North Macedonia

North Macedonia(/ˌmæsɪˈdoʊniə/MASS-ih-DOH-nee-ə),officially theRepublic of North Macedonia,is alandlocked countryinSoutheast Europe. It shares land borders withGreeceto the south,Albaniato the west,Bulgariato the east,Kosovoto the northwest andSerbiato the north.It constitutes approximately the northern third of the larger geographicalregion of Macedonia.Skopje, the capital and largest city, is home to a quarter of the country's population of 1.83 million. The majority of the residents are ethnicMacedonians, aSouth Slavic people.Albaniansform a significant minority at around 25%, followed byTurks,Roma,Serbs,Bosniaks,Aromaniansand a few other minorities.
The region's history begins with thekingdom of Paeonia. In the late sixth century BC, the area was subjugated by the PersianAchaemenid Empire, then incorporated into theKingdom of Macedoniain the fourth century BC. TheRoman Republicconquered the region in the second century BC and made it part of its larger province ofMacedonia. The area remained part of theByzantine Empire, but was often raided and settled bySlavic tribesbeginning in the sixth century of the Christian era. Followingcenturies of contentionbetween theBulgarian, Byzantine, andSerbian Empires, it was part of theOttoman Empirefrom the mid-14th until the early 20th century, when, following theBalkan Warsof 1912 and 1913, the modern territory of North Macedonia came underSerbianrule.
During theFirst World War, the territory was ruled by Bulgaria. After the end of the war, it returned to Serbian rule as part of the newly formedKingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. During theSecond World War, it was again ruled by Bulgaria; and in 1945 it was established as aconstituent stateofcommunist Yugoslavia, which it remained untilits peaceful secession in 1991. The country became a member of theUnited Nations(UN) in 1993, but as a result of adispute with Greeceover thename "Macedonia", it was admitted under the provisional description "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" (abbreviated as "FYR Macedonia" or "FYROM"). In 2018, the dispute wasresolved with an agreementthat the country should rename itself "Republic of North Macedonia". This renaming came into effect in early 2019.
North Macedonia is also a member ofNATO, theCouncil of Europe, theWorld Bank,OSCE,CEFTA,BSECand theWTO. Since 2005, it has also been acandidate for joining the European Union. North Macedonia is anupper-middle-income countryaccording to theWorld Bank's definitionsand has undergone considerable economic reform since its independence in developing anopen economy. It is adeveloping country, ranked 82nd on theHuman Development Index; and providessocial security, auniversal health caresystem, and freeprimary and secondary educationto its citizens.
The state's name derives from theGreekwordΜακεδονία(Makedonía),akingdom(later,region) named after theancient Macedonians. Their name,Μακεδόνες(Makedónes), ultimately derives from theancient Greekadjectiveμακεδνός(makednós), meaning 'tall' or 'taper',which shares the same root as the adjectiveμακρός(makrós, 'long, tall, high') in ancient Greek.The name is believed to have originally meant either 'highlanders' or 'the tall ones', possibly descriptive of thepeople.According to linguistRobert S. P. Beekes, both terms are ofpre-Greek substrateorigin and cannot be explained in terms of Indo-European morphology.According to linguist Filip De Decker, Beekes's arguments are insufficiently supported.
Apart from thethemeofMacedonia, the name "Macedonia" was largely forgotten as a geographical denomination through theByzantineandOttomaneras but was revived byBulgarianandGreeknationalist movements from the early 19th century onwards.It was revived only in middle of the century, with therise of nationalism in the Ottoman Empire.In the early 20th century the region was already a national cause, contested among Bulgarian, Greek, andSerbiannationalists. During theinterwar periodthe use of the name "Macedonia" was prohibited in theKingdom of Yugoslavia, due to the implemented policy ofSerbianisationof the local Slavic-speakers.The name "Macedonia" was adopted officially for the first time at the end of the Second World War by the newSocialist Republic of Macedonia, which became one of the six constituent countries of theSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. After thebreakup of Yugoslavia, this federal entity declared independence and changed its official name to the "Republic of Macedonia" in 1991. Prior to June 2018, the use of the name "Macedonia" wasdisputed between Greece and the then-Republic of Macedonia.
ThePrespa agreementof June 2018 saw the country change its name to the "Republic of North Macedonia" eight months later.A non-bindingnational referendumon the matter passed with 90% approval but did not reach the required 50% turnout amidst a boycott, leaving the final decision with parliament to ratify the result.Parliament approved of the name change on 19 October, reaching the required two-thirds majority needed to enact constitutional changes.The vote to amend the constitution and change the name of the country passed on 11 January 2019 in favour of the amendment.The amendment entered into force on 12 February, following the ratification of the Prespa agreement and the Protocol on the Accession of North Macedonia to NATO by theGreek Parliament.Despite the renaming, the country is unofficially referred to as "Macedonia" by most of its citizens and most local media outlets.
North Macedonia geographically roughly corresponds to the ancientkingdom of Paeonia,which was located immediately north of the ancientkingdom of Macedonia.Paeonia was inhabited by thePaeonians, whilst the northwest was inhabited by theDardaniand the southwest by tribes known historically as theEnchelaeboth are consideredIllyrianandPelagones, andLyncestaewhich are generally regarded asMolossiantribes of the northwesternGreekgroup.The headwaters of theAxios riverare mentioned byHomeras the home of thePaeoniansallies ofTroy.
In the late 6th century BC, theAchaemenid PersiansunderDarius the Greatconquered thePaeonians, incorporating what is today North Macedonia within their vast territories.Following the loss in theSecond Persian invasion of Greecein 479 BC, the Persians eventually withdrew from their European territories, including from what is today North Macedonia.
Philip II of Macedonabsorbedthe regions ofUpper Macedonia(Lynkestis and Pelagonia) and the southern part of Paeonia (Deuriopus) into the kingdom of Macedon in 356 BC.Philip's sonAlexander the Greatconquered the remainder of the region and incorporated it in hisempire, reaching as far north asScupi, but the city and the surrounding area remained part ofDardania.After the death of Alexander,Celticarmies began to bear down on the southern regions, threatening the kingdom of Macedon. In 310 BC, they attacked the area, but were defeated.
The Romansestablished theprovince of Macedoniain 146 BC. By the time ofDiocletian, the province had been subdivided betweenMacedonia Prima("first Macedonia") on the south, encompassing most of the kingdom of Macedon, andMacedonia Salutaris(meaning "wholesome Macedonia", known also asMacedonia Secunda, "second Macedonia") on the north, encompassing partially Dardania and the whole of Paeonia; most of the country's modern boundaries fell within the latter, with the city ofStobias its capital.Roman expansion brought the Scupi area under Roman rule in the time ofDomitian(81–96 AD), and it fell within the Province ofMoesia.WhilstGreekremained the dominant language in the eastern part of the Roman empire, especially south of theJireček Line, Latin spread to some extent in Macedonia.
