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Republic of Macedonia

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Countries; European
Countries

   SOS Children works in Macedonia. For more information see SOS Children
   in Macedonia
   Република Македонија
   Republika Makedonija
   Republika e Maqedonisë
   Republic of Macedonia

   Flag of the Republic of Macedonia Coat of arms of the Republic of
                                     Macedonia
   Flag                              Coat of arms
   Anthem: Денес над Македонија
   Transliteration: Denes nad Makedonija
   English: Today over Macedonia
   Location of the Republic of Macedonia
   Capital
   (and largest city) Skopje
   42°0′N 21°26′E
   Official languages Macedonian, Albanian^1
   Government Parliamentary republic
    - President Branko Crvenkovski
    - Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski
   Independence from Yugoslavia
    - Declared September 8, 1991
   Area
    - Total 25,333 km² ( 148th)
   9,779 sq mi
    - Water (%) 1.9
   Population
    - 2005 estimate 2,034,000 ( 143rd)
    - Density 79/km² ( 110th)
   205/sq mi
   GDP ( PPP) 2005 estimate
    - Total $15.78 billion ( 121st)
    - Per capita $7,645 ( 80th)
   HDI  (2003) 0.797 (medium) ( 59th)
   Currency Macedonian denar ( MKD)
   Time zone CET ( UTC+1)
    - Summer ( DST) CEST ( UTC+2)
   Internet TLD .mk
   Calling code +389
   ^1 Macedonian is designated as the primary official language. As of
   June 2002, any language spoken by at least 20% of the population is
   also an official language. At present, only Albanian fulfils this
   requirement, but it can only be used as prescribed by law (e.g. issuing
   official documents, when communicating with government offices, in
   municipal self-government) and always in addition to Cyrillic
   Macedonian. In communities where over 20% of the population speak
   another language, that language can be used as a municipal official
   language along with Macedonian and any other official languages; such
   languages include Turkish, Serbian, Romany and Aromanian.

   The Republic of Macedonia ( Macedonian: Република Македонија /
   Republika Makedonija, Albanian: Republika e Maqedonisë), often referred
   to as Macedonia, is a landlocked country on the Balkan peninsula in
   southeastern Europe. It borders Serbia to the north, Albania to the
   west, Greece to the south, and Bulgaria to the east. As the result of a
   naming dispute with Greece, in 1993 it was admitted to the United
   Nations under the provisional name the former Yugoslav Republic of
   Macedonia (FYROM), pending resolution of the dispute.

   The capital is Skopje, with 500,000 inhabitants, and there are a number
   of smaller cities, notably Bitola, Prilep, Tetovo, Kumanovo, Ohrid,
   Veles, Štip, Gostivar and Strumica. It has more than 50 natural and
   artificial lakes and sixteen mountains higher than 2,000 meters (6,550
   ft) above sea level.

   The country is a member of the UN and the Council of Europe and an
   associate member of La Francophonie, the World Trade Organization
   (WTO), the Organisation 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.

History

   The lands governed by the Republic of Macedonia were previously the
   southernmost part of the Socialist Federated Republic of Yugoslavia.
   Its current borders were fixed shortly after World War II when the
   government of the then People's Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
   established the People's Republic of Macedonia, recognizing the
   Macedonian ethnicity, and the region as a separate nation within
   Yugoslavia.

   In the past, these lands came under a number of ancient states and
   former empires; Paionia, the kingdom of ancient Macedon (which gave its
   name to the whole Macedonian region). It must be noted though, that the
   ancient kingdom of Macedon was centered in what is known today as Greek
   Macedonia and its boundaries did not span north of the town Bitola
   until after 323 BC. Later, in 146 BC, the area became part of the Roman
   and Byzantine empires, becoming Christian in the 3rd and 4th century.

   In the late 6th century AD Byzantine control over the area
   disintegrated, and the region was conquered by pagan Slavic tribes from
   the north, assimilaing the preexisting Greek, Latin, Illyrian and
   Thracian-speaking inhabitants . In the 9th century the territory
   converted to Christianity through the evangelizing work of the Saints
   Cyril and Methodius and their disciples. In the same century the First
   Bulgarian Empire assumed control of most of the area.

