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{{About|the modern country|the ancient kingdom|Macedonia (ancient kingdom)|other places with the same name and other uses|Macedonia (disambiguation)|an explanation of related terms|Macedonia (terminology)}}
{{Disputed title|alternate title=Republic of Macedonia |section=Disputed title|date=April 2009}}

{{sprotected2}}
<!--Note to editors: Please do not modify the country names used in the infobox below without first discussing the change on the talk page.-->
{{Infobox Country
|native_name = {{lang|mk|Република Македонија}}<br/>{{lang|mk-Latn|''Republika Makedonija''}}
|conventional_long_name = Republic of Macedonia
|common_name = Macedonia
|national_anthem = ''[[Today over Macedonia|Денес над Македонија]]''<br /><small>([[English language|English]]: {{lang|en|"''Today over Macedonia''"}})
|image_flag = Flag_of_Macedonia.svg
|image_coat = Coat of arms of the Republic of Macedonia.svg
|image_map = Europe location MKD.png
|map_caption = {{map caption |region=on the [[Europe|European continent]] |legend=European location legend en.png}}
|[[Skopje]]
|latd=42 |latm=0 |latNS=N |longd=21 |longm=26 |longEW=E
|capital = [[Skopje]]
|official_languages = [[Macedonian language|Macedonian]]<sup>1</sup><ref name="language">{{cite news | url = http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/2507/1/ | title = Languages Law passed in Parliament | work = macedoniaonline.eu | date = 2008-07-26 | accessdate = 2008-07-27 | quote = Using the Badenter principles, the Parliament had passed the use of languages law that will touch all ethnicities in Macedonia. The law doesn't allow for use of Albanian or any other minority language as a second official language on Macedonia's territory.}}</ref>
|largest_city = capital
|government_type = [[Parliamentary republic]]
|leader_title1 = [[President of the Republic of Macedonia|President]]
|leader_name1 = [[Branko Crvenkovski]]
|leader_title2 = [[Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia|Prime Minister]]
|leader_name2 = [[Nikola Gruevski]]
|leader_title3 = <small>[[President of the Republic of Macedonia|President-elect]]</small>
|leader_name3 = <small>[[Gjorge Ivanov]]</small>
|sovereignty_type = [[History of Macedonia|Independence from]]
|sovereignty_note = [[Yugoslavia]]
|established_event4 =
|established_date4 =
|established_event5 = [[History of the Republic of Macedonia|Independence declared]]
|established_date5 = 8 September 1991
|established_event6 = [[History of the Republic of Macedonia#Road to Republic|Officially recognized]]
|established_date6 = 8 April 1993
|established_event7 =
|established_date7 =
|established_event8 =
|established_date8 =
|established_event9 =
|established_date9 =
|accessionEUdate =
|EUseats =
|area_km2 = 25,713
|area_sq_mi = 9,779 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|area_rank = 148th
|area_magnitude = 1 E10
|percent_water = 1.9%
|population_estimate = 2,114,550
|population_estimate_year = 2009
|population_estimate_rank = 142nd
|population_census = 2,022,547
|population_census_year = 2002
|population_density_km2 = 82,2
|population_density_sq_mi = 205 <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
|population_density_rank = 116th
|GDP_PPP_year = 2008
|GDP_PPP = $18.818 billion<ref name=imf2>{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2009/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2006&ey=2009&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=962&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=65&pr.y=14 |title=International Monetary Fund|publisher=International Monetary Fund|accessdate=2009-04-22}}</ref>
|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $9,157<ref name=imf2/>
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank =
|GDP_nominal = $9.569 billion<ref name=imf2/>
|GDP_nominal_year = 2008
|GDP_nominal_per_capita = $4,656<ref name=imf2/>
|HDI_year = 2005
|HDI = {{increase}} 0.808
|HDI_rank = 68th
|HDI_category = <font color="#009900">high</font>
|Gini = 29.3
|Gini_year = 2004
|Gini_category = <font color="#009900">low</font>
|currency = [[Macedonian denar]]
|currency_code = MKD
|time_zone = [[Central European Time|CET]]
|utc_offset = +1
|time_zone_DST = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
|utc_offset_DST = +2
|drives_on = right
|cctld = [[.mk]]
|calling_code = 389
|ISO_3166-1_alpha2 = EE
|ISO_3166-1_alpha3 =
|ISO_3166-1_numeric = ?
|alt_sport_code = MK
|vehicle_code = MK
|aircraft_code = MK
|demonym = [[Macedonians (ethnic group)|Macedonian]]
|footnote1 = [[Albanian language|Albanian]] is widely spoken in the [[Polog|west]] of the country.
In some areas [[Turkish language|Turkish]], [[Serbian language|Serbian]], [[Romany language|Romany]] and [[Aromanian language|Aromanian]] are also spoken.
}}

'''Macedonia''' ({{Audio-IPA|en-us-Macedonia.ogg|/ˌmæsɨˈdoʊniə/}}, {{lang-mk|Македонија}}), officially the '''Republic of Macedonia''' ({{lang-mk|Република Македонија}}, [[Romanization of Macedonian|transliterated]]: ''Republika Makedonija'' {{Audio-IPA|help=no|Mk-Republika Makedonija.ogg|[rɛˈpublika makɛˈdɔnija]}}), is a country in the central [[Balkans|Balkan peninsula]] in southeastern [[Europe]]. It is one of the successor states of the former [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]], from which it declared independence in 1991. It was admitted to the [[United Nations]] in 1993 under the provisional reference of '''the former <!-- DO NOT CAPITALIZE "THE FORMER" - LOWER CASE IS CORRECT --> Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia''',<ref>UN Resolutions #817 of April 7 and #845 of June 18 of 1993, see [http://www.un.org/Docs/scres/1993/scres93.htm UN resolutions made on 1993]<!--don't change this link, direct links to resolutions won't work--></ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.un.org/members/notes/yugoslavia.htm|title=Note on Yugoslavia|accessdate=2008-05-10}} "''By resolution A/RES/47/225 of 8 April 1993, the General Assembly decided to admit as a Member of the United Nations the State being provisionally referred to for all purposes within the United Nations as "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" pending settlement of the difference that had arisen over its name.''"</ref> commonly abbreviated as '''FYROM'''.

A [[landlocked]] country, the Republic of Macedonia is bordered by [[Serbia]] and [[Kosovo]] to the north, [[Bulgaria]] to the east, [[Greece]] to the south and [[Albania]] to the west.<ref>[http://www.mfa.gov.mk/default1.aspx?ItemID=288 The Republic of Macedonia - BASIC FACTS], Republic of Macedonia, Ministry of foreign affairs</ref> It comprises approximately the north-western third of the wider geographical [[Macedonia (region)|region of Macedonia]], which also covers a large part of northern Greece that is [[Macedonia (Greece)|also called "Macedonia"]] and smaller parts of the other neighboring countries.

The country's capital is [[Skopje]], with 506,926 inhabitants according to a 2004 census. Other cities include [[Bitola]], [[Kumanovo]], [[Prilep]], [[Tetovo]], [[Ohrid]], [[Veles (city)|Veles]], [[Štip]], [[Kočani]], [[Gostivar]] and [[Strumica]]. It has more than 50 lakes and sixteen mountains higher than 2,000 meters (6,550&nbsp;[[30.48 cm|ft]]).

Macedonia is a member of the [[United Nations|UN]] and the [[Council of Europe]]. Since December 2005 it has also been a [[Accession of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the European Union|candidate for joining the European Union]] and has applied for [[NATO]] membership.

