the 2003 census, but there are estimates of up to 200,000).

(If the methodology used up to 1991 had been used in the 2003 census, Podgorica city proper would have 140,734 citizens, while the Municipality of Podgorica would have a population of 179,401)

Economy

Construction boom in Podgorica

Podgorica is not only the administrative centre of Montenegro but also its main economic engine. Most of Montenegro's industrial, financial and commercial base is in Podgorica.

Before World War I, most of Podgorica's economy was in trade and small-scale manufacture - an economic model established during the long rule of the Ottoman Empire. After World War II, Podgorica became Montenegro's capital and a focus of the rapid urbanisation and industrialisation of the Yugoslav era. Industries such as aluminium and tobacco processing, textiles, engineering, vehicle production and industrialised wine production were established in and around the city.

The Yugoslav wars, and the dissolution of Yugoslavia left Podgorica's industries without markets, suppliers or funds to invest and modernise equipment. This led to a decline of many factories, some of which closed down. Those surviving were privatised and have now largely recovered. The Podgorica aluminium smelter (Kombinat aluminijuma Podgorica - KAP, owned by Rusal) and AD Plantaže (a wine and brandy making company) are still among the biggest companies in Podgorica.

In the early 21st century, Podgorica's financial and service sector expanded rapidly and its economy became more service-oriented. The two Podgorica stock markets (Montenegro and NEX) now have more turnover than those in much larger cities. Economic activity in Podgorica has mostly shifted from heavy industries to telecommunications, construction and banking. Investors and foreign companies which open outlets in Podgorica add significantly to the growth and diversification of its economy.

As a side effect, the prices of property and development land in the centre of Podgorica have increased greatly. This is expected to continue, since Podgorica became the capital of a sovereign state in 2006.

Geography

Podgorica is located in central Montenegro. The area is crossed with rivers and the city itself is only 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) north of Lake Skadar. The Morača and Ribnica rivers flow through the city, while the Zeta, Cijevna, Sitnica and Mareza flow nearby. This richness in bodies of water is a major feature of the city.

In contrast to most of Montenegro, Podgorica lies in a mainly flat area at the northern end of the Zeta plain. The only exceptions are hills which overlook the city. The most significant is Gorica Hill (107 m/350 ft), which rises above the city centre. The other hills include Malo brdo (Little hill), Velje brdo (Big hill), Ljubović and Čardak. In the main, these are too steep for development and thus limit the city's expansion, especially to the north.

Climate

Podgorica has an altered Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and cold winters. Although the city is located some 50km away from Mediterranean Adriatic Sea, the proximity of Dinaric Alps on the north alters its climate. The mean annual rainfall is 1,544 mm (60.8 in). The temperature exceeds 25 °C (77 °F) on about 135 days each year and the median daily temperature is 16.4 °C (61.5 °F). The number of rainy days is about 115, and those with the strong wind around 60. A periodic but strong northerly wind has an influence on climate in the winter, making sensible temperature a few degrees lower.

Podgorica is particularly known for its extremely hot summers: temperatures over 40 °C (104 °F) are common in July and August. The highest temperature recorded was 45.8 °C (114.4 °F), on 16 August 2007.

Snow is almost unknown occurrence in Podgorica, as it rarely snows more than a few days per year.

Culture

Republic Square was completely refurbished in 2006.

Podgorica is home to many Montenegrin cultural institutions and events. It hosts the Montenegrin National Theatre and a number of museums and galleries.

The Montenegrin National Theatre is the most significant theatre not only in Podgorica but in all of Montenegro. Podgorica is also host to the City Theatre (Gradsko pozorište), which includes the Children's Theatre and the Puppet Theatre.

Although not as rich in museums and galleries as the historic royal capital Cetinje, there are several noteworthy museums:

• The Podgorica City Museum (Muzej grada Podgorice) preserves Podgorica's rich heritage. Founded in 1950, it has four categories: archaeological, ethnographic, historical and cultural-historical. It houses artefacts which date back to the Roman and Illyrian eras.

• The Archaeological Research Centre (Centar za arheološka istraživanja) was founded in 1961. Its mission is to gather, classify, restore and display archaeological sites.

• The Museum of Marko Miljanov (Muzej Marka Miljanova) in Medun shows life in 19th century Montenegro. It is the most significant Montenegrin memorial museum of its kind.

• The Natural History Museum (Prirodnjački muzej) displays specimens of Montenegrin flora and fauna.

