Old Montenegro in the context of "Bjelice"

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).

Petar I Petrović-Njegoš (Serbian: Петар I Петровић Његош; 1748 – 31 October 1830) was the Prince-Bishop of Montenegro from 1784 to 1830 and Exarch (legate) of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro. He was the most popular spiritual and military leader from the Petrović dynasty. During his long rule, Petar strengthened the state by uniting the often quarreling tribes, consolidating his control over Montenegrin lands, introducing the first laws in Montenegro in 1798. His rule prepared Montenegro for the subsequent introduction of modern institutions of the state: taxes, schools and larger commercial enterprises. He was canonized by the Serbian Orthodox Church as Saint Peter of Cetinje (Serbian: Sveti Petar Cetinjski / Свети Петар Цетињски).

Upper Zeta (Serbian: Горња Зета / Gornja Zeta) is a historical region in modern Montenegro, situated roughly between the Morača and Zeta rivers in east-west direction, and between massif of Lovćen and Skadar Lake and Durmitor massif in south-north direction, encompassing the Zeta Plain and plain surrounding modern-day capital of Montenegro, Podgorica. During the Middle Ages, the province of Upper Zeta was part of the Serbian state under the Nemanjić dynasty, existing alongside Lower Zeta. It was then held by the Balšić and Crnojević noble families until the Ottoman conquest (1496). In the early modern period, the term was used for an area in the northern half of the "Old Montenegro" region, though its borders fluctuated.

Cuce (Cyrillic: Цуце, Serbo-Croatian pronunciation: [tsûtse]) is a historical tribe (pleme) and region in Montenegro, located in the area of the Katunska nahija from Old Montenegro.