Was Your Country Ever At War With Japan For 102 Years?

Map created by dalmatian.mapper

The map above tells a story of a historical curiosity.

In 1904 Montenegro, which was at that time was still an independent country, supported Russia by sending volunteers to fight the Japanese as part of the Russo-Japanese War.

However, the Treaty of Portsmouth that ended the war in 1905, did not explicitly mention Montenegro by name which means that it could be argued the two countries were still at war.

In 1918, this became a bit of a moot point since the Kingdom of Montenegro ceased exist when it joined the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which would later on become Yugoslavia.

However, in 2006 Montenegro regained its independence from Serbia.

As part of recognition: “Montenegro says Japan has recognized the Balkan country as an independent state, ending more than 100 years of a state of war.”

As for the current state of Japan–Montenegro relations:

Montenegro has minor trade relations with Japan. In 2017 it imported goods worth €19 million from there and exported €2 million worth. According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, there was a very small community of 27 Japanese nationals in Montenegro in 2017.

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