==History==
{{main|History of the Republic of Macedonia}}

===Ancient history of the region===
{{main|Macedonia (region)}}
The first recorded states in the area now comprising the Republic of Macedonia were the kingdom of [[Paionia]], which covered the northern and eastern regions of the [[Vardar]] river valley, and the kingdoms of Lyncestis and Pelagonia, which were later conquered by the kingdom of [[Macedon]]. [[Philip II of Macedon]] took over the southernmost regions of Paionia in 336 BC and founded the city of [[Heraclea Lyncestis]], in what is now Bitola.<ref>Macedonian Center for Archaeological Research. The Ancient Kingdom of Macedonia in the Republic of Macedonia. [http://www.macar.org/projects/projects_kingdom_intro.html]</ref> Philip's son [[Alexander the Great]] conquered the remainder of Paionia and incorporated it in his empire. Subsequently the territory was conquered by Rome, and the region became part of two [[Roman provinces]]. The greater part was within [[Macedonia (Roman province)|Macedonia Salutaris]], but the northern border regions, inhabited by the [[Dardani]], became a part of [[Moesia Superior]].<ref> Encyclopaedia Britannica&nbsp;— Scopje. [http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9068124/Skopje]</ref> By 400 AD the [[Paeonians]] had lost their identity, and [[Paionia|Paeonia]] was merely a geographic term within the Macedonian region.

===Medieval period===
{{main|South Slavs}}
[[Image:Macodnian Sklavinia.png|thumb|left|250px|''Sklaviniae in Medieval Macedonia'' c. 700 AD.]]
[[Image:Ohrid in Macedonia3.jpg|thumb|180px|right|Fortress of [[Samuel of Bulgaria|Samuel, Tzar of Bulgaria]].]]
During the 580s, [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] literature attests to the Slavs raiding Byzantine territories in the region of Macedonia. The Slavic peoples that settled in the region of Macedonia accepted Christianity as their own religion around the 9th century, during the reign of prince [[Boris I of Bulgaria]], and these lands became part of the [[Bulgarian Empire]].

In 1014, Emperor [[Basil II]] finally defeated the armies of [[Tsar Samuil of Bulgaria|Tsar Samuil]] and by 1018 the Byzantines restored control over Macedonia (and all of the Balkans) for the first time since the 600s. However, by the late 12th century, inevitable Byzantine decline saw the region become contested by various political entities, including a brief [[Normans|Norman]] occupation in the 1080s. In the early 13th century, a revived [[Second Bulgarian Empire|Bulgarian Empire]] gained control of the region. Plagued by political difficulties the empire did not last and the wider geographical [[Macedonia (region)|Macedonia]] region fell once again under Byzantine control. In the 14th century, it became part of the [[Serbian Empire]], who saw themselves as liberators of their Slavic kin from Byzantine despotism. [[Skopje]] became the capital of [[Tsar Stefan Dusan]]'s empire.

With Dusan's death, a weak successor and power struggles between nobles divided the Balkans once again. This coincided with the entry of the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman Turks]] into Europe. With no major Balkan power left to defend Christianity, the entire Balkans fell to Turkish rule&nbsp;— which would remain so for five centuries.

===The National Awakening===

{{main|Macedonian nationalism}}
Ottoman rule over the region was considered harsh. Several movements whose goals were the establishment of autonomous Macedonia, encompassing the entire region of [[Macedonia (region)|Macedonia]], began to arise in the late 1800s; the earliest of these was the Bulgarian Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Committees, later transformed to SMORO. In 1905 it was renamed as Internal Macedonian-Adrianople Revolutionary Organization (IMARO) and after [[World War I]] the organization separated into the [[Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization]] (IMRO) and the [[Internal Thracian Revolutionary Organisation]] (ITRO). The early organization did not proclaim any ethnic identities; it was officially open to "...uniting all the disgruntled elements in Macedonia and the Adrianople region, regardless of their nationality..."<ref name=glenny>M. Glenny, "The Balkans"</ref> The majority of its members were however Slavic/Bulgarian-speakers.<ref name=glenny/> In 1903, IMRO organised the [[Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising]] against the [[Ottoman Turks|Ottomans]], which after some initial successes, including the forming of the [[Krushevo Republic]], was crushed with much loss of life. The uprising and the forming of the [[Krushevo Republic]] are considered the cornerstone and precursors to the eventual establishment of the Macedonian state.

===Kingdoms of Serbia and Yugoslavia===
[[Image:Balkan Wars Boundaries cleanup.jpg|thumb|180px|left|Boundaries on the Balkans after the First and Second [[Balkan War]]. ]]
Following the two [[Balkan wars]] of 1912 and 1913 and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, most of its European held territories were divided between [[Greece]], [[Bulgaria]] and [[Serbia]]. The territory of the modern Macedonian state ([[Vardar Macedonia]]) was then named ''{{lang|sr|Južna Srbija}}'', "[[Stara Srbija|Southern Serbia]]". After the [[First World War]], Serbia became part of the [[Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes]]. In 1929, the Kingdom was officially renamed the [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia]] and divided into provinces called [[banovina]]s. Southern Serbia, including all of what is now the Republic of Macedonia, became known as the [[Vardar Banovina]] of the [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia]].

===Yugoslav Macedonia in World War II===
{{History of the Republic of Macedonia}}
During World War II, Yugoslavia was occupied by the [[Axis Powers]] from 1941 to 1945. The Vardar Banovina was divided between [[Bulgaria]] and [[Italy|Italian]]-occupied [[Albania]]. The Bulgarian 5th Army, based in Skopje, was responsible for the round-up and deportation of over 7,000 Jews in Skopje and Bitola. Harsh rule by the occupying forces encouraged many Macedonians to support the Communist [[Partisans (Yugoslavia)|Partisan]] resistance movement of [[Josip Broz Tito]], and the [[National Liberation War of Macedonia|National Liberation War]] ensued, with Axis forces being driven out of Macedonia by the end of 1944.

===Macedonia in Socialist Yugoslavia===
{{main|Socialist Republic of Macedonia}}
In 1944 the [[ASNOM|Anti-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 new republic became one of the six republics of the Yugoslav federation. Following the federation's renaming as the [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] in 1963, the People's Republic of Macedonia was likewise renamed, becoming the [[Socialist Republic of Macedonia]]. It dropped the "Socialist" from its name in 1991 when it peacefully seceded from Yugoslavia.

===Declaration of independence===
The country officially celebrates September 8, 1991 as [[Den na nezavisnosta|Independence day]] ({{lang-mk|Ден на независноста}}, ''Den na nezavisnosta''), with regard to the referendum endorsing independence from Yugoslavia, albeit legalising participation in future union of the former states of Yugoslavia. The anniversary of the start of the Ilinden Uprising (St. Elijah's Day) on August 2 is also widely celebrated on an official level.

[[Robert Badinter]] as a head of [[Arbitration Commission of the Peace Conference on the former Yugoslavia]] recommended EC recognition in January 1992.<ref>[http://www.ejil.org/journal/Vol4/No1/art8-02.html Recognition of States: Annex 3<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

Macedonia remained at peace through the [[Yugoslav wars]] of 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. However, it was seriously destabilised by the [[Kosovo War]] in 1999, when an estimated 360,000 [[Albanians|ethnic Albanian]] refugees from Kosovo took refuge in the country. Although they departed shortly after the war, soon after, [[Macedonian NLA|Albanian radicals]] on both sides of the border took up arms in pursuit of autonomy or independence for the Albanian-populated areas of Macedonia.