Slavic tribessettled in the Balkan region including North Macedonia by the late 6th century AD. They were led byPannonian Avars.The Slavs settled on places of earlier settlements and probably merged later with the local populations to form mixed Byzantine-Slavic communities.Historical records document that inc.680aBulgarruler calledKuberled a group of largely Christians calledSermesianoi, who were his subjects, and they settled in the region ofPelagonia. They may have consisted of Bulgars, Byzantines, Slavs and even Germanic tribes.There is no more information of Kuber's life.Presian's reign apparently coincides with the extension of Bulgarian control over the Slavic tribes in and around Macedonia. The Slavic tribes that settled in the region of Macedonia converted to Christianity around the 9th century during the reign of TsarBoris I of Bulgaria. TheOhrid Literary Schoolbecame one of the two major cultural centres of the First Bulgarian Empire, along with thePreslav Literary School. Established in Ohrid in 886 by SaintClement of Ohridon the order of Boris I, the Ohrid Literary School was involved in the spreading of theCyrillic script.
AfterSviatoslav's invasion of Bulgaria, the Byzantines took control of East Bulgaria.Samuilwas proclaimedTsar of Bulgaria. He moved the capital to Skopje and then to Ohrid, which had been the cultural and military centre of southwestern Bulgaria since Boris I's rule. Samuil re-established Bulgarian power, but after several decades of conflicts, in 1014, the Byzantine EmperorBasil IIdefeated his armies, and within four years the Byzantines restored control over the Balkans (modern-day North Macedonia was included into a new province, calledBulgaria). The rank of the autocephalousBulgarian Patriarchatewas lowered due to its subjugation toConstantinopleand it was transformed into theArchbishopric of Ohrid. By the late 12th century, Byzantine decline saw the region contested by various political entities, including a briefNormanoccupation in the 1080s.
In the early 13th century, a revivedBulgarian Empiregained control of the region. Plagued by political difficulties, the empire did not last, and the region came once again under Byzantine control in the early 14th century. In the 14th century, it became part of theSerbian Empire. Skopje became the capital of TsarStefan Dušan's empire. Following Dušan's death, a weak successor appeared, and power struggles between nobles divided the Balkans once again. These events coincided with the entry of theOttoman Turksinto Europe.
TheKingdom of Prilepwas one of the short-lived states that emerged from the collapse of the Serbian Empire in the 14th century, which was seized by the Ottomans at the end of the same century.Gradually, all of the central Balkans were conquered by theOttoman Empireand remained under its domination for five centuries as part of the province orEyaletofRumelia. The nameRumelia(Turkish:Rumeli) means "Land of the Romans" in Turkish, referring to the lands conquered by the Ottoman Turks from the Byzantine Empire.Over the centuries, Rumelia Eyalet was reduced in size through administrative reforms, until by the 19th century it consisted of a region of central Albania and western North Macedonia with its capital at Manastir or present-dayBitola.Rumelia Eyalet was abolished in 1867 and that territory of Macedonia subsequently became part of vilayets ofManastir,KosovaandSelanikuntil the end of Ottoman rule in 1912. With the beginning of theBulgarian National Revivalin the 19th century, many of the reformers were from this region, including theMiladinov brothers,Rajko Žinzifov,Joakim Krčovski,Kiril Pejčinoviḱand others. The bishoprics of Skopje,Debar,Bitola,Ohrid,Veles, andStrumicavoted to join theBulgarian Exarchateafter it was established in 1870.
Several movements whose goals were the establishment of an autonomous Macedonia, which would encompass the entire region of Macedonia, began to arise in the late 19th century; the earliest of these was theBulgarian Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Committees, later becoming Secret Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (SMARO). In 1905 it was renamed the Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (IMARO), and afterWorld War Ithe organisation separated into theInternal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization(IMRO) and theInternal Thracian Revolutionary Organisation(ITRO).
In the early years of the organisation, membership eligibility was exclusive to Bulgarians, but later it was extended to all inhabitants of European Turkey regardless of ethnicity or religion.The majority of its members wereMacedonian Bulgarians.In 1903, IMRO organised theIlinden–Preobrazhenie Uprisingagainst theOttomans, which after some initial successes, including the forming of theKruševo Republic, was crushed with much loss of life.The uprising and the forming of the Kruševo Republic are considered the cornerstone and precursors to the eventual establishment of the Macedonian state.The leaders of the Ilinden uprising are celebrated as national heroes in North Macedonia. The names of IMRO revolutionaries likeGotse Delchev,Pitu Guli,Dame GruevandYane Sandanskiwere included into the lyrics of the national anthem of the state of North Macedonia "Denes nad Makedonija" ("Today over Macedonia"). The major national holiday of North Macedonia, theRepublic Day, is celebrated on 2 August, Ilinden (St. Elijah day), the day of the Ilinden uprising.
Following the twoBalkan Warsof 1912 and 1913 and thedissolution of the Ottoman Empire, most of its European-held territories were divided between Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia.Almost the territory that was to become North Macedonia was annexed by Serbia conforming to thetreaty of peaceconcluded at Bucharest.However,Strumicaregion was passed to Bulgaria. Following the partition, an anti-Bulgarian campaign was carried out in the areas under Serbian and Greek control.As many as 641 Bulgarian schools and 761 churches were closed by the Serbs, while Exarchist clergy and teachers were expelled.The use of allMacedonian dialectsand standard Bulgarian were proscribed.IMRO, together with local Albanians, organised theOhrid–Debar uprisingagainst the Serbian rule. Within a few days the rebels captured the towns of Gostivar, Struga and Ohrid, expelling the Serbian troops. According to theCarnegie Endowment for International Peacereport, a Serbian army of 100,000 regulars suppressed the uprising. Many were killed and tens of thousands refugees fled to Bulgaria and Albania.
During theFirst World War, most of today's North Macedonia was part of theBulgarian occupied zone of Serbiaafter the country wasinvadedby theCentral Powersin the fall of 1915.The region was known as the "Military Inspection Area of Macedonia" and was administered by a Bulgarian military commander.A policy ofBulgarisationof the region and its population was immediately initiated,during the period the IMRO arose from a clandestine organisation to serve as gendarmerie, taking control of the whole police structure, enforcing the Bulgarisation of the region.According toRobert Gerwarth, the Bulgarian denationalisation policy, including its paramilitary aspect, was almost identical in its intent and execution to the Serbian policy that preceded it.
Bulgarian language was to be exclusively used,Serbian Cyrillicwas forbidden, Serbian priests were arrested and deported, Serbian-sounding names had to be changed to Bulgarian ones,school teachers were brought from Bulgaria while Serbian books were taken from schools and libraries and publicly destroyed.Adult males were sent to labour camps or forced to join the Bulgarian Army, representatives of the Serbianintelligentsiawere deported or executed.According toPaul Mojzesthe aim of the Bulgarian government was to create pure Bulgarian territories by denationalising the non-Bulgarian Slavic population of Macedonia.
After the capitulation of Bulgaria and the end of the First World War, the area returned under Belgrade control as part of the newly formedKingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenesand saw a reintroduction of anti-Bulgarian measures. Bulgarian teachers and clergy were expelled, Bulgarian language signs and books removed, and all Bulgarian organisations dissolved.Also after theTreaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine, the Strumica region was annexed to Serbian Macedonia in 1919.
The Serbian government pursued a policy of forcedSerbianisationin the region,which included systematic suppression of Bulgarian activists, altering family surnames, internal colonisation, exploiting workers, and intense propaganda.To aid the implementation of this policy, some 50,000 Serbian army andgendarmeriewere stationed in present-day North Macedonia.By 1940 about 280 Serbian colonies (comprising 4,200 families) were established as part of the government's internal colonisation program (initial plans envisaged 50,000 families settling in present-day North Macedonia).
