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Introduction | Macedonia

Background:

Macedonia gained its independence peacefully from Yugoslavia in 1991, but 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, although differences over Macedonia's name remain. The undetermined status of neighboring Kosovo, implementation of the Framework Agreement - which ended the 2001 ethnic Albanian armed insurgency - and a weak economy continue to be challenges for Macedonia.

Geography | Macedonia

Location: | Southeastern Europe, north of Greece
Geographic coordinates: | 41 50 N, 22 00 E
Map references: | Europe
Area: | total: 25,333 sq km land: 24,856 sq km water: 477 sq km
Area - comparative: | slightly larger than Vermont
Land boundaries: | total: 766 km border countries: Albania 151 km, Bulgaria 148 km, Greece 246 km, Serbia and Montenegro 221 km
Coastline: | 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: | none (landlocked)
Climate: | warm, dry summers and autumns; relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall
Terrain: | mountainous territory covered with deep basins and valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country bisected by the Vardar River
Elevation extremes: | lowest point: Vardar River 50 m highest point: Golem Korab (Maja e Korabit) 2,764 m
Natural resources: | low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, manganese, nickel, tungsten, gold, silver, asbestos, gypsum, timber, arable land
Land use: | arable land: 22.01% permanent crops: 1.79% other: 76.2% (2005)
Irrigated land: | 550 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: | high seismic risks
Environment - current issues: | air pollution from metallurgical plants
Environment - international agreements: | party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: | landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe

People | Macedonia

Population: | 2,050,554 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: | 0-14 years: 20.1% (male 213,486/female 199,127) 15-64 years: 68.9% (male 711,853/female 701,042) 65 years and over: 11% (male 98,618/female 126,428) (2006 est.)
Median age: | total: 34.1 years male: 33.2 years female: 35.1 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate: | 0.26% (2006 est.)
Birth rate: | 12.02 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: | 8.77 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration rate: | -0.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant mortality rate: | total: 9.81 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.94 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 73.97 years male: 71.51 years female: 76.62 years (2006 est.)
Total fertility rate: | 1.57 children born/woman (2006 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | less than 200 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: | less than 100 (2003 est.)
Nationality: | noun: Macedonian(s) adjective: Macedonian
Ethnic groups: | Macedonian 64.2%, Albanian 25.2%, Turkish 3.9%, Roma 2.7%, Serb 1.8%, other 2.2% (2002 census)
Religions: | Macedonian Orthodox 32.4%, other Christian 0.2%, Muslim 16.9%, other and unspecified 50.5% (2002 census)
Languages: | Macedonian 66.5%, Albanian 25.1%, Turkish 3.5%, Roma 1.9%, Serbian 1.2%, other 1.8% (2002 census)
Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96.1% male: 98.2% female: 94.1% (2002 est.)

Government | Macedonia

Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Macedonia conventional short form: Macedonia; note - the provisional designation used by the UN, EU, and NATO is Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) local long form: Republika Makedonija local short form: Makedonija former: People's Republic of Macedonia, Socialist Republic of Macedonia
Government type: | parliamentary democracy
Capital: | Skopje

Administrative divisions:

85 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, Debartsa, Delcevo, Demir Hisar, Demir Kapija, Dojran, Dolneni, Drugovo, Gazi Baba (Skopje), Gevgelija, Gjorce Petrov (Skopje), 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 Rastusa, Mogila, Negotino, Novaci, Novo Selo, Ohrid, Oslomej, Pehcevo, Petrovec, Plasnica, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis, Rankovce, Resen, Rosoman, Saraj (Skopje), 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
note: the ten municipalities followed by Skopje in parentheses collectively constitute "greater Skopje"