====Albanian insurgency====
{{main|2001 insurgency in the Republic of Macedonia}}
A [[2001 Macedonia conflict|civil war]] was fought between government and ethnic Albanian insurgents, mostly in the north and west of the country, between March and June 2001. The war ended with the intervention of a [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization]] (NATO) ceasefire monitoring force. Under the terms of the [[Ohrid 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 fully recognise all Macedonian institutions. In addition, according to this accord, the NLA were to disarm and hand over their weapons to a NATO force.

==Geography==
[[Image:Macedonia-CIA WFB Map.png|thumb|250|Republic of Macedonia.]]
[[Image:KorabMountain2.jpg|thumb|[[Mount Korab|Korab]] mountain, the highest mountain in the country.]]
[[Image:Solunska glava.jpg|thumb|right|Solunska glava peak on [[Jakupica]] mountain in spring.]]

{{main|Geography of the Republic of Macedonia}}
Macedonia is has a total area of {{convert|25333|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}. It has some {{convert|748|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} of boundaries, shared with [[Serbia]] ({{convert|62|km|mi|0|abbr=on|disp=/}}) to the North, Kosovo ({{convert|159|km|mi|0|abbr=on|disp=/}}) to the northwest, [[Bulgaria]] ({{convert|148|km|mi|0|abbr=on|disp=/}}) to the east, [[Greece]] ({{convert|228|km|mi|0|abbr=on|disp=/}}) to the south, and [[Albania]] ({{convert|151|km|mi|0|abbr=on|disp=/}}) to the west. The country represents a major transportation corridor from [[Western Europe|Western]] and [[Central Europe]] to [[Aegean Sea]] and [[Southern Europe]] to Western Europe.

===Topography===
{{main|Mountains of the Republic of Macedonia}}

Macedonia is a [[landlocked]] country that 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 the [[Šar Mountains]] and [[Osogovo]], which frame the valley of the [[Vardar]] river. Three large lakes&nbsp;— [[Lake Ohrid]], [[Lake Prespa]] and [[Dojran Lake]]&nbsp;— 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.<ref>[http://www.moe.gov.mk/soer2/ohrid_a.htm Macedonian Ministry of Environment]</ref> 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.

Macedonia also has scenic mountains. They belong to two different [[mountain ranges]]: the first is the [[Šar Mountains]]<ref>http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/523838/Sar-Mountains Britannica's article about Sar Mountains</ref><ref>http://www.euratlas.com/Atlasphys/Sarplanina2.htm Sar Mountains on the Euratlas map of the Europe's most significant mountain ranges</ref> that continues to the West Vardar/Pelagonia group of mountains ([[Baba Mountain]], [[Nidže]], [[Kozuf]] and [[Jakupica]]), also known as the [[Dinaric Alps|Dinaric range]]. The second range is the [[Osogovo]]-[[Belasica]] mountain chain, also known as the [[Rhodope mountain chain|Rhodope range]]. The mountains belonging to the Šar Mountains and the West Vardar/Pelagonia range are younger and higher than the older mountains that are part of the Osogovo-Belasica mountain group. The ten highest mountains in Macedonia are:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|align="center" | Name|| align="center" width="8" | Height (m) || align="center" width="8" | Height (ft)
|-
|[[Mount Korab]] || align="right"| 2,764 || align="right"| 9,396 <!-- Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]] -->
|-
|[[Šar Mountains]] || align="right"| 2,747 || align="right"| 9,012
|-
| [[Baba Mountain]] || align="right"| 2,601 || align="right"| 8,533
|-
| [[Jakupica]] || align="right"| 2,540 || align="right"| 8,333
|-
| [[Nidže]] || align="right"| 2,521 || align="right"| 8,271
|-
| [[Dešat]] || align="right"| 2,373 || align="right"| 7,785
|-
| [[Galičica]] || align="right"| 2,288 || align="right"| 7,507
|-
| [[Stogovo]] || align="right"| 2,273 || align="right"| 7,457
|-
| [[Jablanica]] || align="right"| 2,257 || align="right"| 7,405
|-
| [[Osogovo]] || align="right"| 2,251 || align="right"| 7,383
|-
| [[Mount Bistra]] || align="right"| 2,163 || align="right"| 7,096
|-
| [[Plačkovica]] || align="right"| 1,754 || align="right"| 5,754
|}

===Climate===
[[Image:Macedonian mountains.jpg|thumb|Macedonian mountains covered with snow.]]
Macedonia has a transitional climate from Mediterranean to continental. The summers are hot and dry and the winters are moderately cold. Average annual precipitation varies from 1,700&nbsp;mm (67 inches) in the western mountainous area to 500&nbsp;mm (20 inches) in the eastern area. There are three main climatic zones in the country: temperate Mediterranean, mountainous and mildly Continental. Along the valleys of the [[Vardar]] and [[Strumica]] rivers, in the regions of [[Gevgelija]], [[Valandovo]], [[Dojran]], [[Strumica]] and [[Radovish]] the climate is temperate Mediterranean. The warmest regions are [[Demir Kapija]] and [[Gevgelija]], where the temperature in July and August frequently exceeds {{convert|40|°C|°F}}. The mountainous climate is present in the mountainous regions of the country and it is characterised by long and snowy winters and short and cold summers. The spring is colder than the fall. The majority of Macedonia has a moderate continental climate with warm and dry summers and relatively cold and wet winters. There are 30 main and regular weather stations in the country.

===Wildlife===
[[Phytogeography|Phytogeographically]], Macedonia belongs to the Illyrian province of the [[Circumboreal Region]] within the [[Boreal Kingdom]]. According to the [[World Wide Fund for Nature|WWF]] and Digital Map of European Ecological Regions by the [[European Environment Agency]], Macedonia's territory can be subdivided into four [[ecoregion]]s: the [[Pindus Mountains]] [[mixed forests]], [[Balkan]] [[mixed forests]], [[Rhodopes]] [[mixed forests]] and [[Aegean]] [[sclerophyllous]] and [[mixed forests]].

==Administrative regions==
===Regions===
[[Image:MSR.png|250px|right|thumb|Macedonian statistical regions]]

{{main|Statistical Regions of the Republic of Macedonia}}
Macedonia's statistical regions exist solely for legal and statistical purposes. The regions are:
* [[Skopje statistical region|Skopje]]
* [[Pelagonia statistical region|Pelagonia]]
* [[Polog statistical region|Polog]]
* [[Eastern statistical region|Eastern]]
* [[Southeastern statistical region|Southeastern]]
* [[Northeastern statistical region|Northeastern]]
* [[Southwestern statistical region|Southwestern]]
* [[Vardar statistical region|Vardar]]
*

===Municipalities and cities===
{{main|Municipalities of the Republic of Macedonia|List of cities in the Republic of Macedonia}}
In August 2004, Macedonia's local government was reorganised into 85 municipalities (''{{lang|mk|opštini}}''; sing. ''{{lang|mk|opština}}''), 10 of which comprise [[Greater Skopje]]. This is reduced from the previous 123 municipalities established in September 1996. Prior to this, local government was organised into 34 administrative districts.

