A mountainous, landlocked republic in the Balkans, formerly part of Yugoslavia; population 626,000 (estimated 2015); capital, Podgorica. Joined with Serbia before the Turkish conquest of 1355, Montenegro became independent in 1851. In 1918, it became part of the federation of Yugoslavia. On the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1992, it formed a federation with Serbia, but voted in 2006 to become independent.