There is a notable art gallery in the Dvorac Petrovića (Petrović's Castle) complex in Podgorica's largest public park. The King Nichola's castle, Perjanički dom (House of the Honour Guard), castle chapel and surrounding buildings were converted to an art gallery in 1984. Since 1995, it has been part of the Modern Arts Centre (Centar savremenih umjetnosti) and houses approximately 1,500 works of art.

The historic Cinema Culture (Kino kultura), which was founded in 1949, was closed in November, 2008 due to continuos financial losses it generated. It was the only cinema in the city for 6 decades. Shortly after its closure, a 6-screen 'multiplex' cinema opened at Delta City shopping mall, and a multiplex is announced at Mall of Montenegro.

A significant cultural institution of over fifty years' standing is the Cultural-informational centre Budo Tomović (KIC Budo Tomović). It is a public institution which organises various artistic events, including Podgorica's Cultural Summer (Podgoričko Kulturno Ljeto), FIAT - International Alternative Theatre Festival (Festival Internacionalnog Aletarnativnog Teatra), DEUS - December Arts Scene (Decembarska Umjetnička Scena).

Podgorica's Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ of the Serbian Orthodox Church's Metropolitanate of Montenegro and the Littoral is one of the largest places of worship in Montenegro.

In Karageorge's Square is the statue of Đorđe Petrović the Black, so called Karageorge, orchestrator of the First Serbian Uprising and idol of the struggle against the Ottomans. The monument is a replica of the one outside the Temple of Saint Sava in Belgrade.

Education

Most of Montenegro's higher education establishments are in Podgorica. It is home to the University of Montenegro, the country's most significant such institution. The Montenegrin Academy of Sciences and Arts is also in Podgorica, as is the DANU cultural organisation. In recent years, the number of private institutions for higher education has increased.

The municipality of Podgorica has 34 elementary schools and 10 secondary schools, including one gymnasium.

The Radosav Ljumović national library is considered the most comprehensive in Montenegro.

Media

Podgorica is undoubtedly the media hub of Montenegro. It is home to the headquarters of the state-owned public television broadcaster RTCG. Commercial broadcasters in Podgorica include TV In, NTV Montena, Elmag RTV, RTV Atlas and MBC. Their programmes can be received in much of Montenegro.

All Montenegro's daily newspapers (Vijesti, DAN and Pobjeda) are published in Podgorica, as is the popular weekly magazine Monitor.

An Independent Albanian Television channel, named TV BoiN, was established in Tuzi, Montenegro in the early 90's. It represents the media central for current events, music, and special events for the Albanian inhabited region of Malesija, Montenegro.

Transport

Urban transport

Public transport used to be provided only by Gradsko saobraćajno preduzeće, a city-owned public transport company which ran all buses in Podgorica. This went bankrupt in the early years of the 21st century, after which public transport was provided only by two private carriers.

City-owned public transport has been re-introduced, with private carriers operating buses under the banner of Gradski Saobraćaj (City Transport).

Public transport has struggled to deal with competition. Unlicensed taxis threatened mainly the bus services, but cheaper despatched taxicab services have become more popular.

The taxicab service is well-organised. 23 companies operate over 800 vehicles. These boast a high level of service, including new cars, drivers in suits, low prices and GPS-tracked vehicles for security.

Intercity transport

Road

Podgorica's location in central Montenegro makes it a natural hub for rail and road transport.

Roads in Montenegro (especially that which connects Podgorica to northern Montenegro and Serbia) are usually inferior to those elsewhere in Europe. There are moves to build a modern highway to connect the north with Podgorica and on to the Adriatic sea.

The newly-built Sozina tunnel (4.2km) is modern even by European standards and shortens the journey from Podgorica to Bar (Montenegro's main seaport) to under 30 minutes.

The main transit connections of Podgorica are:

• north (E65, E80), towards Belgrade and on to Central Europe
• west (E762), towards Nikšić, Bosnia and on to Western Europe
• south (E65, E80) towards the Adriatic coast
• east (E762), towards Albania

The planned Beograd - Bar motorway will pass near Podgorica, speeding travel from Podgorica to northern and coastal Montenegro.

Rail

Podgorica Rail Station

Podgorica railway station is near the city centre. It is old and inadequate: its owner (Railways of Montenegro) lacks the funds needed for reconstruction.

Podgorica's main railway link (for both passenger and freight traffic) is Belgrade - Bar. The link to Nikšić is being rebuilt and electrified: passenger service is expected to start in 2009. Podgorica is also connected by rail with Shkodër and Tirana in Albania, but this line has been unused for some time.