==Politics==
{{main|Politics of the Republic of Macedonia}}
Macedonia is a [[parliamentary democracy]] with an executive government composed of a coalition of parties from the unicameral legislature ({{lang|mk|Собрание, ''Sobranie''}}) and an independent judicial branch with a constitutional court. The Assembly is made up of 120 seats and the members are elected every four years. The role of the President of the Republic is mostly ceremonial, with the real power resting in the hands of the President of the Government. The President is the commander-in-chief of the state armed forces and a president of the state Security Council. The President is elected every five years and he or she can be elected twice at most. The current President is [[Branko Crvenkovski]]. On the second run of the presidential elections held on 5 April 2009 [[Gjorge Ivanov]] was the elected as new Macedonian president: <ref>[http://balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/17924/ BalkanInsight:Ivanov Elected New Macedonian President]</ref>
[[File:GovernmentbulidingsinMacedonia.png|350px|thumb|right|Macedonian Government buildings in [[Skopje]]]]
With the passage of a new law and elections held in 2005, local government functions are divided between 78 municipalities ({{lang|mk|општини, ''opštini''}}; [[Grammatical number|singular]]: {{lang|mk|општина, ''opština''}}). The capital, [[Skopje]], is governed as a group of ten municipalities collectively referred to as the "City of Skopje". Municipalities in 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, Macedonia's 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, Macedonia saw a relatively calm and democratic [[Macedonian parliamentary election, 2006|change of government]] in the elections held on [[5 July]] [[2006]]. The elections were marked by a decisive victory of the centre-right party [[VMRO-DPMNE]] led by [[Nikola Gruevski]]. Gruevski's decision to include the [[Democratic Party of Albanians]] in the new government, instead of the [[Democratic Union for Integration]] - [[Party for Democratic Prosperity]] coalition which won the majority of the Albanian votes, triggered protests throughout the parts of the country with a respective number of Albanian population. However, recently a dialogue was 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.<ref>[http://limun.hr/en/main.aspx?id=127474 Limun.hr - Ahmeti accepts the invitation for dialog with Gruevski<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

After the early parliamentary elections held in 2008, [[VMRO-DPMNE]] and [[Democratic Union for Integration]] formed a ruling coalition in Macedonia. <ref>[http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2008/07/08/feature-02 SeTimes:VMRO-DPMNE and DUI form ruling coalition in Macedonia]</ref>

In April 2009, presidential and local elections in the country were carried out peacefully, which was crucial for Macedonian aspirations to join the [[EU]] <ref>[http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0322/breaking39.htm Irish Times:Macedonia elections pass off peacefully]</ref> 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 Macedonian president.

===Parliament===
{{main|Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia}}
[[Image:Parliament interior.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Parliament Building in Skopje]]
The Macedonian parliament or ''Sobranie'' ({{lang-mk|Собрание}}) is the country's legislative body. It makes, proposes and adopts laws. The 120 members are elected for a mandate of four years through a general election. Each Macedonian citizen that is above 18 years can vote for one of the Macedonian political parties. The current president of the Macedonian Parliament is [[Trajko Veljanovski]].

===Government===
Executive power in 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. The current Prime Minister is [[Nikola Gruevski]].

===Law and courts===
Judiciary power is exercised by courts, with the court system being headed by the Judicial Supreme Court, Constitutional Court and the Republican Judicial Council. The assembly appoints the judges.

===Foreign relations===
{{main|Foreign relations of the Republic of Macedonia}}

Macedonia became a member state of the [[United Nations]] on April 8, 1993, eighteen months after its independence from Yugoslavia. It is referred to within the UN as "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", pending a resolution of the long-running dispute with Greece about the country's name (for more info, see [[#Macedonia naming dispute|Macedonia naming dispute section]]).

The major interest of the country is a full integration in the European and the Trans-Atlantic integration processes in order to achieve a long-term stability, security, and well-being of the Republic of Macedonia. Five foreign policy priorities are <ref>http://www.mfa.gov.mk/default1.aspx?ItemID=308</ref>:

* NATO membership

* Getting date and commencing the negotiations for full-fledged membership of the European Union

* Lifting the visa regime for Macedonian nationals

* Resolving the naming issue with Greece

* Strengthening the economic and public diplomacy
Macedonia is member of the following international and regional organizations<ref>http://www.mfa.gov.mk/default1.aspx?ItemID=314</ref>: [[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), [[WTO]] (since 2003), [[CEFTA]] (since 2006), [[La Francophonie]] (since 2001).

In 2005, the country was officially recognized as a [[European Union]] candidate state.

On the NATO summit held in [[Bucharest]] in April 2008, Macedonia failed to gain an invitation to join the organisation because Greece vetoed the move after the dispute over the name issue .<ref>http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=91875</ref> The [[USA]] had previously expressed support for an invitation, <ref>[http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/2/worldupdates/2008-04-02T203446Z_01_NOOTR_RTRMDNC_0_-328122-1&sec=Worldupdates]</ref> but the summit then decided to extend an offer only on condition of a prior resolution of the conflict with Greece.

In March 2009 the [[European Parliament]] expressed support for 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.<ref> http://balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/17331/</ref>

====Macedonia naming dispute====
{{main|Macedonia naming dispute}}
After the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991, the name and history of Macedonia became the object of a dispute between Greece and the newly independent Republic of Macedonia.<ref>Floudas, Demetrius Andreas; {{cite web |publisher= 24 (1996) Journal of Political and Military Sociology, 285|url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3719/is_199601/ai_n8752910 | title= "A Name for a Conflict or a Conflict for a Name? An Analysis of Greece's Dispute with FYROM” |accessdate=2008-02-11}}</ref> From 1992 to 1995, the two countries also engaged in a dispute over the Macedonian state's first flag, which incorporated the [[Vergina Sun]] symbol, a symbol associated with the ancient Kingdom of [[Macedon]]. Its adoption by Macedonia, on [[3 July]] [[1992]], was seen as a reaction by Skopje to Athens' pressure to change the name. This aspect of the dispute was resolved when the flag was changed under the terms of an interim accord agreed between the two states in October 1995.

[[Image:Flag of the Republic of Macedonia 1991-1995.svg|thumb|The [[flag of the Republic of Macedonia]] between 1992 and 1995.]]

Despite the European Community-nominated Arbitration Commission's opinion that "that the use of the name ''Macedonia'' cannot therefore imply any territorial claim against another State",<ref>[http://www.ejil.org/journal/Vol4/No1/art8-02.html European Journal of International Law]</ref> Greece continued to object to the establishment of relations between the Community and the Republic under its constitutional name.<ref> Floudas, Demetrius Andreas; {{cite web |publisher= in: Kourvetaris et al (eds.), ''The New Balkans'', East European Monographs: Columbia University Press, 2002, p. 85 |url=http://www.intersticeconsulting.com/documents/FYROM.pdf |format=PDF| title= "Pardon? A Name for a Conflict? FYROM's Dispute with Greece Revisited”}}</ref>

