Podgorica

Podgorica (Подгорица) (old names: Titograd and Ribnica ) is the capital of the Montenegro and its legal center. The city counts 139.500 inhabitants in 2003.

Origin of the name

The word Podgorica literally means under the small mountain . Gorica (literally " small montagne") is also the name of one of the hills which overhangs the center town.

History

Podgorica appeared at the time Roman as a Birziminium . With the the Middle Ages, the Serbes settled there and named it Ribnica ; birthplace of Stefan Nemanja. Podgorica name was used for the first time in the year 1426.

From 1478, the city is under Turkish control, until in 1878, where the Montenegrins deliver it.

Of 1916 with 1918, Podgorica is under Austrian control. After deliberation, in it l'" is held; National Assembly of Podgorica" where Montenegro and Serbia are plain. Between the 2 World wars, the city counted approximately 15.000 inhabitants, but the number was seen decreasing by five times during these Wars because it is a city which among was touched in Europe, bombarded 72 times and almost shaven of the chart.

With the return of the State Montenegrin in the Yugoslavia of Tito, the city which was renamed " Titograd ", saw itself thriving. In 1946, it becomes capital of Montenegro, replacing Cetinje.

With the referendum of 1992, his old name was returned to him. With the lawsuit of transition and the preparations for independence Montenegrin, Podgorica grows more and more in an important regional center.

Geographical position

The city is on the plain of Zeta and Bijelo Polje, and extends around five rivers: Moraca, Ribnica, Cijevna and Sitnica. Not far from Podgorica is the Lac of Skadar, and thanks to the new Sozin tunnel, the Adriatic Sea is 1/2 hour from control.

Podgorica is known for its hot climate and is one of the hottest cities of Europe of South-east. Few statues and vestiges were safeguarded, mainly because of the Second world war.

Turkish period remain the tower of Sahat of the XVIIe century, two of the six mosques which formerly existed (Osmanagic and Doganj), like the narrow streets around them, which contain the Old city. Royal peride of Montenegro, the most important monument is the castle of King Nicolas in the Krusevac park, today center of the modern art.

Those which mainly marked the city, were a long time realistic constructions and blocks of buildings, but all that changed much these last years for which has been built a whole modern complex of buildings on the right-sided of the river Moraca. And on July 13rd, 2005, was built the new bridge, largest of Moraca, the " Millenium" , that one regards already as the new symbol of the city and who dominates with his high pylons of 57m the urban panorama.

Podgorica is the place of several universities, scientific and cultural institutions (among which the Academy Montenegrin of Sciences and Arts, and the University of Montenegro), of almost all the political institutions of the country, RTCG, Montenegro Airlines, the consulates of the the United States, the Russia, the Slovenia, the Italy and other countries still.

The main street is the street of the Freedom, which is in the urban corzo, while the pedestrian precincts are the streets Njegoseva and Hercegovacka, with shops and coffees.

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