Introduction |
Facts |
Flag |
History |
Culture |
Geography |
Currency |
Economy |
Demographics |
Language |
The Republic of Macedonia is an independent country in southeastern Europe, on the Bolkan peninsula. It is surrounded by Serbia to the north, Albania to the west, Greece to the south and Bulgaria to the east. The Republic of Macedonia declared its independence in November 1991. After independence, the country has a naming dispute with Greece, so finally it agreed to the temporary use of the name Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, (FYROM). Skopje is the capital and largest city of the country.
Macedonia is a member of the UN and the Council of Europe and an associate member of La Francophone, the World Trade Organization (WHO), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Moreover it has also applied for NATO membership and EU.
| Country Name : | Macedonia |
| Capital : | Skopje |
| Largest City : | Skopje |
| Official Language : | Macedonian, Albanian |
| Government : | Parliamentary republic |
| President : | Branko Crvenkovski |
| Prime Minister : | Nikola Gruevski |
| Area : | 25,333 km² |
| Area Rank : | 148th |
| Population : | 2,034,000 |
| Population Rank : | 143rd |
| Density : | 79 /km² |
| Density Rank : | 111th |
| GDP Total : | $15.78 billion |
| GDP Total Rank : | 121st |
| GDP per Capita : | $7,645 |
| GDP per Capita Rank : | 80th |
| Currency : | Macedonian denar |
| Time Zone : | CET (UTC+1) |
| Internet TLD : | .mk |
| Calling Code : | +389 |
| Geographic Coordinates : | 420N, 2126E |
| Railways : | 699 km |
| Highways : | 8,684 km |
| Waterways : | |
| Internet Users : | 392,671 |
| Radio Users : | |
| Mobile Users : | 1.261 million |
| Telephone Users : | 533,200 |
| Population Growth : | 0.26% |
| Birth Rate : | 12.02 births/1,000 |
| Death Rate : | 8.77 deaths/1,000 |
| Airport : | 17 |
Description :
A yellow sun with eight broadening rays extending to the edges of the red field.
Pre-history: - The terrain of Macedonia was previously the southeastern part of Yugoslavia. After the Second World War, Macedonia became a separate nation and recognized as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
In the post, these territories came under some ancient states, former empires, pionia and the kingdom of ancient Macedon. In 146 BC, the area became part of the Roman and Byzantine empires.
6th Century: - In the 6th century the area which was under the control of Byzantine empire, broke up into small parts and its some region was submerged by the arrival from the north of pagan Slavic tribes.
9th Century: - In the 9th Century, the territory converted to Christianity moreover in this century, the First Bulgarian Empire took control over most of this area.
11th to 14th Century: - In the 11th century. Once again took full control over the territory and Balkans, but in the 12th century, Byzantine decline brought to the birth of the second Bulgarian Empire. Due to some political difficulties, once again, Macedonia controlled under the Byzantine control.
Part of Serbia: - In the 14th century, the territory became the part of the Serbian Empire, for few decades.
From 14th to 18th Century: - During the 14th to 18th centuries, these territories were under the control of the Ottoman Empire.
19th Century: - After the two Balkan wars of 1912 and 1913, the Ottoman empire dissolved and the region of Macedonia was divided between Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia. This territory was named by "Southern Serbia". After the 1st W.W, Serbia joined the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. In 1929, the kingdom was renamed the kingdom of Yugoslavia and divided into provinces called bonovias. So called "Southern Serbia" including all of what is now the Republic of Macedonia became a part of the Vardar Banoviana. In 1941, the Azis Powers occupied Yugoslavia and the Vardar Banoviana was divided between Bularia and Albania. After the end of the 2nd W.W, the People have formed. The People's Republic of Macedonia became one of the six republics of the Yugoslav federation. In 1963 it renamed the Socialist Republic of Macedonia.
Independence: - On 8th sep. 1991, the country became independent.
Education: - In Macedonia, Education is free and compulsory from age 7 through 14. Its literacy rate is 90%. In 2002-2003, all eligible children were enrolled in elementary schools, while only 52% of eligible young men and 48% of eligible young women were enrolled in secondary schools. There are three universities in Macedonia.
Music: - Macedonian music style is greatly influenced by Byzantine church music. Its folk music draws on Byzantine traditions. Current popular music groups have drawn on this mixed heritage to produce strikingly original music. The Ohrid Summer festival of classical music and drama is the most important cultural event.
Art: - Macedonia is the country with the most beautiful Byzantine fresco painting, mainly from the period between the 11th and 16th centuries. There are several thousands square meters of fresco painting preserved, the major part of which is in very good condition and represent masterworks of the Macedonian School of painting.
Mocedonia is well known for its architecture, monasteries and churches. The Macedonian collection of icons and in particular the Ohrid one, is among the most valuable collections in the world today. It is third in Orthodoxy after the Sinai and the Moscow. From a Byzamtolo gical aspect, it is unique.
Film: - In 1995 a Macedonian film, 'Before the Rain' gained recognition in the United States and was a finalist for an Academy Award in the best foreign, language film category.
Cultural Events: - The most-important cultural events in the country are the Ohrid Summer festival of Classical music and drama, the Struga Poetry evenings, Skopje May Opera Evenings, interational Camera festival in Vitola, Open Youth Theater and Jazz festivals in Skopje etc.