Independence: | 8 September 1991 (referendum by registered voters endorsing independence from Yugoslavia)
National holiday: | Uprising Day, 2 August (1903); note - also known as Saint Elijah's Day and Ilinden
Constitution: | adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991; amended November 2001 by a series of new constitutional amendments strengthening minority rights and in 2005 with amendments related to the judiciary
Legal system: | based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Branko CRVENKOVSKI (since 12 May 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Vlado BUCKOVSKI (since 17 December 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the majority vote of all the deputies in the Assembly; note - current cabinet formed by the government coalition parties SDSM, LDP, DUI, and several small ethnic parties
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; two-round election last held 14 April and 28 April 2004 (next to be held by April 2009); prime minister elected by the Assembly following legislative elections
election results: Branko CRVENKOVSKI elected president on second-round ballot; percent of vote - Branko CRVENKOVSKI 62.7%, Sasko KEDEV 37.3%

Legislative branch:

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; all serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 15 September 2002 (next to be held by fall 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Together for Macedonia coalition 60 (SDSM 43, LDP 12, others 5), VMRO-DPMNE 33 (VMRO 28 and Liberal Party 5), DUI 16, PDSH/DPA 7, PPD/PDP 2, PDK 1, SP 1

Judicial branch: | Supreme Court - the Assembly appoints the judges; Constitutional Court - the Assembly appoints the judges; Republican Judicial Council - the Assembly appoints the judges

Political parties and leaders:

Democratic Alliance [Pavle TRAJANOV]; Democratic Alternative or DA [Vasil TUPURKOVSKI]; Democratic League of the Bosniaks [Rafet MUMINOVIC]; Democratic Party of Albanians or PDSH/DPA [Arben XHAFERI]; Democratic Party of Serbs [Ivan STOILJKOVIC]; Democratic Party of Turks [Kenan HASIPI]; Democratic Renewal of Macedonia [Liljana POPOVSKA]; Democratic Republican Union of Macedonia or DRUM [Goran RAFAJLOVSKI]; Democratic Union of Vlachs for Macedonia [leader NA]; Democratic Union for Integration or DUI [Ali AHMETI]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity or VMRO-DPMNE [Nikola GRUEVSKI]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Macedonian [Boris STOJMENOV]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-People's Party or VMRO-Narodna [Vesna JANEVSKA, acting]; League for Democracy [Gjorgi MARJANOVIC]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Risto PENOV]; Liberal Party [Stojan ANDOV]; National Alternative [Harun ALIU]; National Democratic Party or PDK [Basri HALITI]; National Farmers' Party [Vejljo TANTAROV]; New Democratic Forces [Hysni SHAQIRI]; New Social Democratic Party [Tito PETKOVSKI]; Party for Democratic Future [Alajdin DEMIRI]; Party for Democratic Prosperity or PPD/PDP [Abduljhadi VEJSELI]; Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia or SDSM [Vlado BUCKOVSKI]; Socialist Party of Macedonia or SP [Ljubisav IVANOV]; United Party for Emancipation or OPE [Nezdet MUSTAFA]

Political pressure groups and leaders: | Civic Movement of Macedonia [Gordana SILJANOVSKA]; World Macedonian Congress [Todor PETROV]
International organization participation: | ACCT (associate), 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, MIGA, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Nikola DIMITROV chancery: 1101 30th Street NW, Suite 302, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 337-3063 FAX: [1] (202) 337-3093 consulate(s) general: Southfield (Michigan)
Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Gillian A. MILOVANOVIC embassy: Bul. Ilindenska bb, 1000 Skopje mailing address: American Embassy Skopje, Department of State, 7120 Skopje Place, Washington, DC 20521-7120 (pouch) telephone: [389] 2 311-6180 FAX: [389] 2 311-7103
Flag description: | a yellow sun with eight broadening rays extending to the edges of the red field

Economy | Macedonia

Economy - overview:

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, one of its largest markets, 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. However, the leadership's commitment to economic reform, free trade, and regional integration was undermined by the ethnic Albanian insurgency of 2001. The economy shrank 4.5% because of decreased trade, intermittent border closures, increased deficit spending on security needs, and investor uncertainty. Growth barely recovered in 2002 to 0.9%, then rose by 3.4% in 2003, 4.1% in 2004, and 3.7% in 2005. Macedonia has maintained macroeconomic stability with low inflation, but it has lagged the region in attracting foreign investment and job growth has been anemic. Macedonia has an extensive grey market, estimated to be more than 20 percent of GDP, that falls outside official statistics.