The [[United Nations]] adopted the provisional reference "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" ({{lang-mk|Поранешна Југословенска Република Македонија}}) when the country was admitted to the organization in 1993.<ref name="UN">[http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/47/a47r225.htm United Nations Resolution 225 (1993)]</ref> Most international organizations adopted the same convention, such as the [[European Union]],<ref>{{cite web | author = European Commission | title = Background information&nbsp;— The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia | url = http://ec.europa.eu/comm/competition/international/bilateral/background/mk1_en.html | accessdate = 2006-10-01 }}</ref> [[European Broadcasting Union]],<ref>{{cite web | author = European Broadcasting Union | title = Members' Logos | url = http://www.ebu.ch/members/members_logos.php | accessdate = 2006-10-01 }}</ref> and the [[International Olympic Committee]].<ref>{{cite web | author = International Olympic Committee | title = LIST OF NATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEES PARTICIPATING IN THE XIX OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES IN SALT LAKE CITY | url = http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_258.pdf |format=PDF| accessdate = 2006-10-01 }}</ref> [[NATO]] also uses the reference in official documents but adds an explanation on which member countries recognize the constitutional name.<ref>{{cite web | author = North Atlantic Treaty Organisation | title = "The situation in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is critical" | url = http://www.nato.int/docu/update/2001/0723/e0725a.htm | accessdate = 2006-10-01 }}</ref> The [[European Union|EU]] recognizes the country as the ''former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'' and the negotiations with the EU are held using this reference.<ref>[http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/archives/pdf/key_documents/2005/package/sec_1425_final_analytical_report_mk_en.pdf EC report]</ref><ref>[http://europa.eu/abc/maps/applicants/fyrom_en.htm EUROPA - The EU at a glance - Maps - FYROM<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The same reference is also used in any discussion to which Greece is a party<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1737425.stm Bid to settle Macedonia name row], [[BBC]]</ref> but is inconsistently used by other countries. Bulgaria uses the name ‘Republic of Macedonia’ even if it is seen as interfering with the traditional use of the name ‘[[Pirin Macedonia]]’,<ref>[[wikisource:Bulgarian Policies on the Republic of Macedonia|''Bulgarian Policies on the Republic of Macedonia'']]. Sofia: Manfred Wörner Foundation, 2008. 80&nbsp;pp. ISBN 978-954-92032-2-6</ref> insisting however that any solution to the naming dispute with [[Greece]] should "take account of the historical, cultural, and other realities related to the geographic region of [[Macedonia (region)|Macedonia]]".<ref>[http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=91876 Macedonia Press Blames Bulgaria for Anti-Macedonian Campaign], Sofia News Agency, 03.04.2008</ref>

However, most [[United Nations]] member countries have abandoned the provisional reference and have recognised the country as the ''Republic of Macedonia'' instead. These include four of the five permanent [[UN Security Council]] members—the [[United States]],<ref> {{cite news |title = US snubs Greece over Macedonia | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3981499.stm | format = HTML | work = | publisher = BBC News Online | pages = | page = | date = 4 November 2004 | accessdate = 2006-10-01 }} </ref> [[Russia]], [[United Kingdom]] and the [[People's Republic of China]]; several members of the [[European Union]] such as [[Bulgaria]], [[Poland]], and [[Slovenia]]; and over 100 other UN members.<ref>"[http://www.macedonian-heritage.gr/Opinion/comm_20050916Tziampiris.html Naming the solution]", ''[[Kathimerini]]'' English edition, 16 September 2005</ref> The UN has set up a negotiating process with a mediator, [[Matthew Nimetz]], and the two disputed parties, Macedonia and Greece, to try to mediate the dispute. Negotiations continue between the two sides but have yet to reach any settlement of the dispute.

In November 2008, Macedonia instituted proceedings before the [[International Court of Justice]] (ICJ) against [[Greece]] alleging violations of the 1995 Interim Accord that blocked its accession to NATO.<ref>http://www.france24.com/en/20081117-macedonia-sues-greece-blocking-nato-entry-membership-name</ref> The ICJ is requested to order Greece to observe its obligations within the Accord, which is legally binding for both countries. The Macedonian side asserts that Article 11 of the 1995 accord obliges Greece not to object to Macedonia's application to join NATO and other international organizations, except if the country is going to be referred to in such organization with a name different than the provisional reference.<ref name="Interim Accord">{{cite web|url=http://untreaty.un.org/unts/120001_144071/6/3/00004456.pdf|title=Interim Accord|date=1995|publisher=[[United Nations]]|accessdate=2009-03-14}}</ref>

In April 2009 the President-elect [[Gjorge Ivanov]] and opposition leader Zaev held a meeting about the name issue. Ivanov called for a state strategy regarding the negotiations with Greece on the name issue and also called for a reasonable compromise that will not bring harm to Macedonia's interests. [[SDSM]] accepts a name with a geographic determinant that will replace the reference FYROM in the organizations where it is currently used and guarantee the country's constitutional name, national identity and language.<ref>http://www.mia.com.mk/default.aspx?vId=63914637&lId=2 Macedonian Information Agency President-elect Ivanov meets SDSM acting leader</ref> Government of Greece expressed support for the name ''‘Republic of North Macedonia’'' as the basis for resolving the name issue.<ref>[http://www.emportal.rs/en/news/region/85436.html H.E. Amb. Al. Mallias: Greece backs “Republic of Northern Macedonia”]. Emportal, 15 April 2009.</ref>

==Military==
{{main|Military of Republic of Macedonia}}
[[Image:Mi-24 Macedonian.jpg|thumb|right|[[Macedonian Air Force]] [[Mi-24]] helicopter]]
The [[Macedonian Armed Forces]] comprise the [[Macedonian Army]], [[Macedonian Air Force]] and [[Macedonian Special Forces]]. The government's national defence policy aims to guarantee the preservation of the independence and sovereignty of the state, the integrity of its land area and airspace and its constitutional order. Its main goals remain the development and maintenance of a credible capability to defend the nation's vital interests and development of the Armed Forces in a way that ensures their interoperabilit] with the armed forces of NATO and the European Union member states and their capability to participate in the full range of NATO missions.

The Ministry of Defence develops the defence strategy and works out the assessment of the possible threats and risks. The MOD is also responsible for the defence system, training, readiness of the Armed Forces, the equipment and the development and it proposes the defence budget.<ref>[http://www.morm.gov.mk:8080/morm/en/ARM/Defence-Structure.html National Command Management]</ref>

==Economy==

{{main|Economy of the Republic of Macedonia}}
Recently ranked as the fourth 'best reformatory state' out of 178 countries ranked by the [[World Bank]], Macedonia has undergone considerable economic reform since independence.<ref name = "worldbank">[http://www.worldbank.org The World Bank<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The country has developed an open economy with trade accounting for more than 90% of GDP in recent years. Since 1996, Macedonia has witnessed steady, though slow, economic growth with GDP growing by 3.1% in 2005. This figure is projected to rise to an average of 5.2% in the 2006-2010 period.<ref name = "worldbank-devdata">[http://devdata.worldbank.org/AAG/mkd_aag.pdf World Bank development data]</ref> The government has proven successful in its efforts to combat inflation, with an inflation rate of only 3% in 2006 and 2% in 2007<ref name = "worldbank"/> and has implemented policies focused on attracting foreign investment and promoting the development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The current government introduced a [[flat tax]] system with the intention of making the country more attractive to foreign investment. The flat tax rate was 12% in 2007 and will be further lowered to 10% in 2008.<ref>[http://www.vlada.mk/english/News/December2006/ei8-12-2006.htm Government of the Republic of Macedonia]</ref><ref>[http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/articles/macedonias-new-flat-tax-51002.aspx Macedonia's Flat Tax]</ref>

Despite these reforms, as of 2005 Macedonia's unemployment rate was 37.2%<ref>[http://www.worldbank.org.mk Macedonian unemployment rate]</ref> and as of 2006 its poverty rate was 22%.<ref name = "worldbank-devdata"/> Corruption and a relatively ineffective legal system also act as significant restraints on successful economic development. Macedonia still has one of the lowest [[List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita|per capita GDPs]] in Europe. Furthermore, the country's [[grey market]] is estimated at close to 20% of GDP.<ref>The 2006 CIA Factbook [https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mk.html CIA Factbook Macedonia]</ref>

In terms of structure, as of 2005 the service sector constituted by far the largest part of GDP at 57.1%, up from 54.2% in 2000. The industrial sector represents 29.3% of GDP, down from 33.7% in 2000 while agriculture represents only 12.9%, up from 12%.<ref>[http://devdata.worldbank.org Welcome to World Bank Group<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Textiles represent the most significant sector for trade, accounting for more than half of total exports.<ref>[http://www.macedonianembassy.org.uk/economy.html Macedonian Embassy London<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Other important exports include iron, steel, wine and vegetables.<ref> [http://www.mfa.gov.mk/default1.aspx?ItemID=290 Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs]</ref>

===Resources===
===Infrastructure and e-Infrastructure===

Macedonia, together with [[Montenegro]], [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] and [[Kosovo]], belonged to the less developed southern region of the former Yugoslavia. It suffered severe economic difficulties after independence, when the Yugoslav internal market collapsed and subsidies from Belgrade ended. In addition, it faced many of the same problems faced by other former socialist East European countries during the transition to a market 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.