   The Byzantines reassumed full control of the Balkans by the early 11th
   century, but by the late 12th century Byzantine decline brought about
   the birth of the Second Bulgarian Empire. The empire met with political
   difficulties early, and the wider geographical Macedonia region fell
   once again under Byzantine control, and in the 14th century it became
   part of the Serbian Empire, only to pass a few decades later into
   Ottoman hands, under whose rule it was to remain for five centuries.

   Several movements whose goals where the establishment of an independent
   Macedonian state encompassing the entire region of Macedonia began to
   arise in the mid and late 1800's, the most famous of these the IMRO. In
   1903 IMRO organised the Ilinden Uprising against the Ottomans, which
   after the initial successes including the forming of the Krushevo
   Republic, was crushed with much loss of life. The uprising and the
   forming of the Krushevo Republic are considered the corner-stone and
   precursors to the eventual establishment of the Republic of Macedonia.

   Following the two Balkan wars of 1912 and 1913 and the dissolution of
   the Ottoman Empire, the wider region of Macedonia was divided between
   Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia. The territory of the present-day Republic
   of Macedonia was then named Južna Srbija, " Southern Serbia". After the
   First World War Serbia joined the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats
   and Slovenes. In 1929, the kingdom was officially renamed the Kingdom
   of Yugoslavia and divided into provinces called banovinas. So called
   "Southern Serbia" ( Vardar Macedonia), including all of what is now the
   Republic of Macedonia, became known as the Vardar Banovina of the
   Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

   In 1941, Yugoslavia was occupied by the Axis Powers and the Vardar
   Banovina was divided between Bulgaria and Italian-occupied Albania.
   Harsh rule by the occupying forces encouraged many Macedonians to
   support the Communist Partisan resistance movement of Josip Broz Tito.
   After the end of the Second World War, when Tito became Yugoslavia's
   president, the People's Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was established.
   The People's Republic of Macedonia became one of the six republics of
   the Yugoslav federation. Following the federation's renaming as the
   Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1963, the People's Republic
   of Macedonia was likewise renamed, becoming the Socialist Republic of
   Macedonia. It dropped the "Socialist" from its name in 1991 when it
   peacefully seceded from Yugoslavia. A few very minor changes to its
   border with Serbia were agreed upon to resolve problems with the
   demarcation line between the two countries.

   The country officially celebrates 8 September 1991 as Independence day,
   with regard to the referendum, endorsing independence from Yugoslavia,
   albeit legalizing participation in future union of the former states of
   Yugoslavia. The anniversary of the Ilinden Uprising (St. Elijah's Day)
   on the 2 August is also widely celebrated on an official level. The
   Republic of Macedonia remained at peace through the Yugoslav wars of
   the early 1990s but was destabilized by the Kosovo War in 1999, when an
   estimated 360,000 ethnic Albanian refugees from Kosovo took refuge in
   the country. Although they departed shortly after the war, soon after,
   Albanian radicals on both sides of the border took up arms in pursuit
   of autonomy or independence for the Albanian-populated areas of the
   Republic. A short war was fought between government and ethnic Albanian
   rebels, mostly in the north and west of the country, in March–June
   2001. This war ended with the intervention of a NATO ceasefire
   monitoring force. In the Ohrid Agreement, the government agreed to
   devolve greater political power and cultural recognition to the
   Albanian minority. The Albanian side agreed to give up any separatist
   demands and to fully recognise all Macedonian institutions. In
   addition, according to this accord the NLA was to disarm and hand over
   their weapons to a NATO force. In 2005, the country was officially
   recognized, under the name Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, as a
   European Union candidate state.

Politics

   The Republic of Macedonia is a parliamentary democracy with an
   executive government composed of a coalition of parties from the
   unicameral legislature (Собрание, Sobranie) and an independent judicial
   branch with a constitutional court. The Assembly is made up of 120
   seats and the members are elected every four years.

   The role of the President of the Republic is mostly ceremonial, with
   the real power resting in the hands of the President of the Government.
   The President is the commander-in-chief of the state armed forces and a
   president of the state Security Council. The President of the Republic
   is elected every five years and he or she can be elected twice at most.
   The current President is Branko Crvenkovski.

   With the passage of a new law and elections held in 2005, local
   government functions are divided between 78 municipalities (општини,
   opštini; singular: општина, opština). The capital, Skopje, is governed
   as a group of ten municipalities collectively referred to as "the City
   of Skopje". Municipalities in the Republic of Macedonia are units of
   local self-government. Neighbouring municipalities may establish
   cooperative arrangements.

