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. 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
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 at Skadar from 1513 to 1530. He is well known as one of the most prominent Muslim administrators in the northern reaches of the Ottoman Empire of Slavic origins during the reign of Sultan Selim I. Staniša Crnojević is known to have commanded an army of approximately 3000 Akıncı he also maintained 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 Montenegro and Ulcinj, Bar and Podgorica. Bosniaks have similar ethnic background with ethnic Muslims, but differ in ideology of what ethnicity they belong to. In Montenegro are established 13 Councils of Islamic Community: Podgorica, Tuzi, Dinoša, Bar, Ulcinj, Pljevlja, Bijelo Polje, Berane, Petnjica, Rožaje, Plav and Gusinje.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census, there are 118,477 adherents of Islam in Montenegro.
Ethnic composition of Muslims (adherents of Islam) in Montenegro: 54,453 Bosniaks 22,267 Albanians 20,270 Muslims (distinctive ethnic group) 12,758 Montenegrins 5,034 Roma 2,003 Egyptians (distinctive ethnic group) 256 Muslims/Montenigrins 195 Gorani 172 Montenigrins/Muslims 169 Bosnians 101 Turks others (under 100 members per community) and ethnically undeclared
Geographical distribution
There are large regional differences in the distribution Muslim population. Rožaje Municipality, for example, is almost exclusively inhabited by adherents of Islam, while there are no Muslims living in Plužine Municipality.