The Macedonian Powder-Keg Proclamation of the Faculty Government and Legislation Macedonia, which became independent in 1991 following the breakup of Yugoslavia, is a parliamentary democracy led by a coalition government. It has a popularly elected president. The population of 2.2 million is composed of a variety of national and ethnic groups, mainly Macedonians, Albanians, Turks, Roma, Serbs, and Vlachs.
All citizens are equal under the law.
The Constitution provides for the protection of the ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and religious identity of minorities, including state support for education in minority languages through secondary school and the official use of ethnic minority languages in areas where ethnic minorities make up a majority of the population. Ethnic tensions and prejudices are present in society. Representatives of the ethnic Albanian community, by far the largest minority group with 23 percent of the population according to government statistics, are the most vocal in charging discrimination. The underrepresentation of ethnic Albanians in the military and police is a major grievance in the community. To see the headlines, please reload this page.