Old Herzegovina in the context of "Bosnia Vilayet"

Herzegovina (/ˌhɛərtsɪˈɡoʊvɪnə/ HAIRT-sih-GOH-vih-nə or /ˌhɜːrtsəɡoʊˈviːnə/ HURT-sə-goh-VEE-nə; Serbo-Croatian: Hercegovina / Херцеговина, pronounced [xɛ̌rt͡se̞ɡoʋina]) is the southern and smaller of two main geographical regions of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the other being Bosnia. It presently does not have strictly defined administrative borders; however, in the past it was organized as Sanjak of Herzegovina (1470–1833; 1851–1912) and Herzegovina Eyalet (1833–1851).

Bosnia, the larger of the two regions, lies to the north of Herzegovina; the Croatian region of Dalmatia lies to the southwest; the Montenegrin region of Old Herzegovina lies to the southeast. The land area of Herzegovina is around 12,000 km (4,600 sq mi), or around 23–24% of the country. The largest city is Mostar, in the center of the region. Other large settlements include Trebinje, Široki Brijeg, Ljubuški, Čapljina, Konjic and Posušje.

The tribes of Montenegro (Montenegrin and Serbian: племена Црне Горе, plemena Crne Gore) or Montenegrin tribes (Montenegrin and Serbian: црногорска племена, crnogorska plemena) are historical tribes in the areas of Old Montenegro, Brda, Old Herzegovina and Primorje.

Most tribes were formed in the 15th and 16th centuries, during and after the Ottoman conquest of the medieval state of Zeta, where they replaced former administrative units known as župas. As a result, the tribal territories also became basic geopolitical units of larger divisions of the Ottoman Empire, such as the Vilayet of Montenegro, the eastern parts of the Sanjak of Herzegovina and parts of the Sanjak of Scutari. From the late 14th century to the 18th century, some tribes were also under the rule of Venetian Albania. In the 18th century, many tribes became part of the Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro and after 1858 most of them were united into the Principality of Montenegro.

Brda (Montenegrin Cyrillic and Serbian Cyrillic: Брда, meaning Highlands or Hills) refers to a historical and ethnographical region in Montenegro. The Brda are one of the country's four historic tribal regions, along with Old Montenegro, Old Herzegovina and the Montenegrin Littoral. The historical tribes of the Brda are the Vasojevići, the Bjelopavlići, the Piperi, the Kuči, the Bratonožići, the Moračani and the Rovčani. Collectively known as "the seven tribes" (Montenegrin and Serbian: Sedam plemena / Седам племена) or "the seven hills" (Sedmoro brda / Седморо Брда), they were referred to as "Highlander tribes" (Brdska plemena / Брдска племена) before their gradual integration into Montenegro, from the late 18th to the early 20th century. As a result, members of these tribes are also often called "Highlanders" (Brđani / Брђани).

Old Montenegro (Montenegrin and Serbian: Stara Crna Gora / Стара Црна Гора), also known as Montenegro proper (Prava Crna Gora / Права Црна Гора), or True Montenegro (Istinska Crna Gora / Истинска Црна Гора), is a term used for the embryonic part of modern Montenegro. In historical context, the term designates the original territory of the Principality of Montenegro, before the territorial expansion, ratified by the Congress of Berlin in 1878, or even more precisely - the territory of the Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro prior to its unification with the region of Brda in the first half of the 19th century.

During the Ottoman period, from the 16th up to the 18th century, the original (proper) Montenegro was made up of the Montenegrin tribes (Montenegrin and Serbian: crnogorska plemena / црногорска племена), traditionally divided into four territorial units, or nahije: Katun, Rijeka, Lješ and Crmnica. Their inhabitants were known under the regional demonym Montenegrins (Crnogorci / Црногорци), as opposed to the inhabitants of neighboring regions (Brđani, Hercegovci and Primorci). Since the end of the 18th century, Montenegro started to expand, incorporating the region of Brda in the first half of the 19th century, the region of Old Herzegovina and part of Primorje in 1878, and finally upper and central Polimlje and northern Metohija in 1912.

Banjani (Serbian Cyrillic: Бањани) was a tribe in Old Herzegovina, and historical region in western Montenegro. Its territory comprises 380 km (150 sq mi), west of Nikšić, in the centre between Nikšić and Bileća, from the top of Njegoš mountain to the Trebišnjica river, and on to the Bileća Lake. All Banjani families have Jovanjdan (St. John's feast day, January 20) as their slava (a Serbian Orthodox tradition).