PROFILE OF REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
INTRODUCTION
GEOGRAPY AND CLIMATE
The Republic of Macedonia is situated in South Eastern Europe, in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula, and has a geographical area of 25.713 km2. It is defined by high mountain ranges at its extremities, between which are stretched wide and flat valleys. The river Vardar is flowing through the center of the country.
Most of country’s territory lies at a latitude of between 40° and 42°. The country borders Serbia and Kosovo to the North, Bulgaria to the East, Greece to the South and Albania to the West. As a central Balkan country bordering five neighbors, the Republic of Macedonia has a range of potential trading partners, and is party to a great amount of through-travel. Moreover, the Republic of Macedonia is the main transit route for the delivery of goods from Greece, through the Balkans to Eastern, Western and Central Europe, and through Bulgaria towards the East.
The Republic of Macedonia operates at Central European Time (GMT + 1).
The Republic of Macedonia has a transitional climate from Mediterranean to continental. Along the river valleys of the Vardar and Strumica Rivers, the climate is temperate Mediterranean; in the interior, the climate is mainly continental with hot and dry summers, and cold and wet winters.
Republic of Macedonia is a country rich in with natural treasures and beauty. The number of sunny days exceeds 240, making the solar energy a potentially useful method of power generation. The mountains make up 75% of the territory and are rich with endemic forest diversities (e.g. Macedonian pine); there is a strong water potential; high quality grass lands, and breath taking caves. Macedonia also has three large tectonic lakes and over 35 smaller mountain glacier lakes. The river network spreads throughout the whole territory, irrigating the fertile alluvial soil where highly regarded fruits and vegetables are grown. There are also hot and salty springs and waterfalls, and mineral deposits such as the Alshar mine, where the unique Lorandite can be found.
POPULATION
According to official data from the census conducted in 2002, the Republic of Macedonia has 2.022.547 citizens (2.063.723 according to an estimate in 2014). The population density is 80 citizens per km2.The majority of the population are Macedonians (64.18%), with the second largest group being Albanians (25.17%), then Turks (3.85%), Roma (2.66%), Serbs (1.78%), Bosniaks (0.84%) Vlachs (0.48%) and other ethnic groups (1.04%).
The official language is Macedonian. In the municipalities where there are ethnic groups which comprise more than 20% of the entire population, besides Macedonian language, the official language of the ethnic group is also used.
The main political, administrative, and economic center of the Republic, is Skopje, a home of 668.518 citizens. Other larger cities include: Bitola (80.550); Kumanovo (76.272); Prilep (69.704); Tetovo (52.915); Veles (43.716); Ohrid (42.033); Shtip (40.016) Gostivar (35.847); Strumica (35.311); etc.
Macedonia has 84 municipalities; the number of populated areas is 1776, out of which 34 are cities.
HISTORY
Macedonia has a turbulent history. Its name, history, and territory very often a subject of claims from the neighboring countries.
The history of the country is often related to antique Macedonia and with the reign of Alexander the Great (356-323 п.н.е.). His empire covered a territory from Europe to Egypt and India. In the second century b.c., Macedonia became a province of the Roman Empire and after its split in the year 395, fell under the East Roman Kingdom - Byzantine empire.
In the 7th century Macedonia was inhabited by the Slovenes, which quickly fell under the regime of the Byzantine and Bulgarian Empires. The first Macedonian kingdom is established in the 10th century by King Samoil; however, soon after his defeat in the battle of Belasica by the Byzantine Emperor Vasilije, Macedonia again came under the reign of the Byzantine Empire. In the 14th century, all Byzantine territories, including the territory of Macedonia, were annexed to the Ottoman Empire till the beginning of the 20th century.
After the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Balkan wars (1912-1913), the political map of the Balkans dramatically changed. The Treaty of Bucharest from 1913 divided Macedonia on three parts among Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria. With the Treaty of Versailles, signed at the end of World War I, Macedonia became part of the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, a territory which became the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. During World War II, Macedonians together with the other Yugoslav people fought against the Axis powers. They joined the partisans of Josip Broz Tito and in 1944 liberated their country from the occupying forces.
By the end of World War II, an independent Republic of Macedonia was formed and became one of the six republics within the Socialistic Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). During the 1990s, the increased political freedom as well as the increased tension among the Yugoslav nations led to a collapse of the Federation. At a Referendum for sovereignty, the citizens of Republic of Macedonia voted for independence and established their own country on 8 th of September, 1991. In November 1991, the Macedonian Parliament issued the Constitution of the Republic, and in 1993 Macedonia became a member of the UN, under the name Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
The Republic of Macedonia entered the UN in 1993 and become a member of the Council of Europe in September 1995, while in November 1995, the country became a part of the NATO Partnership for Peace program.
In January 1996, Republic of Macedonia established diplomatic relations with the European Union, and it 2001 it signed the Stabilization and Association Agreement.
Republic of Macedonia is a member of the World Bank since 1999 and a member of the International Development Association from 1993. In the year 2003, Macedonia became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Republic of Macedonia is also a member of: CEI, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, IFC, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, OSCE, UNCTAD, UNESCO and many more.