Macedonia is a disputed country in southeastern Europe. From 1946 to 1991, it was the southernmost of the six republics that made up Yugoslavia. In 1991, after the republics of Croatia and Slovenia broke away from Yugoslavia, Macedonia also declared its independence. However, most nations have not recognized Macedonia. The Bosnian of Macedonia are a small minority, numbering less than 40,000.
Religion is their main distinguishing factor.
Macedonia was one of the first areas in the Balkan peninsula to be conquered by the Ottoman-Turkish empire, and was one of the last to be liberated during the Balkan Wars. In the beginning of the Ottoman-Turkish rule, large numbers of Bosnian Christians became Muslims. The conversions happened because as Muslims, they could get better jobs and pay lower taxes. The Bosnian quickly dominated the professions and civil-service posts in the cities. Traditionally, the Bosnian Muslims lived in male-dominated, extended farm households called zadrugas .