===Trade and investment===

The outbreak of the Yugoslav wars and the imposition of sanctions on Serbia and Montenegro caused great damage to the Republic's economy, with Serbia constituting 60% of its markets prior to the disintegration of Yugoslavia. When Greece imposed a trade embargo on the Republic in 1994–95, the economy was also affected. Some relief was afforded by the end of the Bosnian war in November 1995 and the lifting of the Greek embargo, but the Kosovo War of 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. (See also: [[Greek investments in the Republic of Macedonia]]). Many Greek companies have bought former state companies in Macedonia, such as the oil refinery Okta, the baking company Zhito Luks, a marble mine in [[Prilep]], textile facilities in [[Bitola]] etc. Other key partners are the United States, Slovenia, Austria, Germany and Turkey.

===Tourism===
{{main|Tourism in the Republic of Macedonia}}
Tourism isn important part of the [[economy of the Republic of Macedonia]]. The country's large abundance of natural and cultural attractions make it an attractive destination of visitors. It receives about 700,000 tourists annually.<ref>[http://faq.macedonia.org/information/101.html 101 facts about Macedonia]</ref>

==Demographics==
{{NFimageoveruse}}
{{main|Macedonians (ethnic group)|Demographics of the Republic of Macedonia}}
Macedonia has an estimated population of 2,061,315<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mk.html#People CIA World Factbook]</ref> citizens. The largest ethnic group in the country are the [[Macedonians (ethnic group)|Macedonians]]. The second largest group are the [[Albanians]] who dominated much of western Macedonia. The largest Macedonian cities according to the 1994 census data (as the 2002 census data<ref name="stat.gov.mk">{{ cite web
|title=Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Macedonia, 2002 - Book XIII, Skopje, 2005.
|publisher=State Statistical Office of the Republic of Macedonia
|url=http://www.stat.gov.mk/pdf/kniga_13.pdf
, Macedonian }}</ref>
does not list both city populations and municipality populations):

{| border=0 align=right cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 style="margin: 0 0 1em 1em; background: #f9f9f9; border: 0px #aaaaaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
|<div style="position: relative">[[Image:MIHPM(MG).png|top]]
<div style="position: absolute;font-size:165%;left:179px;top:75px">'''[[Skopje|SKOPJE]]'''</div>
<div style="position: absolute;font-size:140%;left:130px;top:254px">'''[[Bitola]]'''</div>
<div style="position: absolute;font-size:140%;left:155px;top:125px">'''[[Veles (city)|Veles]]'''</div>
<div style="position: absolute;font-size:140%;left:225px;top:110px">'''[[Štip]]'''</div>
<div style="position: absolute;font-size:140%;left:274px;top:200px">'''[[Strumica]]'''</div>
<div style="position: absolute;font-size:140%;left:60px;top:45px">'''[[Tetovo]]'''</div>
<div style="position: absolute;font-size:140%;left:220px;top:45px">'''[[Kumanovo]]'''</div>
<div style="position: absolute;font-size:140%;left:168px;top:190px">'''[[Prilep]]'''</div>
<div style="position: absolute;font-size:130%;left:85px;top:100px">'''[[Gostivar]]'''</div>
<div style="position: absolute;font-size:140%;left:68px;top:239px">'''[[Ohrid]]'''</div>
<div style="position: absolute;font-size:140%;left:33px;top:220px">'''[[Struga]]'''</div>
<div style="position: absolute;font-size:140%;left:300px;top:110px">'''[[Kočani]]'''</div>
<div style="position: absolute;font-size:140%;left:300px;top:170px">'''[[Radoviš]]'''</div>
<div style="position: absolute;font-size:140%;left:70px;top:10px">'''[[Kosovo|KOSOVO]]'''</div>
<div style="position: absolute;font-size:140%;left:200px;top:-10px">'''[[Serbia|SERBIA]]'''</div>
<div style="position: absolute;font-size:140%;left:348px;top:25px">'''[[Bulgaria|BULGA-<br>RIA]]'''</div>
<div style="position: absolute;font-size:140%;left:254px;top:300px">'''[[Greece|GREECE]]'''</div>
<div style="position: absolute;font-size:140%;left:-40px;top:200px">'''[[Albania|ALBA-<br>NIA]]'''</div>
|-
|<center>Largest cities in Macedonia</center>
</div>
</div>
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|-
|colspan="5" align="center"| '''Largest Macedonian cities and municipalities'''
|-
| align="center" |City|| align="center" | City<br>Population || align="center" | Coat<br/>of arms || align="center" | Administrative<br>division || align="center" | Division<br>Population
|-
|[[Skopje]] || align="right"| 444,000 || |<!--align="center" Image with inadequate rationale removed: [[Image:OpstiniMK.png|20px]] -->|| [[Greater Skopje]]|| align="right"|506,926
|-
|[[Bitola]] || align="right"| 80,000 || align="center" | || [[Bitola municipality]]|| align="right"| 95,385
|-
| [[Kumanovo]] || align="right"| 71,000 || align="center" | [[Image:MMCA(Kumanovo).png|20px|{{deletable image-caption|1=Thursday, 30 April 2009}}]]|| [[Kumanovo municipality]] || align="right"| 105,484
|-
| [[Prilep]] || align="right"| 68,000 || align="center" | || [[Prilep municipality]] || align="right"| 76,768
|-
| [[Tetovo]] || align="right"| 60,000 || align="center" | [[Image:MMCA(Tetovo).png|25px|{{deletable image-caption|1=Thursday, 30 April 2009}}]] || [[Tetovo municipality]] || align="right"| 86,580
|-
| [[Ohrid]] || align="right"| 51,000 || align="center" | [[Image:Coat of Arms of Ohrid.png|30px]] || [[Ohrid municipality]] || align="right"| 55,749
|-
| [[Veles (city)|Veles]] || align="right"| 48,000 || align="center" | [[Image:Veleshki grb.png|20px]]|| [[Veles municipality]] || align="right"| 55,108
|-
| [[Gostivar]] || align="right"| 46,000 ||align="center" | [[Image:Gostivarski grb.png|25px]] || [[Gostivar municipality]] || align="right"| 81,042
|-
| [[Štip]] || align="right"| 42,000 || align="center" | [[File:CoA Shtip MK.png|25px]] || [[Štip municipality]] || align="right"| 47,796
|-
| [[Strumica]] || align="right"| 40,000 || |<!--align="center" Image with inadequate rationale removed: [[Image:Strumichki grb.jpg|25px]] -->|| [[Strumica municipality]] || align="right"| 54,676
|-
| [[Kočani]] || align="right"| 27,000 || |<!-- align="center" Deleted image removed: [[Image:Grb na kocani.jpg|25px]] -->||[[Kočani municipality]] || align="right"| 38,092
|-
| [[Radoviš]] || align="right"| 16,223 || align="center" | [[Image:Radovishi grb.jpg|20px]] || [[Radoviš|Radoviš municipality]] || align="right"| 28,244
|}

{| border=1 cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin: 0.5em 0 0 0; border-style: solid; border: 1px solid #7f7f7f; border-right-width: 2px; border-bottom-width: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
|-
| style="background:#F5F5DC;" |
| style="background:#F5F5DC;" align="center" | Number
| style="background:#F5F5DC;" align="center" | %
|-
| style="background:#c1c1c1;" | '''TOTAL'''
| style="background:#c1c1c1;" align="right"| '''2,022,547'''
| style="background:#c1c1c1;" align="right"| 100
|-
| style="background:#F5F5DC;" | [[ethnic Macedonians|Macedonians]]
| align="right"|1,297,981
| align="right"|64.18
|-
| style="background:#F5F5DC;" | [[Albanians]]
| align="right"|509,083
| align="right"|25.17
|-
| style="background:#F5F5DC;" | [[Turkish people|Turks]]
| align="right"|77,959
| align="right"|3.85
|-
| style="background:#F5F5DC;" | [[Romani people]]
| align="right"|53,879
| align="right"|2.66
|-
| style="background:#F5F5DC;" | [[Serbs]]
| align="right"|35,939
| align="right"|1.78
|-
| style="background:#F5F5DC;" | [[Vlachs]]
| align="right"|9,695
| align="right"|0.48
|-
| style="background:#F5F5DC;" | others
| align="right"|38,011
| align="right"|1.88
|}

The above table shows ethnic affiliation of the population according to the 2002 census:<ref name="stat.gov.mk"/>

===Religion===
The majority (64.7%) of the population belongs to the [[Macedonian Orthodox Church]]. It declared [[autocephaly]] in 1968, though that is still not recognised by the Serbian and other [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]es, although the Archbishop's Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church has recognised the ''autonomy'' of the Macedonian Orthodox Church<ref>[http://www.mpc.org.mk/English/MPC/history-mpc.asp History of the Macedonian Orthodox Church]</ref> [[Muslim]]s comprise 33.3% of the population and other Christian denominations comprise 0.37%. The remainder (1.63%) is recorded as "unspecified" in the 2002 national census.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/mk.html CIA World Factbook]</ref> Most of the native Albanians, Turks and Bosniaks are Muslims, as are a minority of the country's ethnic Macedonian population, known as [[Macedonian Muslims]].

Altogether, there are more than 1200 churches and 400 mosques in the country. The Orthodox and Islamic religious communities have secondary religion schools in Skopje. There is an Orthodox theological college in the capital. Macedonia has the largest proportion of Muslims of any country in Europe after [[Turkey]], [[Albania]] and [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]].

====Orthodox====
{{main|Macedonian Orthodox Church}}
[[Image:Sv trojca.jpg|thumb|right|210px|Holy Trinity Orthodox church in [[Radoviš]].]]

The [[Macedonian Orthodox Church]] is the dominant church in the country. It has 10 provinces (seven in the country and three abroad), 10 bishops, and about 350 priests. Macedonians, who are the majority of the population, are generally Orthodox Christians. A total of 30,000 people are baptised in all the provinces every year. The church has issues with the [[Serbian Orthodox Church]] after the separation and self-declaration of autocephaly (not recognised by any other Orthodox church) in 1967. However, the Archbishop's Council of the Serbian Orthodox Church, with Decision No. 06/1959, has recognised the autonomy (self-dependence) of the Macedonian Orthodox Church). After the negotiations between the two churches were suspended, the Serbian Orthodox Church recognised a group led by Zoran Vraniškovski (also known as [[Archbishop Jovan of Ohrid]], a former Macedonian church bishop, as the [[Orthodox Ohrid Archbishopric|Archbishop of Ohrid]]. The reaction of the Macedonian Orthodox Church was to cut off all relations with the clergy of the Ohrid Archbishopric and to prevent bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church from entering 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.<ref>[http://www.iwpr.net/?p=bcr&s=f&o=257037&apc_state=henibcr200508 Church Rivalry Threatens to Brim Over<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

====Islam====
{{main|Islam in the Republic of Macedonia}}

Approximately 33% of Macedonia's total population are adherents of [[Islam]]. It has the fourth largest Muslim population in Europe by percentage after [[Kosovo]] (90%), [[Albania]] (70%), and [[Bosnia-Herzegovina]] (48%).<ref>https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bk.html</ref> Some northwestern and western regions have Muslim majorities. Most Muslims are [[Albanian people|Albanian]], [[Turkish people|Turkish]], or [[Romani people|Roma]], although some are [[Macedonian Muslims]]. According to the 2002 census, there are about 600,000 [[Muslim]]s in Macedonia. The Albanian Muslims live mostly in the [[Polog statistical region|Polog]] and western regions of the country. The Turkish population is scattered throughout the country, but mostly in the west.

====Catholicism====
The [[Macedonian Greek Catholic Church|Macedonian Byzantine Catholic Church]] has approximately 11,000 adherents in Macedonia. The Church was established in 1918, and is made up mostly of converts to [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholicism]] and their descendants. The Church is of the [[Byzantine Rite]] and is in communion with the Roman and [[Eastern Catholic Church]]es. Its liturgical worship is performed in [[Macedonian language|Macedonian]] [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/country/mk.html]. [[Image:Catolic church bitola.jpg|thumb|160px|right|Catholic church in the main street in Bitola]]

====Protestant Christianity====
There is a small [[Protestant]] community. The most famous Protestant in the country is the former president [[Boris Trajkovski]]. He was from the [[Methodist]] Community, which is the largest and oldest Protestant Church in the Republic, dating back to the late nineteenth century. Since the 1980s the small Protestant community has grown, partly through new confidence and partly with outside missionary help.

====Judaism====
{{main|History of the Jews in the Republic of Macedonia}}

The Macedonian [[Jewish]] community, which numbered some 7,200 people on the eve of World War II, was almost entirely destroyed during the War, with only 2% of Macedonian Jews surviving the [[Holocaust]].<ref>[http://www.balkanalysis.com/2007/03/14/macedonia%E2%80%99s-jewish-community-commemorates-the-holocaust-and-embraces-the-future/ Balkanalysis.com » Blog Archives » Macedonia's Jewish Community Commemorates the Holocaust, and Embraces the Future]</ref> After their liberation and the end of the War, most opted to emigrate to [[Israel]]. Today, the country's Jewish community numbers approximately 200 persons, almost all of whom live in Skopje. Most Macedonian Jews are [[Sephardic]] - the descendants of 15th century refugees who had fled the [[Spanish Inquisition|Spanish]] and [[Portuguese Inquisition]]s.

===Languages===

The official and most widely spoken language is [[Macedonian language|Macedonian]], which belongs to the Eastern branch of the [[South Slavic languages|South Slavic]] language group. Macedonian is closely related to and [[mutual intelligibility|mutually intelligible]] with [[Bulgarian language|Standard Bulgarian]]. It also has some similarities with standard [[Serbian language|Serbian]] and the intermediate [[Torlakian dialect|Torlakian]] and [[Shopi|Shop]] dialects spoken mostly in southern Serbia and western Bulgaria (and by speakers in the north and east of Macedonia). The [[standard language]] was [[Codification (linguistics)|codified]] in the period following [[World War II]] and has accumulated a thriving literary tradition. Although it is the only language explicitly designated as an official national language in the constitution, 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.