Air transport

Podgorica Airport is 12km south of the city and is Montenegro's main international airport. A new passenger terminal was opened on 13 July 2006.

There are regular flights from Podgorica to Belgrade, Budapest, London, Frankfurt, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Paris, Rome, Moscow, Skopje and Vienna.

Architecture

Millennium bridge

Podgorica's mixture of architectural styles reflects the turbulent history of the city and country: as one régime replaced another, the corresponding style was introduced.

As part of the Ottoman Empire until 1878, Podgorica has many examples of Turkish architecture. The oldest parts of the city, Stara Varoš (Old town) and Drač are typical of this, with two mosques, a Turkish clock tower and narrow, winding streets.

When the city was incorporated to Montenegro, the urban core shifted to the other bank of the Ribnica River, where the town developed in a more European style: wider streets intersecting at right angles.

During World War II, Podgorica was almost razed to the ground, being bombed over 70 times. After liberation, rebuilding began as in other cities of the communist-ruled SFRY. Mass residential blocks were erected, with basic design typical of Eastern bloc countries. All that part of the city on the right bank of the Morača River was built this way. Even the empty spaces in the city centre were filled with near-brutalist structures, resulting in an unfortunate fusion of old and new. The residential and business blocks of the SFRY era provided ample housing but have been much criticised for their uninventive and grey appearance.

A major advance in Podgorica architecture began in the late 1990s and, since then, the face of the city has changed rapidly. Residential and business construction are proceeding rapidly, including modern glass-and-steel styles. Public spaces attract heavy investment, so that the city has gained entirely new squares, parks and monuments. New landmarks include the Hristovog Vaskrsenja orthodox temple and the Millennium Bridge, the main feature of the Podgorica skyline. Thus, Podgorica today is transforming rapidly from featureless town to modern European capital.

Sport

Morača Sports Center

The most popular sports by far are football and basketball. Basketball became especially popular with the success in the late 20th and early 21st centuries of KK Budućnost Podgorica, both in Yugoslav and European competitions.

Football in Podgorica has a very long tradition associated with FK Budućnost Podgorica. World-famous players Predrag Mijatović and Dejan Savićević were born in Podgorica and made their debut in that team. FK Zeta (from the Podgorica suburb of Golubovci) has also reached the former first league of Serbia and Montenegro. These clubs will probably compete with each other for leading position in the First League of Montenegro.

Other clubs from Podgorica and its surroundings play in the Montenegrin First League e.g. FK Dečić (Tuzi), FK Kom and FK Mladost. One of the most popular clubs from the suburbs is FK Ribnica from Konik.

The volleyball team OK Budućnost Podgorica and the women's handball team ŽRK Budućnost T-Mobile have had significant success in European competition. Budućnost Podgorica is the most important sports club in Podgorica. Its name means Future.

Sporting events like the annual Podgorica Marathon and the Morača River jumps attract international competitors.

Venues

Podgorica City Stadium

Podgorica has a number of sporting venues; some are under reconstruction and expansion. The main ones are:

• Podgorica City Stadium. When eastern stand is completed, it will have a capacity of 24,000. It is the home of FK Budućnost Podgorica and the Montenegro national football team. It is currently the only venue in Montenegro that complies with FIFA standards for international football matches.
• Morača Sports Center, a multi functional indoor sport facility. It has a capacity of 4,200 seats. It hosted one group of Eurobasket 2005, while other games were played in Belgrade, Vršac and Novi Sad.

Almost every football club in Podgorica has its own stadium, although these are often only fields with small stands or no stand at all.

Other notable venues are the Stadium of Small Sports (Малих спортова стадиум, Malih sportova stadium) under Gorica hill and the sport shooting range under Ljubović hill. There are many other sports facilities around the city, most notably indoor soccer fields.

Subdivisions

Main article: Subdivisions of Podgorica

See also: List of Podgorica neighbourhoods and suburbs

The municipality of Podgorica consists of Podgorica City Proper and two subdivisions called Urban municipalities (Градске општине, Gradske opštine), Golubovci and Tuzi.

The entire municipality of Podgorica is further divided into 57 local communities (мјесне заједнице, mjesne zajednice), bodies in which the citizens participate in decisions on matters of relevance to the local community.

Sister cities

See also

• List of places named after Tito

External links

• Podgorica official website
• Tourism Organisation of Podgorica
• Podgorica live cam
• Visit-Montenegro.com
• Photo-Montenegro.com
• National Tourism Organization of Montenegro
• Podgorica - WikiTravel

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