An Introduction to Macedonia
The first three words of the rather odd title of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are the result of a dispute with Greece, whose northern edge consists of a substantial province called Macedonia - the latter actually includes the capital cities of the'ancient Macedonian state and Empire, made famous by all-conquering Alexander the Great - see Wikipedia for Alexander and for the various Macedonias ancient and modern. See full country profile.
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GOVERNMENT: Parliamentary Republic
AREA: 25,713 sq km
POPULATION: 2,055,004 (June 2010 est.)
MAJOR LANGUAGE: Official Language: Macedonian
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The first three words of the rather odd title of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are the result of a dispute with Greece, whose northern edge consists of a substantial province called Macedonia - the latter actually includes the capital cities of the'ancient Macedonian state and Empire, made famous by all-conquering Alexander the Great - see Wikipedia for Alexander and for the various Macedonias ancient and modern.
The current state of Macedonia seceded peacefully from the fast-dismantling Yugoslavia in 1991. Like much of the Balkan region, the area was Roman, Byzantine and then Ottoman, taking it up to the end of the First World War. It then became part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and after WW II, one of the six republics of the socialist Yugoslav federation.A rugged and landlocked region, the Republic is home to bears and lynxes, but some of its most remarkable life is found in its three artificial lakes (see below). Economically, it has established an open economy with a flat tax system and steady growth - however high unemployment, corruption and difficult transport links are problems, and a high proportion of families struggle with poverty.
GDP: $21.3 billion (2011 est.); $10,366 per capita
Religions Orthodox Christian 64.7%; Muslim 33%; other 2.3%
Currency: Macedonian denar; $US 1 = 49.6 MKD
Telephone Code: + 389
This was the poorest republic in the Yugoslav federation, and when it lost subsidies and protected markets in 1991 things looked bleak. Worker remittances and foreign aid have helped to light the gloom, and between 2002 and 2008 GDP grew on average 6% a year. Successful privatizations in 2000 and continuing reform with free trade and regional integration have helped, although a Greek embargo following the naming dispute has not.
The global crisis has had little impact because Macedonian's banks are tightly controlled: it maintains a low debt-to-GDP ratio and has seen a recent investment boom from countries including Germany, France and Austria.
Exports totalled $4.07 bn in 2011 and centre around food, beverages, tobacco, textiles, iron and steel - Serbia and Montenegro are the largest partners, taking 20.1%, with Germany (15.1%), Greece (12.3%) and Bulgaria (9.9%) also important. Imports totalled $6.39 bn the same year with Germany providing 13.2%, Greece 12.3%, Bulgaria 9.8% and Serbia and Montenegro 6.9%.
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