Location: - The Republic of Macedonia is located in southeastern Europe on the Balkan Peninsula. It is surrounded by Serbia to the north, Albania to the west, Greece to the south and Bulgaria to the east.
Territory: - Macedonia's terrain is mostly rugged, located between the Sar and Rhodope, which frame the valley of the Vardar River.
Area: - The total area of Macedonia is about 25,333 sq. km.
Population: - According to the 2005 estimated, the total population of Macedona was about 20,34,000 and its population density was about 80 persons per sp. Km.
Lakes: - Macedonia has many lakes among them, three lakes Lake Ohrid, Lake Perspa and Dojran lake are very large lakes, which lie on the southern borders of the country, bisected by the frontiers with Albania and Grecce. Ohrid is the oldest lake of the country.
Mountains: - The republic of Macedonia has scenic mountains. They are belong to two different ranges: Dinarska and Rodopska. The Dinarska range is the oldest with subsequent erosion, while the Rodopska range is younger, which offers rugged, alpine sceneries. Macedonia's ten highest mountains are as follows: -
Mount korab, which is about 2,764 meter high, Sar Mountain, which is about 2,747 meter high, Baba mountain which is about 2,601 meter high, Jakupica mountain which is about 2,540 meter high, Nidze mountain which is about 2,521 meter high, Deshat mountain which is about 2,373 meter high, Galichica mountain which is about 2,288 meter high, Stogovo mountain which is about 2,273 meter high, Jablanica mountain which is about 2,257 meter high, Mt. bistra mountain which is about 2,163 meter high.
Earthquake: - The region of Macedonia is seismically active and has been site of destructive Earthquakes in the past, most recently in 1963, at that time its capital Skopje was very damaged and its more than 1000 people were killed.
Capital: - Skopje is the capital as well as the largest cit of the country.
Macedonian denars per US dollar - 48.978 (2006), 48.92 (2005), 49.41 (2004), 54.322 (2003), 64.35 (2002)
| 1.00 - (Macedonia ) | = | USD - (United States Dollars) |
| 1.00 USD - (United States Dollars) | = | - (Macedonia ) |
| Unit | Currency Name | USD/Unit | Unit/USD |
Macedonia's economy can be called a developed industrial economy, which continue tried to increase the industrial production. The process of transition in the economy was triggered in 1995. The government has signed arrangements with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank The country has an open economy, which is intergrading into international trade, with a total trade to GDP ratio of 79.5%.
Sectors of Economy: - Macedonia's economy's most important sectors are agriculture and industry, which contribute maximum part of income the service sector also grew in the past few years.
Economic Policy: - The Republic of Macedonia's economic policy is to attract foreign investment and to increase employment rate. One of the biggest features of the country economy is the fiscal discipline, which maintain stable course of currency for a long period.
Pre-economic condition: - The country together with Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo belonged to the less developed regions in the former Yugoslavia. It faced many economic difficulties after independence, when the Yugoslav internal market collapsed and subsidies from Belgrade ended. Moreover it also faced many of the same problems faced by other former socialist East European countries during the transition to a market economy. Moreover, due to the Yugoslav wars, a trade embargo of Greece, the Bosnian war and the Kosovo War, the country faced great economic damage.
Economic Problems: - The Macedonian economy has since made a sluggish recovery, though the extent of unemployment, the gray market, corruption and an ineffective legal system keep growth rate low and cause some problems. Its unemployment rate is 38%.
GDP: - According to the 2004 estimate, its total GDP was $14,914 billion, while its per capita GDP was $7,237, which is the lowest per capita GDPs in Europe.
Achievements: - The country is a member of the UN and the Council of Europe and an associate member of La Francophone, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Since December 2005 it is also a candidate for joining the European Union and has applied for NATO membership.
Currency: - Macedonian denar is currency of Macedonia.
Population: - According to the 2005 estimate the total population of Macedonia was 20,34,000 and its population density was about 80 persons per sq. km.
Ethnicities: - Macedonia is an ethnically diverse country. The largest ethnic group of the country is Macedonians, which are about 64.2% of the total population. The second ethnic groups are Albanians, which are about 25.2% of the total population. Other minorities are Turks, which are about 3.9%, Roma are 2.7% Serbs are 1.8% and Aromanians are 0.4% of the total population Slavic Muslims are about 0.9% of the total population.
Religion: - Macedonia's main religion is Macedonian Orthodox church, which follows b about 64.7% of the total population. Muslims comprise 33.3% of the total population and other Christian denominations comprise 0.37%. While the remainder 1.63% population is recorded as "unspecified".
Albanians, Turks and Bosniaks are followers of Muslim religion, and they are known as 'Macedonian Muslims'.
In Macedonia, there are more than 1200 churches and 400 mosques, moreover some Orthodox and Islamic religion schools and Orthodox Theological College are also in the capital, Skopje.
The official and most widely spoken language is Macedonian, which belongs to the South Slavic language group. Structurally it is closer to Bulgarian than to other Slavonic languages.
Moreover, same other languages like Albanian, Turkish, Serbian, Aromanian, Romani, Meglona-Romanian, Circassian, Greek and others are also spoken by different ethnic groups.
Though Macedonian is country's official national language and languages spoken by over 20% of the total population are also designated official, in municipalities at least 20% of the population is from other ethnic minorities their individual languages are used for official purposes in local government.
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