CIA - The World Factbook

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. The United States began referring to Macedonia by its constitutional name, Republic of Macedonia, in 2004 and negotiations continue between Greece and Macedonia to resolve the name issue. 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 Albanian population and led to the internationally-brokered Ohrid Framework Agreement, which ended the fighting by establishing a set of new laws enhancing the rights of minorities. Fully implementing the Framework Agreement and stimulating economic growth and development continue to be challenges for Macedonia, although progress has been made on both fronts over the past several years.

Southeastern Europe, north of Greece

slightly larger than Vermont

warm, dry summers and autumns; relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall

mountainous territory covered with deep basins and valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country bisected by the Vardar River

low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, manganese, nickel, tungsten, gold, silver, asbestos, gypsum, timber, arable land

air pollution from metallurgical plants

landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe

2,072,086 (July 2010 est.)

11.92 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

8.87 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

-0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

1.58 children born/woman (2010 est.)

less than 0.1% (2007 est.)

fewer than 200 (2007 est.)

fewer than 100 (2003 est.)

Macedonian 64.2%, Albanian 25.2%, Turkish 3.9%, Roma (Gypsy) 2.7%, Serb 1.8%, other 2.2% (2002 census)

Macedonian Orthodox 64.7%, Muslim 33.3%, other Christian 0.37%, other and unspecified 1.63% (2002 census)

Macedonian 66.5%, Albanian 25.1%, Turkish 3.5%, Roma 1.9%, Serbian 1.2%, other 1.8% (2002 census)

parliamentary democracy

84 municipalities (opstini, singular - opstina); Aerodrom (Skopje), Aracinovo, Berovo, Bitola, Bogdanci, Bogovinje, Bosilovo, Brvenica, Butel (Skopje), Cair (Skopje), Caska, Centar (Skopje), Centar Zupa, Cesinovo, Cucer Sandevo, Debar, Debarca, Delcevo, Demir Hisar, Demir Kapija, Dojran, Dolneni, Dorce Petrov (Gjorce Petrov) (Skopje), Drugovo, Gazi Baba (Skopje), Gevgelija, Gostivar, Gradsko, Ilinden, Jegunovce, Karbinci, Karpos (Skopje), Kavadarci, Kicevo, Kisela Voda (Skopje), Kocani, Konce, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krivogastani, Krusevo, Kumanovo, Lipkovo, Lozovo, Makedonska Kamenica, Makedonski Brod, Mavrovo i Rostusa, Mogila, Negotino, Novaci, Novo Selo, Ohrid, Oslomej, Pehcevo, Petrovec, Plasnica, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis, Rankovce, Resen, Rosoman, Saraj (Skopje), Sopiste, Staro Nagoricane, Stip, Struga, Strumica, Studenicani, Suto Orizari (Skopje), Sveti Nikole, Tearce, Tetovo, Valandovo, Vasilevo, Veles, Vevcani, Vinica, Vranestica, Vrapciste, Zajas, Zelenikovo, Zelino, Zrnovci

8 September 1991 (referendum by registered voters endorsed independence from Yugoslavia)

Ilinden Uprising Day, 2 August (1903); note - also known as Saint Elijah's Day

adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991; amended November 2001, 2005 and in 2009

based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

unicameral Assembly or Sobranie (120 seats; members elected by popular vote from party lists based on the percentage of the overall vote the parties gain in each of six electoral districts; members serve four-year terms)

Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; Republican Judicial Council

Democratic Alliance or DS [Pavle TRAJANOV]; Democratic Party of Serbs in Macedonia [Ivan STOILJKOVIC]; Democratic Party of the Albanians or PDSh/DPA [Menduh THACI]; Democratic Party of Turks in Macedonia [Kenan HASIPI]; Democratic Union for Integration or BDI/DUI [Ali AHMETI]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Jovan MANSIJEVSKI]; Liberal Party [Borce STOJANOVSKI]; Movement for Reconstruction of Macedonia or DOM [Liljana POPOVSKA]; New Alternative [Gjorgji OROVCANEC]; New Democracy or DR [Imer SELMANI]; New Social-Democratic Party or NSDP [Tito PETKOVSKI]; Party for Democratic Action in Macedonia or SDAM [Avdija PEPIC]; Party for European Future or PEI [Fijat CANOSKI]; Social-Democratic Union of Macedonia or SDSM [Branko CRVENKOVSKI]; Socialist Party or SP [Ljubisav IVANOV-ZINGO]; The Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Democratic Party for Macedonia or VMRO-DPMNE [Nikola GRUEVSKI]; Union of Roma of Macedonia [Amdi BAJRAM]; United for Macedonia or OM [Ljube BOSKOVSKI]; VMRO-Macedonian [Borislav STOJMENOV]