   Judiciary power is exercised by courts, with the court system being
   headed by the Judicial Supreme Court, Constitutional Court and the
   Republican Judicial Council. The assembly appoints the judges.

   The country's main political divergence is between the largely
   ethnically-based political parties representing the country's ethnic
   Macedonian majority and Albanian minority. The issue of the power
   balance between the two communities led to a brief war in 2001,
   following which a power-sharing agreement was reached. In August 2004,
   the Republic's parliament passed legislation redrawing local boundaries
   and giving greater local autonomy to ethnic Albanians in areas where
   they predominate.

   After a troublesome pre-election campaign, the country saw a relatively
   calm and democratic change of government in the elections held on 5
   July 2006. The elections were marked by a decisive victory of the
   centre-right party VMRO-DPMNE led by Nikola Gruevski.

   Gruevski's decision to include the Democratic Party of Albanians in the
   new government, instead of the Democratic Union for Integration - Party
   for Democratic Prosperity coalition which won the majority of the
   Albanian votes, triggered protests throughout the Albanian-dominated
   parts of the country.

Foreign relations

General situation

   The Republic of Macedonia is a member of a number of international
   organisations such as the United Nations, Organisation for Security and
   Cooperation in Europe Council of Europe, associate member of La
   Francophonie, World Trade Organization (WTO) etc. It is seeking to join
   NATO and the European Union, although its accession to either is
   unlikely to occur before 2008 and 2012, respectively. In December 2005,
   the leaders of the EU formally named it as a candidate country but did
   not set a date for starting entry talks.

   The United States Agency for International Development has underwritten
   a project called Macedonia Connects which has made the Republic of
   Macedonia the first all broadband wireless country its size or larger
   in the world. The Ministry of Education and Sciences reports that 461
   schools (primary and secondary) are now connected to the internet. In
   addition, the Internet Service Provider named On.net has created a MESH
   Network to provide WIFI services in the 11 largest cities/towns in the
   country.

Diplomatic representation

   The Republic of Macedonia is represented abroad by embassies in the
   following countries: Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and
   Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, France,
   Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, People's Republic of
   China, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
   Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, and the
   Vatican.

   The Republic of Macedonia also maintains consulates or representative
   offices in Pristina, Serbia; Thessaloniki, Greece; Toronto, Canada;
   Detroit, USA; Istanbul, Turkey and Podgorica, Montenegro. There are
   also permanent missions at the UN, NATO, EU, UNESCO, Council of Europe,
   and FAO headquarters. There is currently no representation in Taiwan
   (Republic of China) since 2001 when diplomatic relations were formally
   severed between the two countries and the Macedonian embassy in Beijing
   was reopened.

Greece

   The Republic of Macedonia generally has good relations with Greece and
   includes substantial foreign investment to the Republic of Macedonia
   from Greece. However, the naming dispute has inhibited the
   establishment of full diplomatic relations so far but has not prevented
   Greece and the Republic from engaging in military and security
   co-operation, cross-border investments, and cultural exchanges. The
   November 2005 European Commission report states that, "Relations with
   Greece have improved in the last few years. Greece is the most
   important investor in the country (57% of the total foreign
   investments) and trade has been constantly increasing." Former Greek
   foreign minister, M. Papakonstandinou, clearly expressed Athens'
   position towards the republic, "Greek interests demand that this state
   survives. It must exist [...] This is the firm position of [both ND and
   PASOK]." (ref: Interview with the minister. In, 'Andi' (weekly
   socio-political journal), Nr 588, 13 October 1995).

   Due to the dispute over the name, the United Nations agreed to a
   provisional name — "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" (FYROM)
   ( Macedonian: Поранешна Југословенска Република Македонија (ПЈРМ)) —
   when it became a member state in 1993 . Most international
   organizations adopted the same convention, including the European
   Union, NATO, the International Monetary Fund, the European Broadcasting
   Union, and the International Olympic Committee, among others. The EU
   recognises the country as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
   (FYROM) and the negotiations with the EU are held using this reference
   , .

   However, an increasing number of countries have abandoned the United
   Nations provisional references and have recognised the country as the
   Republic of Macedonia instead. These include three of the five
   permanent UN Security Council members: the United States, Russia, and
   the People's Republic of China, although as the UN name for the country
   is FYROM, the constitutional name is only used in relations where a
   state not recognizing it is not a party.

   From 1992 to 1995, the two countries also engaged in a dispute over the
   Republic's first flag, which incorporated the Vergina Sun symbol, a
   symbol of the ancient Kingdom of Macedon. Its adoption by the Republic
   of Macedonia, on 3 July 1992, was seen as a reaction by Skopje to
   Athens' pressure to change the name. This aspect of the dispute was
   permanently resolved after an interim accord between the two states,
   when the flag was changed by an act of parliament, in October 1995.

Bulgaria

   The Republic of Macedonia maintains good relations with the Republic of
   Bulgaria. Bulgaria was the first country to recognize Macedonian
   independence and the republic under its constitutional name. Many
   Macedonian students matriculate in Bulgarian universities. Bulgaria
   also supports the Macedonian bid to enter the EU and NATO. Bulgaria
   also donated a large amount of tanks, artillery and other materials to
   the Macedonian army.

   The basic problem in the relationship between the Republic of Macedonia
   and Bulgaria is the latter's refusal to recognise the existence of a
   separate Macedonian ethnicity, instead considering Macedonians to be
   Bulgarians and their language as a regional "norm" based on local
   Bulgarian dialects . The so called "language dispute", which started in
   1993 and was effectively impeding diplomatic relations, was resolved in
   1999 when the two governments adopted the formula "Macedonian language
   according to the constitution of the Republic of Macedonia" and
   "Bulgarian language according to the constitution of the Republic of
   Bulgaria" in their bilateral agreements where they use the Macedonian
   and Bulgarian languages.

   Issues have also been raised over what many Bulgarians view as
   appropriation and falsification of their history, and the treatment in
   the Republic of Macedonia of people espousing a Bulgarian national
   identity. The organization of the Bulgarian minority in the Republic of
   Macedonia "Radko" for example (which was later banned by the Macedonian
   Constitutional Court) had been publicly harassed after they claimed
   that there is no Macedonian ethnicity today, and the perpetrators were
   acclaimed as heroes by the media.

   Similarly, the Bulgarian Constitutional Court has banned the political
   party of the ethnic Macedonians in Bulgaria UMO Ilinden-Pirin as
   separatist; this measure was found not to be "proportionate to the
   legitimate aim pursued" on October 20, 2005 by the European Court of
   Human Rights.

European Union candidacy and membership

   The EU leaders on the meeting held in Thessaloniki in 2003 promised
   western Balkan countries that they will become an integral part of the
   EU, once they meet the established criteria. As part of the ongoing
   efforts to expand its membership, the European Union (EU) granted the
   Republic of Macedonia candidate status on 17 December 2005, but with no
   promise of when such negotiations could start. France had made a budget
   deal as a condition for granting the Former Yugoslav Republic of
   Macedonia candidate status and Greece agreed not to veto the decision
   on the premise that the name dispute will be resolved. The Former
   Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia applied for full membership on 22 March
   2004. Vlado Bučkovski, then minister of defence and later prime
   minister, hailed the decision as a "one-way ticket" to the EU for his
   country.

   The country is still included in the black visa list of the EU .
   According to the EU, namely in accordance with its Copenhagen criteria,
   the main obstacles towards eventual EU membership for Republic of
   Macedonia concern good relations with neighbouring countries and
   reforms to its judicial and police systems. Also, growth rate lags
   behind that of most EU members, unemployment is high, and foreign
   investment is relatively low. The decentralisation process imposed
   after the six-month conflict in 2001 still requires full
   implementation. In principle, the relatively low population and
   European characteristics of the Republic promise few strains on the EU
   budget. On a press conference held in March 2006, German chancellor
   Angela Merkel suggested a privileged partnership for potential members.
   Following the refusals of European constitution by the French and Dutch
   voters, EU is in a period of reflection (time to decide what to do
   next) that can last for several years. This decision seems to delay the
   prospect of EU membership for candidates like Croatia, the Former
   Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey for some period. French
   warned that they want strict application of the notion of absorption
   capacity for the EU - a concept which has existed since 1993 but which
   has rarely been highlighted.

   Another problem in the relations between the EU and the Republic of
   Macedonia is the EU visa regime with the country, fostering resentment
   and inhibiting progress on trade, business, education etc, contributing
   negatively to regional stability. .

   In February 2006, the Republic became the fourth member of the Central
   European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), joining Croatia, Bulgaria and
   Romania. CEFTA acts as ' sandbox' to encourage joint efforts for the
   integration of participating countries in Western European institutions
   and look for opportunities for close economic and political
   co-operation.

   A factor of outmost importance for the country's accession to the EU,
   is that of the naming dispute with Greece. On August 29, 2006, the
   Greek foreign minister, Ms. Dora Bakoyannis, affirmed that "...the
   Hellenic Parliament, under any composition, will not ratify the
   accession of the neighbouring country to the EU and NATO if the name
   issue is not resolved beforehand."

   More recently, EU sources have confirmed that the Republic of
   Macedonia's hope of starting accession talks next year cannot succeed,
   since its new prime minister Nikola Gruevski has shut out the former
   Yugoslav republic's ethnic Albanian minority and has politicised many
   state institutions.

Administrative divisions

   Municipalities of the Republic of Macedonia
   Enlarge
   Municipalities of the Republic of Macedonia

   In August 2004, the Republic of Macedonia was reorganized into 84
   municipalities (opštini; sing. opština), 10 of which comprise Greater
   Skopje. This is reduced from the previous 123 municipalities
   established in September, 1996. Prior to this, local government was
   organized into 34 administrative districts.

Geography

   Map of the Republic of Macedonia
   Enlarge
   Map of the Republic of Macedonia

   The Republic of Macedonia is a landlocked country that is
   geographically clearly defined by a central valley formed by the Vardar
   river and framed along its borders by mountain ranges.

   The Republic's terrain is mostly rugged, located between the Šara and
   Rhodope, which frame the valley of the Vardar river. Three large lakes
   — Lake Ohrid, Lake Prespa and Dojran Lake — lie on the southern borders
   of the Republic, bisected by the frontiers with Albania and Greece.
   Ohrid is considered to be one of the oldest lakes and biotopes in the
   world . The region is seismically active and has been the site of
   destructive earthquakes in the past, most recently in 1963 when Skopje
   was heavily damaged by a major earthquake, killing over 1,000.

   The Republic of Macedonia also has scenic mountains. They belong to two
   different ranges: Dinarska and Rodopska. The Dinarska range is the
   oldest with subsequent erosion; the Rodopska range is younger offering
   rugged, alpine sceneries. Ten highest mountains in the Republic of
   Macedonia:
   Mount Korab    2,764 m 9,396 ft
   Shara Mountain 2,747 m 9,012 ft
   Baba Mountain  2,601 m 8,533 ft
   Jakupica       2,540 m 8,333 ft
   Nidze          2,521 m 8,271 ft
   Deshat         2,373 m 7,785 ft
   Galichica      2,288 m 7,507 ft
   Stogovo        2,273 m 7,457 ft
   Jablanica      2,257 m 7,405 ft
   Mount Bistra   2,163 m 7,096 ft
     * See also: Mountains of the Republic of Macedonia

Economy

   Today the Republic of Macedonia is considered a country with an
   intermediary-developed industry, with continuing growth of the
   industrial production. The process of transition in the economy was
   triggered in 1995. The government has signed arrangements with the IMF
   ( International Monetary Fund) and World Bank. It has an open economy
   that is integrating into international trade, with a total trade-to-
   GDP ratio of 79.5%. The most important sectors are agriculture and
   industry. The service sector also grew in the past few years. Work
   force education and skills are competitive, but without adequate jobs
   leading to steady brain drain. The country's economic policy is to
   attract foreign investments and to increase the employment rate. One of
   the biggest features of the country`s economy is the fiscal discipline
   which maintained a stable currency for a long period. The country also
   makes effort to develop the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise sector.

   Looking back, the country together with Montenegro, Bosnia and
   Hercegovina and Kosovo belonged to the less developed regions in the
   former Yugoslavia. It suffered severe economic difficulties after
   independence, when the Yugoslav internal market collapsed and subsidies
   from Belgrade ended. In addition, it faced many of the same problems
   faced by other former socialist East European countries during the
   transition to a market economy. Its main land and rail exports route,
   through Serbia, remains unreliable with high transit costs, thereby
   affecting the export of its formerly highly profitable, early
   vegetables market to Germany.

   The outbreak of the Yugoslav wars and the imposition of sanctions on
   Serbia and Montenegro caused great damage to the Republic's economy,
   with Serbia constituting 60% of its markets prior to the disintegration
   of Yugoslavia. When Greece imposed a trade embargo on the Republic in
   1994–95, the economy was also affected. Some relief was afforded by the
   end of the Bosnian war in November 1995 and the lifting of the Greek
   embargo, but the Kosovo War of 1999 and the 2001 Albanian crisis caused
   further destabilization. Since the end of the Greek embargo, Greece has
   become the most important business partner of the Republic of
   Macedonia. Many Greek companies have bought former state companies in
   the country, such as the oil refinery Okta, the baking company Zhito
   Luks, marble mine in Prilep, textile facilities in Bitola etc. Other
   key partners are Germany, Italy and Slovenia.

   The Macedonian economy has since made a sluggish recovery, though the
   extent of unemployment, the grey market, corruption and a relatively
   ineffective legal system keep the growth rate low and cause significant
   problems. The Republic still has one of the lowest per capita GDPs in
   Europe. The official unemployment rate is 38%. The active population
   numbers 877,798 people with 318,096 of them unemployed. However, many
   of the employed go unreported, therefore it is more than likely that
   the unemployment rate is closer to 25%. This is reflected in the large
   grey market, estimated at close to 20% of GDP.

   Growth barely recovered in 2002 to 0.9%, then rose by 3.4% in 2003,
   2.9% in 2004, and 3.7% in 2005. The past few years saw a significant
   rise in the economy and with the recent candidacy for the EU, the
   country should be making rapid progress.

Demographics

Population

   The Republic of Macedonia has a population of approximately 2,070,000
   citizens, according to the last population census in 2002 with 58% of
   the population living in urban areas. Following is a list of the
   largest Macedonian cities according to the 1994 census data as more
   recent census does not list city populations and municipalities
   according to the 2002 census data:
   Largest Macedonian cities and municipalities
   City Population Coat
   of arms Administrative division Population
   Skopje 444,000 Greater Skopje 506,000
   Bitola 122,173 (1991) Bitola municipality 95,000
   Kumanovo 71,000 Kumanovo municipality 105,000
   Prilep 68,000 Prilep municipality 86,000
   Tetovo 50,000 Tetovo municipality 81,000
   Gostivar 46,000 Gostivar municipality 76,000
   Štip 41,000 Štip municipality 63,000
   Ohrid 41,000 Ohrid municipality 55,000
   Veles 34,000 Veles municipality 55,000
   Strumica 55,000 Strumica municipality 150,000
     * See also: List of cities in the Republic of Macedonia

Ethnicities

   Ethnic groups in the Republic of Macedonia, according to the 2002
   census
   Enlarge
   Ethnic groups in the Republic of Macedonia, according to the 2002
   census

   The Republic of Macedonia is an ethnically diverse country. The largest
   ethnic group in the country are the Macedonians. In the last population
   census, approximately 1,300,000 inhabitants declared themselves to be
   Macedonians, representing 64.2% of the total population. Approximately
   500,000 inhabitants are declared as Albanians, representing 25.2% of
   the population. They are concentrated mostly in the western and
   north-western part of the country. Smaller minorities include Turks
   (78,000 or 3.9%), Roma (54,000 or 2.7%), Serbs (36,000 or 1.8%) and
   Vlachs (mostly Aromanians, but also 2.000 Megleno-Romanians in Uma
   (Huma)) called in the census (9695 or 0.4%). Bosniaks in the census
   represent 0.9% of total population. In smaller numbers, many other
   minorities exist, namely Montenegrins, Croats, Slovenes (all
   constituting a small presence of people from the former Yugoslavia),
   Egyptians, Circassians, Greeks, Bulgarians and others. These other
   minorities account for less than 2.5% of the population of the country.
   The Macedonian national census records most ethnic groups, but the
   smaller ones are not enumerated separately in the final report.

Languages

   A wide variety of languages are spoken in the Republic of Macedonia,
   reflecting its ethnic diversity. The official and most widely spoken
   language is Macedonian, which belongs to the Eastern branch of the
   South Slavic language group. Structurally, it is closer to Bulgarian
   than any other Slavonic language. Its current form was codified after
   World War II and has accumulated a thriving literary tradition.

   Other languages including Albanian, Turkish, Serbian, Aromanian,
   Romani, Megleno-Romanian, Circassian, Bulgarian, Greek and others are
   spoken roughly in proportion with their associated ethnic groups.

   Macedonian is the only language designated as the country's official
   national language. Languages spoken by over 20% of the total population
   can be used for some official purposes, in some allowed areas (at
   present only Albanian fulfils this requirement), in municipalities
   where at least 20% of the population is from other ethnic minorities
   their individual languages are used for official purposes in local
   government.

Religion

   The majority of the population belongs to the Macedonian Orthodox
   Church (64.7%). Muslims comprise 33.3% of the population and other
   Christian denominations comprise 0.37%. The remainder (1.63%) is
   recorded as "unspecified" in the 2002 national census . Most of the
   native Albanians, Turks and Bosniaks are Muslims, as are a minority of
   the country's ethnic Slavic Macedonian population, known as Macedonian
   Muslims. Altogether, there are more than 1200 churches and 400 mosques
   in the country. The Orthodox and Islamic religious communities have
   secondary religion schools in Skopje. There is an Orthodox Theological
   college in the capital.

Macedonian Orthodox Church

   The Macedonian Orthodox Church has issues with the Serbian Orthodox
   Church after the separation and self-declaration of autocephaly (not
   recognized by any other Orthodox church) in 1967. After the
   negotiations between the two churches were suspended, the Serbian
   Orthodox Church recognized a schismatic group lead by Zoran
   Vranishkovski (also known as Archbishop Jovan of Ohrid, recognised by
   all other Eastern Orthodox Churches), a former Macedonian church
   bishop, as the Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric. The reaction of the
   Macedonian Orthodox Church was to cut-off all relations with the clergy
   of the Ohrid Archbishopric and to prevent bishops of the Serbian
   Orthodox Church from entering the Republic of Macedonia. Bishop Jovan
   was jailed for 18 months for defaming the Macedonian Orthodox church
   and harming the religious feelings of local citizens. .

   The Macedonian State Religion Commission denies the group to be
   registered as a religious group saying that only one group may be
   registered for each confession and that the name was not sufficiently
   distinct from that of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. The Macedonian
   church had acquired documents confirming direct involvement of the
   Serbian government in financing the activities of the group, seen as
   interference in the internal affairs of another sovereign state by the
   Macedonian President Crvenkovski. . The Macedonian President also
   rejected the request of the Head of the Serbian Orthodox Church for
   abolition of Zoran Vranishkovski (set as a main condition for
   resumption of negotiations between two churches by the Serbian
   Patriarch). Vranishkovski is convicted of misappropriate usage of a
   large sum of money donated to the Macedonian Orthodox Church.
     * See also: Human rights in the Republic of Macedonia

Macedonian Byzantine Catholic Church

   The Macedonian Byzantine Catholic Church (also known as the Macedonian
   Greek Catholic Church) has approximately 11,000 adherents in the
   Republic. The Church was established in 1918, and is made up mostly of
   converts to Catholicism and their descendents. The Church is a
   Byzantine Rite within the Roman Catholic Church, and conducts its
   liturgy in Macedonian.

Jewish Community

   The Jewish community of the Republic of Macedonia, which numbered some
   7,200 people on the eve of World War II, was almost entirely destroyed
   during the war, with only 2% of Macedonian Jews surviving the
   Holocaust. After their liberation and the end of the war, most of them
   opted to emigrate to Israel. Today, the country's Jewish community
   numbers approximately 200 people, almost all of whom live in Skopje.
   Most Macedonian Jews are Sephardic - the descendants of 15th century
   refugees who had fled the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisitions. * See
   also: Jews in the Republic of Macedonia

Protestant Community

   There is a small Protestant community, many of them converts since the
   1980s following the arrival of preachers from the USA and Germany. The
   most famous member was the former President of the country, Boris
   Trajkovski.

Education

   The Macedonian education system is consisted of:
     * pre-school education
     * primary education
     * secondary education
     * higher education

   The higher levels of education can be obtained at one of the three
   state universities: Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje, St.
   Clement of Ohrid University of Bitola and State University of Tetovo.
   There is a number of private university institutions, such as the
   European University , the South East European University and others.

Culture

   The Republic of Macedonia has a rich cultural heritage in art,
   architecture, poetry, and music. It has many ancient, protected
   religious sites. Poetry, cinema, and music festivals are held annually.

   Macedonian music styles developed under the strong influence of
   Byzantine church music. The Republic of Macedonia is amongst one of the
   countries with the most beautiful preserved Byzantine fresco paintings,
   mainly from the period between the 11th and 16th centuries. There are
   several thousands square metres of fresco painting preserved, the major
   part of which is in very good condition and represent masterworks of
   the Macedonian School of ecclesiastical painting.

   In the Republic of Macedonia the past meets the present. Its age-old
   architecture and monasteries and churches of exquisite beauty make an
   interesting contrast to the super modern new architecture. Most of the
   Macedonian monasteries, built in various periods, and particularly
   those built between the 11th and 15th–16th centuries, have been
   completely preserved until today. The Macedonian collection of icons,
   and in particular the Ohrid ones, are among the most valuable
   collections in the world today. After the Sinai and the Moscow
   collection of icons, it is third in importance in Orthodoxy. From a
   Byzantological aspect, it is unique.

   The most important cultural events in the country are the Ohrid Summer
   festival of classical music and drama, the Struga Poetry evenings which
   gather poets from more than 50 countries in the world, Skopje May Opera
   Evenings, International Camera Festival in Bitola, Open Youth Theatre
   and Jazz festivals in Skopje etc.
     * A list of famous ethnic Macedonians
     * Music of the Republic of Macedonia
     * Macedonian language
     * Public holidays in the Republic of Macedonia

Gallery

   Lake Ohrid

   Saint Bogorodica Precista Monastery near Kichevo

   National park Pelister

   Bitola town

   Mount Korab

   Shar mountain

   St. Panteleimon church near Skopje

   Bitola town

   Mount Korab – The highest mountain in the country

   Byzantine mosaic from Heraclea Lyncestis - near Bitola

   Mount Korab

   St Panteleimon on the site of St. Clement’s Monastery, Plaosnik, Ohrid

Neighbouring countries

   Flag of Serbia  Serbia
   Flag of Albania  Albania North Flag of Bulgaria  Bulgaria
   West    Republic of Macedonia  Republic of Macedonia     East
   South
   Flag of Greece  Greece

                                  Countries of Europe
   Albania ·

   Andorra · Armenia^1 · Austria · Azerbaijan^2 · Belarus · Belgium ·
   Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus^1 · Czech Republic
   · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Georgia^2 · Germany · Greece ·
   Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Kazakhstan^2 · Latvia ·
   Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Republic of Macedonia · Malta
   · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands · Norway · Poland ·
   Portugal · Romania · Russia^2 · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia ·
   Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey^2 · Ukraine · United
   Kingdom · Vatican City

   (1) Entirely in Asia but having socio-political connections with
   Europe. (2) Has significant territory in Asia.
                         European Union members and candidates

   Austria • Belgium • Cyprus • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia •
   Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Hungary • Ireland • Italy •
   Latvia • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Malta • Netherlands • Poland •
   Portugal • Slovakia • Slovenia • Spain • Sweden • United Kingdom

   Countries acceding on January 1, 2007: Bulgaria • Romania

   Candidate countries: Croatia • Turkey • Republic of Macedonia (referred
   to as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia by the European Union)
                       North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
   Flag of NATO

   Belgium • Bulgaria • Canada • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia •
   France • Germany • Greece • Hungary • Iceland • Italy • Latvia •
   Lithuania • Luxembourg • Netherlands • Norway • Poland • Portugal •
   Romania • Slovakia • Slovenia • Spain • Turkey • United Kingdom •
   United States

   Candidate countries: Albania • Croatia • Republic of Macedonia (as
   FYROM)
                             Slavic-speaking nations
   West Slavic: Flag of Czech Republic  Czech Republic • Flag of Poland
   Poland • Flag of Slovakia  Slovakia

   South Slavic: Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina  Bosnia and Herzegovina •
   Flag of Bulgaria  Bulgaria • Flag of Croatia  Croatia • Flag of
   Republic of Macedonia  Republic of Macedonia • Flag of Montenegro
   Montenegro • Flag of Serbia  Serbia • Flag of Slovenia  Slovenia

   East Slavic: Flag of Belarus  Belarus • Flag of Russia  Russia • Flag
   of Ukraine  Ukraine
     Republics and Autonomous Provinces of the former Yugoslavia (SFRY)
   style="background: transparent; width: 100%;" Flag of SFR Yugoslavia

   Bosnia and Herzegovina • Croatia • Republic of Macedonia • Montenegro •
   Serbia (Kosovo • Vojvodina) • Slovenia

   |}
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