In 1929, the Kingdom was officially renamed theKingdom of Yugoslavia, and divided into provinces calledbanovinas. South Serbia, including all of present-day North Macedonia, became theVardar Banovinaof the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
TheInternal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization(IMRO) promoted the concept of anIndependent Macedoniain theinterwar period. Its leaders—includingTodor Alexandrov,Aleksandar Protogerov, andIvan Mihailov—promoted independence of the Macedonian territory split between Serbia and Greece for the whole population, regardless of religion and ethnicity.The Bulgarian government ofAlexander Malinovin 1918 offered to givePirin Macedoniafor that purpose afterWorld War I,but the Great Powers did not adopt this idea because Serbia and Greece opposed it. In 1924, theCommunist International(Comintern) suggested that all Balkan communist parties adopt a platform of a "United Macedonia" but the suggestion was rejected by the Bulgarian and Greek communists.
IMRO followed by starting an insurgent war in Vardar Macedonia, together withMacedonian Youth Secret Revolutionary Organization, which also conducted guerrilla attacks against the Serbian administrative and army officials there. In 1923 in Stip, a paramilitary organisation calledAssociation against Bulgarian Banditswas formed by Serbianchetniks, IMRO renegades andMacedonian Federative Organization(MFO) members to oppose IMRO and MMTRO.On 9 October 1934, IMRO memberVlado ChernozemskiassassinatedAlexander I of Yugoslavia.
TheMacedonistideas increased in Yugoslav Vardar Macedonia and among the left diaspora in Bulgaria during the interwar period. They were supported by the Comintern.In 1934, the Comintern issued aspecial resolutionin which for the first time directions were provided for recognising the existence of a separate Macedonian nation and Macedonian language.
During World War II, Yugoslavia was occupied by theAxis powersfrom 1941 to 1945. The Vardar Banovina was divided between Bulgaria and Italian-occupied Albania.Bulgarian Action Committeeswere established to prepare the region for the new Bulgarian administration and army.The committees were mostly formed by former members of IMRO and Macedonian Youth Secret Revolutionary Organization (MYSRO, but someIMRO (United)former members also participated.
As leader of the Vardar Macedonian communists,Metodi Shatorov("Sharlo") switched from theYugoslav Communist Partyto theBulgarian Communist Partyand refused to start military action against theBulgarian Army.The Bulgarian authorities, under German pressure,were responsible for the round-up and deportation of over 7,000 Jews in Skopje andBitola.Harsh rule by the occupying forces encouraged many Vardar Macedonians to support theCommunist Partisanresistance movement ofJosip Broz Titoafter 1943,and theNational Liberation Warensued.
In Vardar Macedonia, after theBulgarian coup d'état of 1944, the Bulgarian troops, surrounded by German forces, fought their way back to the old borders of Bulgaria.Under the leadership of the new Bulgarian pro-Soviet government, four armies, 455,000 strong in total, were mobilised and reorganised. Most of them re-entered occupied Yugoslavia in early October 1944 and moved fromSofiatoNiš, Skopje andPristinawith the strategic task of blocking the German forces withdrawing from Greece.The Bulgarian army wouldreach the Alpsin Austria, participating in the expulsion of the Germans to the west, through Yugoslavia and Hungary.
Compelled by theSoviet Unionwith a view towards the creation of a largeSouth Slav Federation, in 1946 the new Communist government, led byGeorgi Dimitrov, agreed to give Bulgarian Macedonia to aUnited Macedonia. With theBled agreement, in 1947 Bulgaria formally confirmed the envisioned unification of the Macedonian region, but postponed this act until after the formation of the future Federation.It was the first time it accepted the existence of a separate Macedonian ethnicity and language. After theTito–Stalin splitthe region of Pirin Macedonia remained part of Bulgaria and later the Bulgarian Communist Party revised its view of the existence of a separate Macedonian nation and language.
In December 1944, theAnti-fascist Assembly for the National Liberation of Macedonia(ASNOM) proclaimed the People's Republic of Macedonia as part of the People's Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.ASNOM remained an acting government until the end of the war. The Macedonian alphabet was codified by linguists of ASNOM, who based their alphabet on the phonetic alphabet ofVuk Stefanović Karadžićand the principles ofKrste Petkov Misirkov. During thecivil war in Greece(1946–1949), Macedonian communist insurgents supported the Greek communists. Many refugees fled to the Socialist Republic of Macedonia from there. The state removed "Socialist" from its name in 1991 when it peacefully seceded from Yugoslavia.
The new republic became one of the six republics of the Yugoslav federation. Following the federation's renaming as theSocialist Federal Republic of Yugoslaviain 1963, the People's Republic of Macedonia was likewise renamed the Socialist Republic of Macedonia.
North Macedonia officially celebrates 8 September 1991 asIndependence day(Macedonian:Ден на независноста,Den na nezavisnosta), with regard tothe referendum endorsing independence from Yugoslavia.The anniversary of the start of theIlinden Uprising(St. Elijah's Day) on 2 August is also widely celebrated on an official level as theDay of the Republic.
Robert Badinter, as the head of theArbitration Commission of the Peace Conference on Yugoslavia, recommended EC recognition in January 1992.On 15 January 1992, Bulgaria was the first country to recognise the independence of the republic.
Macedonia remained at peace through theYugoslav Warsof the early 1990s. A few very minor changes to its border with Yugoslavia were agreed upon to resolve problems with the demarcation line between the two countries. It was seriously destabilised by theKosovo Warin 1999, when an estimated 360,000 ethnic Albanian refugees from Kosovo took refuge in the country.They departed shortly after the war, andAlbanian nationalistson both sides of the border took up arms soon after in pursuit of autonomy or independence for the Albanian-populated areas of Macedonia.
Aconflicttook place between the government and ethnic Albanian insurgents, mostly in the north and west of the country, between February and August 2001.The war ended with the intervention of aNATOceasefire monitoring force. Under the terms of theOhrid Agreement, the government agreed to devolve greater political power and cultural recognition to the Albanian minority.The Albanian side agreed to abandon separatist demands and to recognise all Macedonian institutions fully. In addition, according to this accord, theNLAwere to disarm and hand over their weapons to a NATO force.However the Macedonian security forces had two more armed confrontations with Albanian militant groups, in2007and2015respectively.
Inter-ethnic tensionsflared in Macedonia in 2012, with incidents of violence between ethnic Albanians and Macedonians.In April 2017, about 200 protesters - reportedly mostly from the conservative VMRO-DPMNE party,stormedthe Macedonian Parliament in response to the election of Talat Xhaferi, an ethnic Albanian and formerNational Liberation Armycommander during the 2001 conflict, as the Speaker of the Assembly.
Upon its coming to power in 2006, but especially since the country's non-invitation to NATO in 2008, the VMRO-DPMNE government pursued a policy of "Antiquisation" ("Antikvizatzija") as a way of putting pressure on Greece as well as for the purposes of domestic identity-building.Statues ofAlexander the GreatandPhilip of Macedonhave been erected in several cities across the country. Additionally, many pieces of public infrastructure, such as airports, highways, and stadiums were renamed after Alexander and Philip. These actions were seen as deliberate provocations in neighbouring Greece, exacerbating the dispute and further stalling the country's EU and NATO applications.The policy has also attracted criticism domestically, as well as from EU diplomats,and, following the Prespa agreement, it has been partly reversed after 2016 by the newSDSMgovernment of North Macedonia.Moreover, per Prespa agreement both countries have acknowledged that their respective understanding of the terms "Macedonia" and "Macedonian" refers to a different historical context and cultural heritage.
In August 2017, what was then the Republic of Macedonia signed afriendship agreementwith Bulgaria, aiming to end the "anti-Bulgarian ideology" in the country and to solve the historical issues between the two.
Under thePrespa agreement, signed with Greece on 17 June 2018, the country agreed to change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia and stop public use of theVergina Sun. It retained the demonym "Macedonian", but clarified this as distinct from the Hellenistic Macedonian identity in northern Greece. The agreement included removal of irredentist material from textbooks and maps in both countries, and official UN recognition of the SlavicMacedonian language. It replaced the bilateral Interim Accord of 1995.
The withdrawal of the Greek veto, along with the signing the friendship agreement with Bulgaria, resulted in the European Union on 27 June approving the start ofaccession talks, which were expected to take place in 2019, under the condition that the Prespa deal was implemented.On 5 July, the Prespa agreement was ratified by the Macedonian parliament with 69 MPs voting in favour of it.On 12 July,NATOinvited Macedonia to start accession talks in a bid to become the alliance's 30th member.On 30 July, the parliament of Macedonia approved plans to hold a non-bindingreferendum on changing the country's name, which took place on 30 September.Ninety-one percent of voters voted in favour with a 37% turnout,but the referendum was not carried because of a constitutional requirement for a 50% turnout.
On 6 February 2019, the permanent representatives of NATO member states and Macedonian Foreign Affairs Minister Nikola Dimitrov, signed inBrusselstheaccession protocolof North Macedonia into NATO.The protocol was then ratified on 8 February by the Greek parliament, thus completing all the preconditions for putting into force the Prespa agreement. Subsequently, on 12 February the Macedonian government announced the formal activation of the constitutional amendments which effectively renamed the country as North Macedonia and informed accordingly the United Nations and its member states.
In March 2020, after the ratification process by all NATO members was completed, North Macedoniaacceded to NATO, becoming the 30th member state.The same month, the leaders of theEuropean Unionformally gave approval to North Macedonia to begin talks to join the EU.On 17 November 2020, Bulgaria refused to approve the European Union's negotiation framework for North Macedonia, effectively blocking the official start of accession talks with this country.The explanation from the Bulgarian side was: no implementation of the friendship treaty from 2017, state-supported hate speech, minority claims, and an "ongoing nation-building process" based on historical negationism of the Bulgarian identity, culture and legacy in the broaderregion of Macedonia.The veto received condemnation by intellectuals from both statesand criticism from international observers.
Protests broke out inJuly 2022, organized by the opposition parties, over the French proposal for theaccession of North Macedonia to the EU.The accession talks for the accession of North Macedonia to the EU officially began in the same month, after the French proposal was passed by the Assembly of North Macedonia.
The 2023 European Commission Progress Report has cited the unfulfilled constitutional changes, as the primary reasons for the blocking of the further country's accession path. The EU's intention regarding the country's accession seems unclear, excluding desire to maintain its geopolitical influence here, countering the Chinese and Russian impact in the Western Balkans.On 25 September 2024, the EU announced the separation of Albania from North Macedonia on the EU accession path, due to the disputes between North Macedonia and Bulgaria.Following the decision, the EU opened negotiations on the first chapters with Albania separately on October 15, 2024.
North Macedonia has a total area of 25,436 km(9,821 sq mi).It lies between latitudes40°and43° N, and mostly between longitudes20°and23° E(a small area lies east of 23°). North Macedonia has some 748 km (465 mi) of boundaries, shared withSerbia(62 km or 39 mi) to the North,Kosovo(159 km or 99 mi) to the northwest,Bulgaria(148 km or 92 mi) to the east,Greece(228 km or 142 mi) to the south, andAlbania(151 km or 94 mi) to the west. It is a transit way for shipment of goods from Greece, through the Balkans, towards Eastern, Western and Central Europe and through Bulgaria to the east. It is part of the larger region ofMacedonia, which also includesGreek Macedoniaand theBlagoevgrad Provincein southwestern Bulgaria.
North Macedonia is alandlocked countrythat is geographically clearly defined by a central valley formed by the Vardar river and framed along its borders by mountain ranges. The terrain is mostly rugged, located between theŠar MountainsandOsogovo, which frame the valley of theVardarriver. Three large lakes—Lake Ohrid,Lake PrespaandDojran Lake—lie on the southern borders, 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.
North Macedonia also has scenic mountains. They belong to two different mountain ranges: the first is the Šar Mountainsthat continues to the West Vardar/Pelagonia group of mountains (Baba Mountain,Nidže,KožufandJakupica), also known as theDinaric range. The second range is theOsogovo–Belasicamountain chain, also known as theRhodope range. The mountains belonging to the Šar Mountains and the West Vardar/Pelagonia range are younger and higher than the older mountains of the Osogovo-Belasica mountain group.Mount Korabof the Šar Mountains on the Albanian border, at 2,764 m (9,068 ft), is the tallest mountain in North Macedonia. In North Macedonia there are 1,100 large sources of water. The rivers flow into three different basins: the Aegean, theAdriaticand theBlack Sea.
The Aegean basin is the largest. It covers 87% of the territory of North Macedonia, which is 22,075 square kilometres (8,523 sq mi).Vardar, the largest river in this basin, drains 80% of the territory or 20,459 square kilometres (7,899 sq mi). Its valley plays an important part in the economy and the communication system of the country. The Vardar Valley project is considered to be crucial for the strategic development of the country. The riverBlack Drinforms the Adriatic basin, which covers an area of about 3,320 km(1,282 sq mi), i.e., 13% of the territory. It receives water from Lakes Prespa and Ohrid. The Black Sea basin is the smallest with only 37 km(14 sq mi). It covers the northern side of MountSkopska Crna Gora. This is the source of the riverBinačka Morava, which joins theMorava, and later, theDanube, which flows into the Black Sea. North Macedonia has around fifty ponds and three natural lakes,Lake Ohrid,Lake PrespaandLake Dojran. In North Macedonia there are nine spa towns and resorts: Banište, Banja Bansko, Istibanja, Katlanovo,Kežovica, Kosovrasti, Banja Kočani, Kumanovski Banji and Negorci.
Four different seasons are found in the country with warm and dry summers and moderately cold and snowy winters. The range of temperatures recorded throughout the year ranges from −20 °C (−4 °F) in winter, to 40 °C (104 °F) in summer. Low winter temperatures are influenced by winds from the north while heat seasons during summer arise due to the subtropical pressure of the Aegean Sea and climate influences from theMiddle East, with the latter causing dry periods.There are three main climatic zones in the country: mildlycontinentalin the north, temperateMediterraneanin the south andmountainousin the zones with high altitude.Along the valleys of the Vardar andStrumicarivers, in the regions ofGevgelija,Valandovo,Dojran, Strumica, andRadoviš, the climate is temperate Mediterranean. The warmest regions areDemir Kapijaand Gevgelija, where the temperature in July and August frequently exceeds 40 °C (104 °F).
Average annual precipitation varies from 1,700 mm (66.9 in) in the western mountainous area to 500 mm (19.7 in) in the eastern area. There is a low level of precipitation in the Vardar valley with 500 mm (19.7 in) of water per year.The climate and irrigation diversity allow the cultivation of different plant types, includingwheat,corn,potatoes, poppies, peanuts, andrice.There are thirty main and regular weather stations in the country.
The flora of North Macedonia is represented by around 210families, 920genera, and around 3,700 plant species. The most abundant group are theflowering plantswith around 3,200 species, followed bymosses(350 species) andferns(42).
Phytogeographically, North Macedonia belongs to the Illyrian province of theCircumboreal Regionwithin theBoreal Kingdom. According to theWorld Wide Fund for Nature(WWF) and the Digital Map of European Ecological Regions by theEuropean Environment Agency, the territory of the Republic can be subdivided into four terrestrialecoregions: thePindus Mountains mixed forests,Balkan mixed forests,Rodope montane mixed forests, andAegean and Western Turkey sclerophyllous and mixed forests.North Macedonia had a 2019Forest Landscape Integrity Indexmean score of 7.42/10, ranking it 40th globally out of 172 countries.
The native forest fauna is abundant and includes bears,wild boars, wolves, foxes, squirrels,chamoisand deer. Thelynxis found, very rarely, in the mountains of western Macedonia, while deer can be found in the region ofDemir Kapija. Forest birds include theblackcap, thegrouse, theblack grouse, theimperial eagleand the forest owl.
The country hasfour national parks:
North Macedonia is aparliamentary democracywith anexecutive governmentcomposed of a coalition of parties from theunicameral legislature(Собрание,Sobranie;Assemblyin English) and an independentjudicial branchwith aconstitutional court. TheAssemblyis made up of 120 seats and the members are elected every four years. The role of thepresidentis mostly ceremonial, with the real power resting in the hands of theprime minister. The president is thecommander-in-chiefof the state armed forces and a president of theState SecurityCouncil. The president is elected every five years and he or she can be elected twice at most.
Since 2019, local government functions are divided between 80municipalities(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 North Macedonia are units of local self-government. Neighbouring municipalities may establish co-operative arrangements.
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, 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, North Macedonia saw a relatively calm and democratic change of government in theelections held on 5 July 2006. The elections were marked by a decisive victory of the centre-right partyVMRO-DPMNEled byNikola Gruevski. Gruevski's decision to include theDemocratic Party of Albaniansin the new government, instead of theDemocratic Union for Integration–Party for Democratic Prosperitycoalition which won the majority of the Albanian votes, triggered protests throughout the parts of the country with a respective number of Albanian population. A dialogue was later established between the Democratic Union for Integration and the ruling VMRO-DMPNE party as an effort to talk about the disputes between the two parties and to support European and NATO aspirations of the country.
After the early parliamentary elections held in 2008, VMRO-DPMNE and Democratic Union for Integration formed a ruling coalition.In April 2009, presidential and local elections in the country were carried out peacefully, which was crucial for Macedonian aspirations to join the EU.The ruling conservative VMRO-DPMNE party won a victory in the local elections and the candidate supported by the party, Gjorgi Ivanov, was elected as the new president.
In June 2017,Zoran Zaevof theSocial Democratic Party, became the new prime minister six months after early elections. The new center-left government ended 11 years of conservative VMRO-DPMNE rule led by former prime minister Nikola Gruevski.
As of 4 January 2020, the acting prime minister of North Macedonia wasOliver Spasovskiand the president of the Parliament wasTalat Xhaferi.The election of Xhaferi was immediately met with protests led by VMRO-DPMNE, which was quickly handled by the police.
The early parliamentary elections took place on 15 July 2020.Zoran Zaev has served as the prime minister of the Republic of North Macedonia again since August 2020.Stevo Pendarovskiwas sworn in as North Macedonia's president in May 2019.Prime minister Zoran Zaev announced his resignation after his party, the Social Democratic Union, suffered losses in local elections in October 2021.In January 2022,Dimitar Kovačevskiwas elected as prime minister. The new coalition cabinet composed of Kovačevski's Social Democrats and two ethnic Albanian parties.Gordana Siljanovska-Davkovatook office on 12 May 2024, becoming the country's first female president.
Parliament, or Assembly (Macedonian:Собрание,Sobranie), is the country's legislative body. It makes, proposes and adopts laws. TheConstitution of North Macedoniahas been in use since shortly after the independence of the republic in 1991. It limits the power of the governments, both local and national. The military is also limited by the constitution. The constitution states that North Macedonia is a social free state, and that Skopje is the capital.The 120 members are elected for a mandate of four years through a general election. Each citizen aged 18 years or older can vote for one of the political parties. The current president of Parliament isJovan Mitreskisince 2024.
Executive power in North Macedonia is exercised by the Government, whose prime minister is the most politically powerful person in the country. The members of the government are chosen by the prime minister and there are ministers for each branch of the society. There are ministers for economy, finance, information technology, society, internal affairs, foreign affairs and other areas. The members of the Government are elected for a mandate of four years. Judiciary power is exercised by courts, with the court system being headed by the JudicialSupreme court, Constitutional Court and the Republican Judicial Council. The assembly appoints the judges.
The use of the name "Macedonia" was disputed between Greece and North Macedonia. The specific naming dispute was reignited after thebreakup of Yugoslaviaand the newly gained independence of the former Socialist Republic of Macedonia in 1991.Greece opposed the use of the name without a geographical qualifier so as to avoid confusion with its own region ofGreek Macedoniato the south.As some ethnic Greeks identify themselves as Macedonians, unrelated to the Slavic people who are associated with North Macedonia, Greece further objected to the use of the termMacedonianfor the neighbouring country's largest ethnic group; it accused the country of appropriating symbols and figures that are historically considered parts ofGreece's culture(such asVergina SunandAlexander the Great), and of promoting theirredentistconcept of aUnited Macedonia, which would include territories of Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, and Serbia.
The UN adopted the provisional referencethe former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia(Macedonian:Поранешна Југословенска Република Македонија) when the country was admitted to the organisation in 1993.The lower-cased "former" was chosen intentionally to display the provisionality of the name although most UN member countries soon abandoned the provisional reference and recognised the country as theRepublic of Macedoniainstead.Most international organisations adopted the same convention along with over 100 UN members and four of the five permanentUN Security Councilmembers.In the period between 1991 and 2019, the country's name was an ongoing issue in bilateral and international relations. The UN set up a negotiating process with a mediator,Matthew Nimetz, and the two parties to try to mediate the dispute. Following the ratification of the Prespa agreement, most major international organisations welcomed the settlement of the long-standing dispute, and adopted the country's new name.
North Macedonia became a member state of the UN on 8 April 1993, eighteen months after its independence from Yugoslavia. It was referred to within the UN as "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", until the resolution of thelong-running disputewith Greece about the country's name.
The major interest of the country is a full integration in the European and theTrans-Atlanticintegration processes.