Federation of Free Trade Unions [Svetlana PETROVIC]; Federation of Trade Unions [Vanco MURATOVSKI]; Trade Union of Education, Science and Culture [Dojcin CVETANOSKI]

BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

a yellow sun (the Sun of Liberty) with eight broadening rays extending to the edges of the red field; the red and yellow colors have long been associated with Macedonia

Having a small, open economy makes Macedonia vulnerable to economic developments in Europe and dependent on regional integration and progress toward EU membership for continued economic growth. At independence in September 1991, Macedonia was the least developed of the Yugoslav republics, producing a mere 5% of the total federal output of goods and services. The collapse of Yugoslavia ended transfer payments from the central government and eliminated advantages from inclusion in a de facto free trade area. An absence of infrastructure, UN sanctions on the downsized Yugoslavia, and a Greek economic embargo over a dispute about the country's constitutional name and flag hindered economic growth until 1996. GDP subsequently rose each year through 2000. In 2001, during a civil conflict, the economy shrank 4.5% because of decreased trade, intermittent border closures, increased deficit spending on security needs, and investor uncertainty. Growth averaged 4% per year during 2003-06 and more than 5% per year during 2007-08. Macedonia has maintained macroeconomic stability with low inflation, but it has so far lagged the region in attracting foreign investment and creating jobs, despite making extensive fiscal and business sector reforms. Official unemployment remains high at 32%, but may be overstated based on the existence of an extensive gray market, estimated to be more than 20% of GDP, that is not captured by official statistics. In the wake of the global economic downturn, Macedonia has experienced decreased foreign direct investment, lowered credit, and a large trade deficit, but the financial system remained sound. Macroeconomic stability was maintained by a prudent monetary policy, which kept the domestic currency at the pegged level against the euro, at the expense of raising interest rates. As a result, GDP fell in 2009.

$18.77 billion (2009 est.)

$19.05 billion (2008 est.)

$18.09 billion (2007 est.)

Macedonia has a large informal sector

$8.929 billion (2009 est.)

19.5% of GDP (2009 est.)

32.4% of GDP (2009 est.)

6.5% (31 December 2009)

6.5% (31 December 2008)

9.33% (31 December 2009)

9.68% (31 December 2008)

$1.224 billion (31 December 2009)

$1.307 billion (31 December 2008)

$3.132 billion (31 December 2009)

$3.254 billion (31 December 2008)

$4.143 billion (31 December 2009)

$3.906 billion (31 December 2008)

$2.859 billion (31 December 2009)

$2.438 billion (31 December 2008)

$2.715 billion (31 December 2007)

grapes, tobacco, vegetables, fruits; milk, eggs

food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, iron, steel, cement, energy, pharmaceuticals

6.162 billion kWh (2009 est.)

7.797 billion kWh (2009 est.)

1.635 billion kWh (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

14,200 bbl/day (2009 est.)

4,672 bbl/day (2009 est.)

20,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)

80 million cu m (2009 est.)

82 million cu m (2009 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)

-$798 million (2009 est.)

-$1.21 billion (2008 est.)

$3.035 billion (2009 est.)

$3.971 billion (2008 est.)

food, beverages, tobacco; textiles, miscellaneous manufactures, iron and steel

Serbia and Montenegro 20.1%, Germany 15.1%, Greece 12.3%, Bulgaria 9.9%, Italy 8.7%, Croatia 6.4% (2008)

$4.942 billion (2009 est.)

$6.523 billion (2008 est.)

machinery and equipment, automobiles, chemicals, fuels, food products

Germany 13.2%, Greece 12.3%, Bulgaria 9.8%, Serbia and Montenegro 6.9%, Italy 6.2%, Turkey 5.6%, Slovenia 5.2%, Poland 4.3% (2008)

$2.29 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$2.106 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$5.458 billion (31 September 2009 est.)

$4.658 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$3.528 billion (31 October 2009 est.)

$3.357 billion (2007 est.)

Macedonian denars (MKD) per US dollar - 45.129 (2009), 41.414 (2008), 44.732 (2007), 48.978 (2006), 48.92 (2005)

2.502 million (2008)

AM 1, FM 68, shortwave 0 (2009)

gas 268 km; oil 120 km (2009)

Army of the Republic of Macedonia (ARM): Joint Operational Command, with subordinate Air Wing (Makedonsko Voeno Vozduhoplovstvo, MVV); Special Operations Regiment; Logistic Support Command; Training Command (2010)

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2007)

6% of GDP (2005 est.)

Kosovo and Macedonia completed demarcation of their boundary in September 2008; Greece continues to reject the use of the name Macedonia or Republic of Macedonia

major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish; minor transit point for South American cocaine destined for Europe; although not a financial center and most criminal activity is thought to be domestic, money laundering is a problem due to a mostly cash-based economy and weak enforcement