Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Capital: Skopje
History
Macedonia gained its independence peacefully from Yugoslavia in 1991. 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, but the issue of the name remained unresolved and negotiations for a solution are ongoing. Since 2004, the United States and 133 other nations have recognized Macedonia by its constitutional name, Republic of Macedonia. Some ethnic Albanians, angered by perceived political and economic inequities, launched an insurgency in 2001 that eventually won the support of the majority of Macedonia's ethnic Albanian population and led to the internationally brokered Ohrid Framework Agreement, which ended the fighting and established guidelines for the creation of new laws that enhanced the rights of minorities. Fully implementing the Framework Agreement, maintaining momentum on democratic reforms, and stimulating economic growth and development continue to be challenges for Macedonia, although progress has been made over the past several years.
Geography
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
25,713
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
766
km
|
| Border Countries |
Albania 151 km, Bulgaria 148 km, Greece 246 km, Kosovo 159 km, Serbia 62 km |
| Coastline |
0
km
|
| Terrain |
mountainous territory covered with deep basins and valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country bisected by the Vardar River |
| Minimum Elevation |
50
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
2,764
m
|
| Climate |
warm, dry summers and autumns; relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall |
| Natural Resources |
low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, manganese, nickel, tungsten, gold, silver, asbestos, gypsum, timber, arable land |
| Arable Land |
16.1% |
| Permanent Crops |
1.36% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$4 billion |
| Export Items |
food, beverages, tobacco |
| Export Partners |
Germany 28.1%, Italy 7.2%, Bulgaria 5.4%, Greece 4.9% (2011) |
| Imports |
$6.51 billion |
| Import Items |
machinery and equipment, automobiles, chemicals, fuels, food products |
| Import Partners |
Greece 14.2%, Germany 13.2%, Bulgaria 11.1%, UK 8%, Turkey 5.4%, Italy 5.4% (2011) |
People
| Population |
2,087,171 |
| Population Growth |
0.22% |
| Ethnic Groups |
Macedonian 64.2%, Albanian 25.2%, Turkish 3.9%, Roma (Gypsy) 2.7%, Serb 1.8%, other 2.2% (2002 census) |
| Religion |
Macedonian Orthodox 64.7%, Muslim 33.3%, other Christian 0.37%, other and unspecified 1.63% (2002 census) |
| Life Expectancy |
75.58 years |
| Infant Mortality |
0.99 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
0.3 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