North Macedonia is a member of the following international and regional organisations:IMF(since 1992),WHO(since 1993),EBRD(since 1993),Central European Initiative(since 1993),Council of Europe(since 1995),OSCE(since 1995),SECI(since 1996),La Francophonie(since 2001),WTO(since 2003),CEFTA(since 2006), andNATO(since 2020).
In 2005, the country was officially recognised as aEuropean Unioncandidate state.
At the NATO2008 Bucharest summit, Macedonia failed to gain an invitation to join the organisation because Greece vetoed the move after the dispute over the name issue.The U.S. had previously expressed support for an invitation,but the summit then decided to extend an invitation only on condition of a resolution of the naming conflict with Greece.
In March 2009, theEuropean Parliamentexpressed support for North Macedonia's EU candidacy and asked the EU Commission to grant the country a date for the start of accession talks by the end of 2009. The parliament also recommended a speedy lifting of the visa regime for Macedonian citizens.Prior to the Prespa agreement, the country failed to receive a start date for accession talks as a result of the naming dispute. However, after the Prespa agreement, North Macedonia became a member state of NATO on 27 March 2020. The EU's stance was similar to NATO's in that resolution of the naming dispute was a precondition for the start of accession talks.
In October 2012, the EU Enlargement CommissionerŠtefan Füleproposed a start of accession negotiations with the country for the fourth time, while the previous efforts were blocked each time by Greece. At the same time Füle visited Bulgaria in a bid to clarify the state's position with respect to Macedonia. He established that Bulgaria had almost joined Greece in vetoing the accession talks. The Bulgarian position was that Sofia cannot grant an EU certificate to Skopje, which is systematically employing an ideology of hate towards Bulgaria.
The Army of the Republic of North Macedonia (ARSM) is led by theGeneral Staff, below which are the Operations Command, whose forces include theMechanized Infantry Brigade, theAir Brigade, theSpecial Operations Regiment, and several independent battalions; the Training and Doctrine Command, which also oversees theMilitary Reserve Force; and the Logistics Base. There is also an Honor Guard Battalion that is directly subordinated to the General Staff.The ARSM has 8,000 active personnel and 4,850 reservists, as well as a military budget of US$235 million in 2022.It has been a volunteer military since conscription was ended in 2007. North Macedonia has deployed troops to Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq, Kosovo, and Lebanon, as part of NATO, EU, or UN missions.
The Ministry of Defence develops the Republic's defence strategy and assesses possible threats and risks. It is also responsible for the defence system, including training, readiness, equipment, and development, and for drawing up and presenting the defence budget.
North Macedonia is a signatory to theEuropean Convention on Human Rightsand the UN GenevaConvention Relating to the Status of RefugeesandConvention against Torture, and the Constitution guarantees basic human rights to all Macedonian citizens.
According to human rights organisations, in 2003 there were suspected extrajudicial executions, threats against, and intimidation of, human rights activists and opposition journalists, and allegations of torture by the police.
North Macedonia's statistical regions exist solely for legal and statistical purposes. The regions are:
In August 2004, the country was reorganised into 84 municipalities (opštini; sing.opština); 10 of the municipalities constitute the City ofSkopje, a distinct unit of local self-government and the country's capital.
Most of the current municipalities were unaltered or merely amalgamated from the previous 123 municipalities established in September 1996; others were consolidated and their borders changed. Prior to this, local government was organised into 34 administrative districts, communes, or counties (also opštini).
Ranked as the fourth "best reformatory state" out of 178 countries ranked by theWorld Bankin 2009, North Macedonia has undergone considerable economic reform since independence.The country has developed anopen economywith trade accounting for more than 90% of GDP in recent years. Since 1996, North Macedonia has witnessed steady, though slow, economic growth with GDP growing by 3.1% in 2005. This figure was projected to rise to an average of 5.2% in the 2006–2010 period.The government has proven successful in its efforts to combat inflation, with aninflation rateof only 3% in 2006 and 2% in 2007,and has implemented policies focused on attractingforeign investmentand promoting the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
The current government introduced aflat taxsystem with the intention of making the country more attractive to foreign investment. The flat tax rate was 12% in 2007 and was further lowered to 10% in 2008.as of 2005North Macedonia'sunemployment ratewas 37.2%and as of 2006itspoverty ratewas 22%.Due to a number of employment measures as well as the successful process of attracting multinational corporations, and according to the State Statistical Office of North Macedonia, the country's unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2015 decreased to 27.3%.Government's policies and efforts in regards to foreign direct investments have resulted with the establishment of local subsidiaries of several world leading manufacturing companies, especially from the automotive industry, such as:Johnson Controls Inc.,Van Hool NV,Johnson Matthey plc,Lear Corp.,Visteon Corp.,Kostal GmbH,Gentherm Inc.,Dräxlmaier Group,Kromberg & Schubert,Marquardt GmbH,Amphenol Corp.,Tekno Hose SpA,KEMET Corp.,Key Safety Systems Inc.,ODW-Elektrik GmbH, etc.
In terms of GDP structure, as of 2013, the manufacturing sector (including mining and construction)constituted the largest part of GDP at 21.4%, up from 21.1% in 2012. The trade, transportation and accommodation sector represents 18.2% of GDP in 2013, up from 16.7% in 2012, while agriculture represents 9.6%, up from 9.1% in the previous year.
In terms of foreign trade, the largest sector contributing to the country's export in 2014 was "chemicals and related products" at 21.4%, followed by the "machinery and transport equipment" sector at 21.1%. North Macedonia's main import sectors in 2014 were "manufactured goods classified chiefly by material" with 34.2%, "machinery and transport equipment" with 18.7% and "mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials" with 14.4% of the total imports. Even 68.8% of the foreign trade in 2014 was done with the EU which makes the Union by far the largest trading partner of North Macedonia (23.3% with Germany, 7.9% with the UK, 7.3% with Greece, 6.2% with Italy, etc.). Almost 12% of the total external trade in 2014 was done with the Western Balkan countries.In 2007, North Macedonia's information technology market increased 63.8% year on year, which was the fastest growing in the Adriatic region.
North Macedonia has one of the highest shares of people struggling financially, with 72% of its citizens stating that they could manage on their household's income only "with difficulty" or "with great difficulty", though North Macedonia, along with Croatia, was the only country in the Western Balkans to not report an increase in this statistic.Corruption and a relatively ineffective legal system also act as significant restraints on successfuleconomic development. North Macedonia still has one of the lowestper capita GDPsin Europe. Furthermore, the country'sgrey marketis estimated at close to 20% of GDP.PPS GDP per capita stood at 36% of the EU average in 2017.With a GDP per capita of US$9,157 atpurchasing power parityand aHuman Development Indexof 0.701, North Macedonia is less developed and has a considerably smaller economy than most of the former Yugoslav states.
The outbreak of the Yugoslav wars and the imposition of sanctions onSerbia and Montenegrocaused great damage to the country's economy, with Serbia constituting 60% of its markets before the disintegration of Yugoslavia. When Greece imposed atrade embargoon the Republic in 1994–95, the economy was also affected. Some relief was afforded by the end of theBosnian Warin November 1995 and the lifting of the Greek embargo, but theKosovo Warof 1999 and the 2001 Albanian crisis caused further destabilisation.
Since the end of the Greek embargo, Greece has become the country's most important business partner. (SeeGreek investments in North Macedonia.) Many Greek companies have bought former state companies in North Macedonia,such as theoil refineryOkta, the baking company Zhito Luks, a marble mine inPrilep, textile facilities in Bitola, etc., and employ 20,000 people. The moving of business to North Macedonia in the oil sector has been caused by the rise of Greece in the oil markets.
Other key partners are Germany, Italy, the United States, Slovenia, Austria and Turkey.
Tourismplays a significant role in the economy of North Macedonia accounting for 6.7% of its GDP in 2016. The annual income from tourism was estimated at 38.5 billion denars (€616 million) in that year.Following its independence, the most serious negative impact on tourism performance occurred due to the armed conflicts taking place in 2001.The number of foreign visitors has been on the rise since, with a 14.6% increase in 2011.In 2019, North Macedonia received 1,184,963 tourist arrivals out of which 757,593 foreign.Most numerous are tourists fromTurkey, neighboring Serbia, Greece and Bulgaria,Polandand other countries of Western Europe.The biggest bulk of tourists, approximately 60% of the million tourists that visited the country in 2017, was situated in Skopje and the southwestern region of the country.
The most significant tourism branches are lake tourism as there are three lakes in Ohrid, Prespa and Dojran and over 50 small glacial lakes of variable sizes, mountainous tourism as there are 16 mountains higher than 2,000 metres. Other forms of tourism also include rural and ecotourism, city tourism andcultural tourism, represented through gastronomy, traditional music, cultural celebrations and cultural heritage sites.
North Macedonia (along withMontenegro,Bosnia and Herzegovinaand Kosovo) belongs to the less-developed southern region of the former Yugoslavia. It suffered severe economic difficulties after independence, when the Yugoslavinternal marketcollapsed and subsidies from Belgrade ended. In addition, it faced many of the same problems faced by other former socialistEast Europeancountries during the transition to amarket 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.
North Macedonia is a landlocked country in the middle of the Balkan peninsula, and the main transport links in the country are those that connect the different parts of the peninsula (trans-Balkan links). Particularly important is the connection between north–south and Vardar valley, which connects Greece with the rest of Europe. As of 2019, there were 10,591 km (6,581 mi) of roads, of which about 6,000 km (3,700 mi) were paved.
As of 2019, the total length of the railway network in North Macedonia was 922 km (573 mi).Operated byMakedonski Železnici, the most important railway line is the line on the border with Serbia–Kumanovo–Skopje–Veles–Gevgelija–border with Greece. Since 2001, the railway line Beljakovci has been built—the border with Bulgaria, which will get a direct connection Skopje-Sofia. The most important railway hub in the country is Skopje, while the other two are Veles and Kumanovo.
North Macedonia Postis the state-owned company for the provision of postal traffic. It was founded in 1992 as PTT Macedonia. In 1993 it was admitted to theWorld Postal Unionin 1997, PTT Macedonia was divided into Macedonian Telekom and Macedonian Post (later renamed North Macedonia Post).
As far as water transport is concerned, only lake traffic through Ohrid and Prespan Lake has been developed, mostly for tourist purposes.
There are officially 17 airports in North Macedonia, of which 11 are with solid substrates.Two are international airports:Skopje International AirportandOhrid St. Paul the Apostle Airport.
The higher levels ofeducationcan be obtained at one of the five state universities:Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje,St. Clement of Ohrid University of Bitola,Goce Delčev University of Štip,State University of TetovaandUniversity of Information Science and Technology "St. Paul The Apostle"in Ohrid. There are a number of private university institutions, such as the European University,Slavic University inSveti Nikole, theSouth East European Universityand others. North Macedonia was ranked 58th in theGlobal Innovation Indexin 2024.
TheUnited States Agency for International Developmenthas underwritten a project calledMacedonia Connects, which has made North Macedonia the first all-broadband wireless country in the world. The Ministry of Education and Sciences reports that 461 schools (primary and secondary) are now connected to the Internet.In addition, anInternet service provider(On.net), has created a MESH Network to provide WIFI services in the 11 largest cities/towns in the country. The national library of North Macedonia,National and University Library "St. Kliment of Ohrid", is in Skopje.
The results from the last2021 censusshow a population of 1,836,713. The population density of the country is 72.2 persons per kmand the average age of the population is 40.08 years. 598,632 households were recorded with an average number of household members of 3.06. The gender balance of the country is 50.4% female to 49.6% male.
Based on the 2021 census data, the largest ethnic group in the country are the ethnicMacedonians. The second-largest group are theAlbanians, who dominated much of the northwestern part of the country. Following them,Turksare the third-biggest ethnic group of the country where official census data put them close to 70,000 and unofficial estimates suggest numbers between 170,000 and 200,000. Some unofficial estimates indicate that there are possibly up to 260,000Roma.
Eastern Orthodox Christianityis the most practiced religion in North Macedonia, making up 46.1% of the population, the vast majority of whom belong to theMacedonian Orthodox Church. Various other Christian denominations account for 13.9% of the population. Muslims constitute 32.2% of the population. North Macedonia has the fifth-highest proportion of Muslims in Europe, after those of Kosovo (96%),Turkey (90%),Albania (59%),and Bosnia and Herzegovina (51%).Most Muslims are Albanians, Turks, Romani or Bosniaks; few areMacedonian Muslims. The remaining 1.4% was determined to be "unaffiliated" by a 2010 Pew Research estimation.
There were 1,842 churches and 580 mosques in the country at the end of 2011.The Orthodox and Islamic religious communities have secondary religion schools in Skopje. There is an Orthodoxtheological collegein the capital. The Macedonian Orthodox Church has jurisdiction over 10 provinces (seven in the country and three abroad), has 10 bishops and about 350 priests. A total of 30,000 people are baptised in all the provinces every year.
The Macedonian Orthodox Church, which declaredautocephalyin 1967, remained unrecognised by the other Orthodox Churches until 2022 when it restored relations with theSerbian Orthodox Churchand theEcumenical Patriarchate, which has been followed by recognition from other churches.
The reaction of the Macedonian Orthodox Church was to cut off all relations with the new Ohrid Archbishopric and to prevent bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church from entering North Macedonia. Bishop Jovan was jailed for 18 months for "defaming the Macedonian Orthodox church and harming the religious feelings of local citizens" by distributing Serbian Orthodox church calendars and pamphlets.
TheMacedonian Byzantine Catholic Churchhas approximately 11,000 adherents in North Macedonia. The Church was established in 1918, and is made up mostly of converts to Catholicism and their descendants. The Church is of theByzantine Riteand is in communion with the Roman andEastern Catholic Churches. Its liturgical worship is performed in Macedonian.
There is a smallProtestantcommunity. The most famous Protestant in the country is the late presidentBoris Trajkovski. He was from theMethodistcommunity, which is the largest and oldest Protestant church in the Republic, dating back to the late 19th century. Since the 1980s the Protestant community has grown, partly through new confidence and partly with outside missionary help.
Thecountry's Jewish community, which numbered some 7,200 people on the eve of World War II, was almost entirely destroyed during the war: only 2% survivedthe Holocaust.
After their liberation and the end of the War, most opted to emigrate toIsrael. Today, the country's Jewish community numbers approximately 200 persons, almost all of whom live in Skopje. Most Macedonian Jews areSephardic—the descendants of 15th-century refugees who had been expelled fromCastile, AragonandPortugal.