A wide variety of languages are spoken in Macedonia, reflecting its ethnic diversity. Besides the official national language [[Macedonian language|Macedonian]], minority languages with substantial numbers of speakers are:<ref name="United Nations Document">{{cite web|url=http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/0/974c7c980fa0cce7802566870032a38e?Opendocument|title=Core document forming part of the reports of States Parties : The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia|publisher=United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights|accessdate=2008-11-07}}</ref><ref name="Eurominority">{{cite web|url=http://www.eurominority.eu/version/eng/minority-state2.asp?id_states=28|title=Macedonia ethnic and linguistic minorities|work=|publisher=Eurominority |accessdate=2008-11-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurominority.eu/version/maps/map-european-languages.asp|title=Map of the European languages|publisher=Eurominority|accessdate=2008-11-07}}</ref><ref name="Britannica">{{cite web|url=http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-media/83/1983-004-1B1C7082.gif|title=Indo-European languages in contemporary Eurasia|work=Encyclopædia Britannica|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica Online|accessdate=2008-10-04}}</ref><ref name="BBC">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/european_languages/countries/macedonia.shtml|title=BBC: Languages across Europe - Macedonia|publisher=BBC|accessdate=2008-11-07}}</ref><ref name="Eupedia">{{cite web|url=http://www.eupedia.com/europe/maps_of_europe.shtml#languages|title=Europe languages map|publisher=Eupedia|accessdate=2008-11-07}}</ref> [[Albanian language|Albanian]], [[Romani language|Romani]], [[Turkish language|Turkish]] (including [[Balkan Gagauz Turkish language|Balkan Gagauz]]<ref name="Ethnologue">{{cite web|url=http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=MK|title=Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition|last=Gordon|first=Raymond G., Jr. (ed.)|year=2005|publisher=[[SIL International]]|accessdate=2008-11-03}}</ref>), [[Serbian language|Serbian]]/[[Bosnian language|Bosnian]] and [[Aromanian language|Aromanian]] (including [[Megleno-Romanian language|Megleno-Romanian]]). There are also smaller minorities of [[Adyghe language|Adyghe]] and [[Greek language|Greek]] speakers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=ell|title=Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition|last=Gordon|first=Raymond G., Jr. (ed.)|year=2005|publisher=[[SIL International]]|accessdate=2008-11-04}}</ref><ref>Patrick Heenan and Monique Lamontagne, ''The Central and Eastern Europe Handbook'', Taylor and Francis, 1999, ISBN 1579580890, 9781579580896, [http://scholar.google.gr/scholar?hl=el&lr=&q=%22Greeks+in+Macedonia+live+near+the+border+with+Greece+itself%22&btnG=%CE%91%CE%BD%CE%B1%CE%B6%CE%AE%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%83%CE%B7 p.69].</ref>

==Science==
===Education===

The Macedonian education system consists of:
* [[Kindergarten|pre-school education]]
* [[primary education]]
* [[secondary education]]
* [[higher education]]
The higher levels of education can be obtained at one of the four state universities: [[Skopje University|Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje]], [[Bitola University|St. Clement of Ohrid University of Bitola]], [[Tetovo University|State University of Tetovo]] and [[Shtip University|Goce Delchev University of Shtip]]. There are a number of private university institutions, such as the European University,<ref>[http://www.oic.org.mk/en/Default-en.htm OIC]</ref> Slavic University in Sveti Nikole, the [[South East European University]] and others.

The [[United States Agency for International Development]] has underwritten a project called "Macedonia Connects" which has made 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.<ref>[http://macedonia.usaid.gov/English/Articles/macedonia-wifi.html U.S. Agency for International Development<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>. In addition, an Internet Service Provider (On.net), has created a MESH Network to provide WIFI services in the 11 largest cities/towns in the country.

==Society==
===Cinema and media===
{{Expand|date=February 2009}}

===Culture===

{{main|Macedonian culture (ethnic group)|Music of the Republic of Macedonia|Public holidays in the Republic of Macedonia|List of Macedonians (ethnic group)}}
[[Image:Makeodnki 2.JPG|thumb|right|250px|Traditional Macedonian female [[Hora|''oro'']] (folk dance)]]
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 music styles developed under the strong influence of Byzantine church music. Macedonia has a significant number of preserved Byzantine fresco paintings, mainly from the period between the 11th and 16th centuries. There are several thousands square metres of fresco painting 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 the [[Ohrid]] Summer festival of classical music and drama, the [[Struga Poetry Evenings]] which gather poets from more than 50 countries in the world, International Camera Festival in [[Bitola]], Open Youth Theatre and [[Skopje Jazz Festival]] in Skopje etc.
The [[Macedonian Opera]] opend in 1947 with a performance of the [[Cavalleria Rusticana]] under 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 of [[Kiril Makedonski]]'s "Tsar Samuil" in May 1972<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.culture.in.mk/story.asp?id=19442&rub=35 |title=Macedonian Opera Marks 60th Anniversary. Culture - Republic of Macedonia |format= |work= |accessdate=}}</ref>.

==Gallery==
<center><gallery>
Image:Sveti jovan kaneo.jpg|[[Church of St. John at Kaneo]]
Image:Bogorodica.jpg|[[Saint Bogorodica Prečista Monastery]] near [[Kičevo]]
Image:Mount Pelister MK.jpg|National park [[Pelister]]
Image:BitolaWinter.jpg|The city of [[Bitola]]
Image:Panair Korab.jpg|[[Mount Korab]]&nbsp;– The highest mountain in the country
Image:MountShara.jpg|[[Šar Mountain|Šar mountain]]
Image:Meister von Nerezi 001.jpg|St. Panteleimon church near [[Skopje]]
Image:Architecture.jpg|The city of [[Bitola]]
Image:Wild beach-selo Ljubanista Ohrid.jpg|Beach near Ljubanista
Image:OhridCity.jpg|The city of [[Ohrid]] located on the shores of [[Lake Ohrid]]
Image:Morodvis.jpg| Morodvis (Crkvište&nbsp;— Morobisdon) archaeological site near [[Kočani]]
Image:Sv trojca.jpg| Holy Trinity Orthodox church in [[Radoviš]]
</gallery></center>

==See also==
{{portal|Republic of Macedonia|Flag-map of FYR Macedonia.svg}}
* [[Macedonia (terminology)]]
* [[Macedonians (ethnic group)|Ethnic Macedonians]]
* [[Communications in the Republic of Macedonia]]
* [[Foreign relations of the Republic of Macedonia]]
* [[Military of the Republic of Macedonia]]
* [[Transportation in the Republic of Macedonia]]
* [[Socialist Republic of Macedonia]]
* [[Public holidays in the Republic of Macedonia]]

==Notes and references==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{portal|Republic of Macedonia|Nuvola_Macedonian_flag.svg}}
{{sisterlinks|Republic of Macedonia}}
{{cookbook}}
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</div>
; Government
*[http://www.vlada.mk/english/index_en.htm E-Government]
*[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/world-leaders-1/world-leaders-m/macedonia.html Chief of State and Cabinet Members]

; General information
*{{CIA World Factbook link|mk|Macedonia}}
*[http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/govpubs/for/macedonia.htm Macedonia] from ''UCB Libraries GovPubs''
*{{dmoz|Regional/Europe/Macedonia}}
{{wikiatlas|the Republic of Macedonia}}

; Travel
*[http://www.exploringmacedonia.com National Tourism Portal]
*{{wikitravel}}

; Pictures
*[http://360macedonia.com Panoramas of Macedonia]
*[http://galerija.vmacedonia.net Photo Gallery]
</div>

{{Republic of Macedonia topics|state=collapsed}}
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[[Category:Republic of Macedonia| ]]
[[Category:Landlocked countries|Macedonia]]
[[Category:Slavic countries|Macedonia]]
[[Category:Member states of La Francophonie]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1991]]

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[[af:Republiek van Masedonië]]
[[als:Republik Mazedonien]]
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Revision as of 16:02, 29 April 2009

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