Podgorica in the context of "Zeta Plain"

Montenegro is a country in Southeast Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Its 25 municipalities have a total population of 633,158 people in an area of 13,883 km (5,360 sq mi). It is bordered by Serbia to the northeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Kosovo to the east, Albania to the southeast, and Croatia to the west, and has a coastline along the Adriatic Sea to the southwest. The capital and largest city is Podgorica, while Cetinje is the Old Royal Capital and cultural centre.

Before the arrival of the Slav peoples in the Balkans in the 6th and 7th centuries CE, the area now known as Montenegro was inhabited principally by people known as Illyrians.During the Early Medieval period, three principalities were located on the territory of modern-day Montenegro: Duklja, roughly corresponding to the southern half; Travunia, the west; and Rascia proper, the north. The Principality of Zeta emerged in the 14th and 15th centuries. From the late 14th century to the late 18th century, large parts of southern Montenegro were ruled by the Venetian Republic and incorporated into Venetian Albania. The name Montenegro was first used to refer to the country in the late 15th century. After falling under Ottoman Empire rule, Montenegro gained semi-autonomy in 1696 under the rule of the House of Petrović-Njegoš, first as a theocracy and later as a secular principality. Montenegro's independence was recognised by the Great Powers at the Congress of Berlin in 1878. In 1910, the country became a kingdom. After World War I, the kingdom became part of Yugoslavia. Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, the republics of Serbia and Montenegro together proclaimed a federation. In June 2006 Montenegro declared its independence following a referendum.

Podgorica Capital City (Montenegrin: Glavni grad Podgorica / Главни град Подгорица) is one of the territorial subdivisions of Montenegro. The seat of municipality is the city of Podgorica. Podgorica municipality covers 10.4% of Montenegro's territory and is home to 29.9% of the country's population. It is the nation's administrative centre and its economic and educational focus.

The Ribnica (Serbian Cyrillic: Рибница, pronounced [rîbnit͡sa]) is a small river that runs through Podgorica, Montenegro.

It is a tributary to the river Morača, their confluence being at the city centre. It is usually dries up in the summer. Podgorica was known as "Ribnica" after the Ribnica River in the Middle Ages. Today, an area of Podgorica, Vrela Ribnička, is named after the river, which flows through the area as well.

The Morača (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Морача, pronounced [mǒrat͡ʃa]) is a major river in Montenegro that originates in the northern region in Kolašin Municipality under Mount Rzača. It meanders southwards for 99.5 km (61.8 mi) before emptying into Lake Skadar. Its drainage basin covers 3,257 km (1,258 sq mi).

In its upper flow the Morača is a fast mountain river. Just north of Podgorica it merges with its largest tributary, the Zeta, which it then cuts a rocky canyon before entering the Zeta plain. It flows through the surrounding flatland until it empties into Lake Skadar on the border with Albania. A shorter, much broader, meandering, approximately sea-level river, the Bojana, flows through the northwest corner of Albania until it drains into the Adriatic Sea at Ada Bojana.

The Zeta (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Зета, pronounced [zêta]) is a river in Montenegro.

Its source is under the mountain of Vojnik. The river flows eastwards for 65 km (40 mi) until it empties into the river Morača just north of Podgorica. Its drainage basin area is 1,597 km (617 sq mi).

Gjakova (pronounced [ɟakova]) or Đakovica (Serbian Cyrillic: Ђаковица, pronounced [ˈdʑakoʋitsa]) is the sixth-largest city in Kosovo and seat of the Gjakova Municipality and the Gjakova District. According to the 2024 census, the municipality of Gjakova has 78,699 inhabitants.

Geographically, it is located in the south-western part of Kosovo, about halfway between the cities of Peja and Prizren. It is approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) inland from the Adriatic Sea. The city is situated some 208 kilometres (129 mi) north-east of Tirana, 145 kilometres (90 mi) north-west of Skopje, 80 kilometres (50 mi) west of the capital Pristina, 435 kilometres (270 mi) south of Belgrade and 263 kilometres (163 mi) east of Podgorica.

Medun (Montenegrin: Медун) is a settlement located 13 km northeast of the capital Podgorica, Montenegro. The village houses the archaeological site of the ancient fortified city of Medeon. It is situated in the tribal area of Upper Kuči, one of the highland tribes. In the 2003 census, it had 108 inhabitants. In ancient times, Medun was inhabited by the Illyrians between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC.