Macedonia gained its independence peacefully from Yugoslavia in 1991, but Greece's objection to the new state's use of what it considered a Hellenic name and symbols delayed international recognition, which occurred under the provisional designation of the "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia." In 1995, Greece lifted a 20-month trade embargo and the two countries agreed to normalize relations, although differences over Macedonia's name remain. The undetermined status of neighbouring Kosovo, implementation of the Framework Agreement - which ended the 2001 ethnic Albanian armed insurgency - and a weak economy continue to be challenges for Macedonia.

Southeastern Europe, north of Greece

41 50 N, 22 00 E

total: 25,333 sq km
land: 24,856 sq km
water: 477 sq km

total: 766 km
border countries: Albania 151 km, Bulgaria 148 km, Greece 246 km, Serbia and Montenegro 221 km

0 km (landlocked)

none (landlocked)

warm, dry summers and autumns; relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall

mountainous territory covered with deep basins and valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country bisected by the Vardar River

lowest point: Vardar River 50 m
highest point: Golem Korab (Maja e Korabit) 2,764 m

low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, manganese, nickel, tungsten, gold, silver, asbestos, gypsum, timber, arable land

arable land: 22.01%
permanent crops: 1.79%
other: 76.2% (2005)

550 sq km (2003)

high seismic risks

air pollution from metallurgical plants

landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe

2,050,554 (July 2006 est.)

0-14 years: 20.1% (male 213,486/female 199,127)
15-64 years: 68.9% (male 711,853/female 701,042)
65 years and over: 11% (male 98,618/female 126,428) (2006 est.)

total: 34.1 years
male: 33.2 years
female: 35.1 years (2006 est.)

0.26% (2006 est.)

12.02 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

8.77 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

-0.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

total: 9.81 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.94 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 9.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

total population: 73.97 years
male: 71.51 years
female: 76.62 years (2006 est.)

1.57 children born/woman (2006 est.)

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

less than 200 (2003 est.)

less than 100 (2003 est.)

noun: Macedonian(s)
adjective: Macedonian

Macedonian 64.2%, Albanian 25.2%, Turkish 3.9%, Roma 2.7%, Serb 1.8%, other 2.2% (2002 census)

Macedonian Orthodox 32.4%, other Christian 0.2%, Muslim 16.9%, other and unspecified 50.5% (2002 census)

Macedonian 66.5%, Albanian 25.1%, Turkish 3.5%, Roma 1.9%, Serbian 1.2%, other 1.8% (2002 census)

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.1%
male: 98.2%
female: 94.1% (2002 est.)

conventional long form: Republic of Macedonia
conventional short form: Macedonia; note - the provisional designation used by the UN, EU, and NATO is Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)
local long form: Republika Makedonija
local short form: Makedonija
former: People's Republic of Macedonia, Socialist Republic of Macedonia

parliamentary democracy

Skopje

85 municipalities (opstini, singular - opstina); Aerodrom (Skopje), Aracinovo, Berovo, Bitola, Bogdanci, Bogovinje, Bosilovo, Brvenica, Butel (Skopje), Cair (Skopje), Caska, Centar (Skopje), Centar Zupa, Cesinovo, Cucer-Sandevo, Debar, Debartsa, Delcevo, Demir Hisar, Demir Kapija, Dojran, Dolneni, Drugovo, Gazi Baba (Skopje), Gevgelija, Gjorce Petrov (Skopje), Gostivar, Gradsko, Ilinden, Jegunovce, Karbinci, Karpos (Skopje), Kavadarci, Kicevo, Kisela Voda (Skopje), Kocani, Konce, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krivogastani, Krusevo, Kumanovo, Lipkovo, Lozovo, Makedonska Kamenica, Makedonski Brod, Mavrovo i Rastusa, Mogila, Negotino, Novaci, Novo Selo, Ohrid, Oslomej, Pehcevo, Petrovec, Plasnica, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis, Rankovce, Resen, Rosoman, Saraj (Skopje), Skopje, Sopiste, Staro Nagoricane, Stip, Struga, Strumica, Studenicani, Suto Orizari (Skopje), Sveti Nikole, Tearce, Tetovo, Valandovo, Vasilevo, Veles, Vevcani, Vinica, Vranestica, Vrapciste, Zajas, Zelenikovo, Zelino, Zrnovci
note: the ten municipalities followed by Skopje in parentheses collectively constitute "greater Skopje"

8 September 1991 (referendum by registered voters endorsing independence from Yugoslavia)

Uprising Day, 2 August (1903); note - also known as Saint Elijah's Day and Ilinden

adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991; amended November 2001 by a series of new constitutional amendments strengthening minority rights and in 2005 with amendments related to the judiciary

based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

18 years of age; universal

unicameral Assembly or Sobranie (120 seats - members elected by popular vote from party lists based on the percentage of the overall vote the parties gain in each of six electoral districts; all serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 15 September 2002 (next to be held by fall 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Together for Macedonia coalition 60 (SDSM 43, LDP 12, others 5), VMRO-DPMNE 33 (VMRO 28 and Liberal Party 5), DUI 16, PDSH/DPA 7, PPD/PDP 2, PDK 1, SP 1

Supreme Court - the Assembly appoints the judges; Constitutional Court - the Assembly appoints the judges; Republican Judicial Council - the Assembly appoints the judges

At independence in September 1991, Macedonia was the least developed of the Yugoslav republics, producing a mere 5% of the total federal output of goods and services. The collapse of Yugoslavia ended transfer payments from the central government and eliminated advantages from inclusion in a de facto free trade area. An absence of infrastructure, UN sanctions on the downsized Yugoslavia, one of its largest markets, and a Greek economic embargo over a dispute about the country's constitutional name and flag hindered economic growth until 1996. GDP subsequently rose each year through 2000. However, the leadership's commitment to economic reform, free trade, and regional integration was undermined by the ethnic Albanian insurgency of 2001. The economy shrank 4.5% because of decreased trade, intermittent border closures, increased deficit spending on security needs, and investor uncertainty. Growth barely recovered in 2002 to 0.9%, then rose by 3.4% in 2003, 4.1% in 2004, and 3.7% in 2005. Macedonia has maintained macroeconomic stability with low inflation, but it has lagged the region in attracting foreign investment and job growth has been anemic. Macedonia has an extensive grey market, estimated to be more than 20 percent of GDP, that falls outside official statistics.

$15.55 billion
note: Macedonia has a large informal sector (2005 est.)

$5.255 billion (2005 est.)

3.7% (2005 est.)

$7,600 (2005 est.)

agriculture: 9.7%
industry: 28.8%
services: 61.5% (2005 est.)

855,000 (2004 est.)

38% (2005 est.)

29.6% (2004 est.)

28.2 (1998)

0.5% (2005)

18% of GDP (2005 est.)

revenues: $2.105 billion
expenditures: $2.15 billion; including capital expenditures of $114 million (2005 est.)

37.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

grapes, wine, tobacco, vegetables; milk, eggs

food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, steel, cement, energy, pharmaceuticals

6% (2005 est.)

6.271 billion kWh (2005)

7.933 billion kWh (2005)

1.662 billion kWh (2005)

23,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

-$303 million (2005 est.)

$2.047 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

food, beverages, tobacco; miscellaneous manufactures, iron and steel

Serbia and Montenegro 27.7%, Germany 17.5%, Italy 12.1%, Greece 8%, Croatia 6.1%, US 4.3% (2004)

$3.196 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

machinery and equipment, automobiles, chemicals, fuels, food products

Greece 14.6%, Germany 12.2%, Serbia and Montenegro 9.8%, Slovenia 8.1%, Bulgaria 7.6%, Italy 6.5%, Turkey 5.7%, Romania 4.4% (2004)

$1.076 billion (2005 est.)

$1.939 billion (2005 est.)

$250 million (2003 est.)

Macedonian denar (MKD)

calendar year

525,000 (2003)

830,000 (2005)

general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 389

AM 29, FM 20, shortwave 0 (1998)

31 (plus 166 repeaters) (1995)

.mk

3,541 (2005)

392,671 (2004)

17 (2005)

total: 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
under 914 m: 8 (2005)

total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 4 (2005)

gas 268 km; oil 120 km (2004)

total: 699 km
standard gauge: 699 km 1.435-m gauge (233 km electrified) (2004)

total: 8,684 km
paved: 5,540 km
unpaved: 3,144 km (1999)

Army of the Republic of Macedonia (ARM; includes Joint Operational Command, with subordinate Air Wing); Special Force Command (2006)

ethnic Albanians in Kosovo object to demarcation of the boundary with Macedonia in accordance with the 2000 Macedonia-Serbia and Montenegro delimitation agreement; Greece continues to reject the use of the name Macedonia or Republic of Macedonia

IDPs: 2,678 (ethnic conflict in 2001) (2005)

major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish; minor transit point for South American cocaine destined for Europe; although not a financial center and most criminal activity is thought to be domestic, money laundering is a problem due to a mostly cash-based economy and weak enforcement (no arrests or prosecutions for money laundering to date)