The national and official language in all aspects of the whole territory of North Macedonia and in its international relations is theMacedonian language. Since 2019Albanianis co-official at a state level (excluding defense, central police and monetary policy).Macedonian belongs to theEastern branchof theSouth Slavic language group, while Albanian occupies an independent branch of theIndo-European family of languages. In municipalities where at least 20% of the population is part of another ethnic minority, those individual languages are used for official purposes in local government, alongside Macedonian and Albanian or just Macedonian.
Macedonian is closely related to andmutually intelligiblewith standardBulgarian. It also has some similarities with standardSerbianand the intermediateTorlakian/Shopdialects spoken mostly in southeastern Serbia and western Bulgaria (and by speakers in the northeastern corner of the country). Thestandard languagewascodifiedin the period following World War II and has accumulated a thriving literary tradition.
Besides Macedonian and Albanian, minority languages with substantial numbers of speakers areTurkish(includingBalkan Gagauz),Romani,Serbian/BosnianandAromanian(includingMegleno-Romanian).Macedonian Sign Languageis the primary language of those of the deaf community who did not pick up an oral language in childhood.
According to the last census, 1,344,815 citizens of North Macedonia declared that they spoke Macedonian, 507,989 declared Albanian, 71,757 Turkish, 38,528 Romani, 24,773 Serbian, 8,560 Bosnian, 6,884 Aromanian and 19,241 spoke other languages.
North 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 musicstyles developed under the strong influence ofByzantinechurch music. North Macedonia has a significant number of preservedByzantinefresco paintings, mainly from the period between the 11th and 16th centuries. There are several thousands of square metres offrescopainting preserved, the major part of which is in very good condition and represent masterworks of the Macedonian school of ecclesiastical painting.
The most important cultural events in the country are theOhrid Summer Festivalof classical music and drama, theStruga Poetry Eveningswhich gather poets from more than 50 countries in the world, International Camera Festival inBitola, Open Youth Theatre andSkopje Jazz Festivalin Skopje etc.
The National Opera opened in 1947, then named "Macedonian Opera", with a performance ofCavalleria rusticanaunder the direction of Branko Pomorisac. Every year, the May Opera Evenings are held in Skopje for around 20 nights. The first May Opera performance was that ofKiril Makedonski'sTsar Samuilin May 1972.
The country's cuisine is representative of that of the Balkans—reflectingMediterraneanandMiddle Eastern(Ottoman) influences, and to a lesser extentItalian,Germanand Eastern European (especiallyHungarian) ones.The relatively warm climate in North Macedonia provides excellent growth conditions for a variety of vegetables, herbs and fruits. Thus, Macedonian cuisine is particularly diverse.
Macedonian cuisine is also noted for the diversity and quality of itsdairy products, wines, and local alcoholic beverages, such asrakija.Tavče gravčeandmastikaare considered the national dish and drink of North Macedonia, respectively. Some other important dishes includeŠopska salad, an appetiser and side dish that accompanies the main meal,ajvar, stuffed peppers,pastrmajlijaand others.
Football,handball, andbasketballare the most popular sports in North Macedonia. TheNorth Macedonia national football teamis controlled by theFootball Federation of Macedonia. Their home stadium is theToše Proeski Arena. In November 2003, to celebrateUEFA's jubilee,Darko Pančevwas selected as theGolden Playerof Macedonia as their most outstanding player of the past 50 years.He was the winner of theEuropean Golden Bootaward in 1991 and he is best known for scoring the winning penalty in the1991 European Cup Final, bringingRed Star Belgradethe most prestigious trophy in European football for the first time in its 50-year existence. In 2020, the national team qualified forUEFA Euro 2020(held in 2021), their first major tournament in the country's history.
Handball is the other important team sport in the country. Macedonian clubs have enjoyed success in European competitions.RK Vardarwon2016–17and2018–19 EHF Champions League, whileKometal Gjorče Petrov Skopjewon the 2002EHF Women's Champions League. TheEuropean Women's Handball Championshiptook place in 2008 in North Macedonia in Skopje and Ohrid; thewomen's national teamfinished seventh place. The country'smen's national teamhas appeared in the European and World championships multiple times, with a best finish of fifth at the former (2012) and ninth at the latter (2015).
TheNorth Macedonia national basketball teamrepresents North Macedonia in international basketball. The team is run by the Basketball Federation of North Macedonia, the governing body of basketball in North Macedonia which was created in 1992 and joined FIBA in 1993. North Macedonia has participated in threeEuroBasketssince then with its best finish at 4th place in2011. It plays its home games at theBoris Trajkovski Sports Centerin Skopje.Pero Antićbecame thefirst Macedonian basketball playerto play in theNational Basketball Association. He also won threeEuroLeaguetrophies.
In the summer months theOhrid Swimming Marathonis an annual event onLake Ohridand during the winter months there is skiing in North Macedonia's winter sports centres. North Macedonia also takes part in the Olympic Games. Participation in the Games is organised by theOlympic Committee of North Macedonia.Magomed Ibragimovcompeted for Macedonia in thefreestyle 85 kg competitionat the2000 Summer Olympicsand won the bronze medal, which was the first medal for independent country. WrestlersShaban TrstenaandShaban Sejdiuborn in North Macedonia, as well as boxersRedžep RedžepovskiandAce Rusevski, won Olympic medals as part of Yugoslav Olympic team.
Thehistory of filmmaking in the country dates back over 110 years.The first film to be produced on the territory of the present-day country was made in 1895 byJanaki and Milton Manakiin Bitola. Throughout the past century, the medium of film has depicted the history, culture and everyday life of the Macedonian people. Over the years many Macedonian films have been presented at film festivals around the world and several of these films have won prestigious awards. The first Macedonian feature film wasFrosina, released in 1952 and directed byVojislav Nanović.
The first feature film in colour wasMiss Stone, a movie about a Protestant missionary in Ottoman Macedonia. It was released in 1958. The highest grossing feature film in North Macedonia wasBal-Can-Can, having been seen by over 500,000 people in its first year alone. In 1994,Milcho Manchevski's filmBefore the Rainwas nominated for anAcademy Awardin the category ofBest International Feature Film.Manchevski continues to be the most prominent modern filmmaker in the country having subsequently written and directedDustandShadows. In 2020, the documentaryHoneyland(2019) directed byTamara Kotevskaand Ljubomir Stefanov, received nominations in the categories forBest International Feature FilmandBest Documentary Featureat the92nd Academy Awards, making it the first non-fictional film to receive a nomination in both categories.
The oldest newspaper in the country isNova Makedonijafrom 1944. Other well known newspaper and magazines are:Utrinski vesnik,Dnevnik,Vest,Fokus,Večer,Tea Moderna,Makedonsko Sonce, andKoha. Public channel isMacedonian Radio Televisionfounded in 1993 by theAssembly of North Macedonia.TEKO TV(1989) fromŠtipis the first private television channel in the country. Other popular private channels are:Sitel,Kanal 5,Telma,Alfa TV, andAlsat-M.
The main public holidays in North Macedonia are:
Besides these, there are several major religious & minorities holidays. (See:Public holidays in North Macedonia)
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