GDP (purchasing power parity): | $15.55 billion note: Macedonia has a large informal sector (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate): | $5.255 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: | 3.7% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP): | $7,600 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 9.7% industry: 28.8% services: 61.5% (2005 est.)
Labor force: | 855,000 (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%
Unemployment rate: | 38% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line: | 29.6% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 28.2 (1998)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): | 0.5% (2005)
Investment (gross fixed): | 18% of GDP (2005 est.)
Budget: | revenues: $2.105 billion expenditures: $2.15 billion; including capital expenditures of $114 million (2005 est.)
Public debt: | 37.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products: | grapes, wine, tobacco, vegetables; milk, eggs
Industries: | food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, steel, cement, energy, pharmaceuticals
Industrial production growth rate: | 6% (2005 est.)
Electricity - production: | 6.271 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source: | fossil fuel: 83.7% hydro: 16.3% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption: | 7.933 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports: | 1.662 billion kWh (2005)
Oil - production: | 0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: | 23,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports: | NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: | NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2003 est.)
Current account balance: | $-303 million (2005 est.)
Exports: | $2.047 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities: | food, beverages, tobacco; miscellaneous manufactures, iron and steel
Exports - partners: | Serbia and Montenegro 31.4%, Germany 19.9%, Greece 9%, Croatia 6.9%, US 4.9% (2004)
Imports: | $3.196 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities: | machinery and equipment, automobiles, chemicals, fuels, food products
Imports - partners: | Greece 15.5%, Germany 13.1%, Serbia and Montenegro 10.4%, Slovenia 8.6%, Bulgaria 8.1%, Turkey 6%, Romania 4.7% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $1.076 billion (2005 est.)
Debt - external: | $1.939 billion (2005 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: | $250 million (2003 est.)
Currency (code): | Macedonian denar (MKD)
Currency code: | MKD
Exchange rates: | Macedonian denars per US dollar - 48.92 (2005), 49.41 (2004), 54.322 (2003), 64.35 (2002), 68.037 (2001)
Fiscal year: | calendar year

Communications | Macedonia

Telephones - main lines in use: | 525,000 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: | 830,000 (2005)
Telephone system: | general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: country code - 389
Radio broadcast stations: | AM 29, FM 20, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios: | 410,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: | 31 (plus 166 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions: | 510,000 (1997)
Internet country code: | .mk
Internet hosts: | 3,541 (2005)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 6 (2000)
Internet users: | 392,671 (2004)

Transportation | Macedonia

Airports: | 17 (2005)
Airports - with paved runways: | total: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 under 914 m: 8 (2005)
Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 4 (2005)
Pipelines: | gas 268 km; oil 120 km (2004)
Railways: | total: 699 km standard gauge: 699 km 1.435-m gauge (233 km electrified) (2004)
Roadways: | total: 8,684 km paved: 5,540 km unpaved: 3,144 km (1999)

Military | Macedonia

Military branches: | Army of the Republic of Macedonia (ARM; includes Joint Operational Command, with subordinate Air Wing); Special Force Command (2006)
Military service age and obligation: | conscription to be phased out by 2007; current tour of conscript duty is six months; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2005)
Manpower available for military service: | males age 18-49: 498,259 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: | males age 18-49: 411,156 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: | males: 16,686 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $200 million (FY01/02 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 6% (FY01/02 est.)

Transnational Issues | Macedonia

Disputes - international: | ethnic Albanians in Kosovo object to demarcation of the boundary with Macedonia in accordance with the 2000 Macedonia-Serbia and Montenegro delimitation agreement; Greece continues to reject the use of the name Macedonia or Republic of Macedonia
Refugees and internally displaced persons: | IDPs: 2,678 (ethnic conflict in 2001) (2005)
Illicit drugs: | 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 (no arrests or prosecutions for money laundering to date)

This page was last updated on 29 March, 2006