Macedonia gained its independence peacefully from Yugoslavia in 1991. Greece's objection to the new state's use of what it considered a Hellenic name and symbols delayed international recognition, which occurred under the provisional designation of "the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia." In 1995, Greece lifted a 20-month trade embargo and the two countries agreed to normalize relations, but the issue of the name remained unresolved and negotiations for a solution are ongoing. Since 2004, the United States and 133 other nations have recognized Macedonia by its constitutional name, Republic of Macedonia. Some ethnic Albanians, angered by perceived political and economic inequities, launched an insurgency in 2001 that eventually won the support of the majority of Macedonia's ethnic Albanian population and led to the internationally-brokered Ohrid Framework Agreement, which ended the fighting and established guidelines for the creation of new laws that enhanced the rights of minorities. Fully implementing the Framework Agreement, maintaining momentum on democratic reforms, and stimulating economic growth and development continue to be challenges for Macedonia, although progress has been made over the past several years.

Southeastern Europe, north of Greece

41 50 N, 22 00 E

Europe

slightly larger than Vermont

0 km (landlocked)

none (landlocked)

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

1,280 sq km (2003)

6.4 cu km (2001)

high seismic risks

air pollution from metallurgical plants

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

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

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

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

2,082,370 (July 2012 est.)

0.237% (2012 est.)

11.8 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

8.95 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

-0.48 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

SKOPJE (capital) 480,000 (2009)

10 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

1.59 children born/woman (2012 est.)

6.9% of GDP (2009)

2.546 physicians/1,000 population (2006)

4.63 beds/1,000 population (2006)

less than 0.1% (2007 est.)

fewer than 200 (2007 est.)

fewer than 100 (2003 est.)

1.8% (2005)

NA

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)

Independence Day, 8 September (1991); also known as National Day

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

civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

unicameral Assembly or Sobranie (123 seats; all members elected by popular vote from party lists based on the percentage of the overall vote the parties gain in each of six electoral and three diaspora districts; members serve four-year terms)

Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; Judicial Council

Democratic League of Bosniaks in Macedonia, [Rafet MUMINOVIC]; Democratic Party of Serbs in Macedonia DPSM [Ivan STOILJKOVIC]; Democratic Party of the Albanians DPA [Menduh THACI]; Democratic Party of Turks of Macedonia DPTM [Kenan HASIPI]; Democratic Renewal of Macedonia, DOM [Liljana POPOVSKA]; Democratic Union or DS [Pavle TRAJANOV]; Democratic Union for Integration, DUI, [ALI AHMETI]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity or VMRO-DPMNE [Nikola GRUEVSKI]; Liberal Party LP [IVON VELICKOVSKI]; Movement for National Unity of Turks in Macedonia, [Erdogan SARAC]; National Democratic Revival RDK [Rufi OSMANI]; New Social-Democratic Party NSDP [Tito PETKOVSKI]; Party for Democratic Action of Macedonia SDA [Avdija PEPIC]; Party for the Total Emancipation of Roma PCER [Samka IBRAIMOVSKI]; Party on European Future PEI [Fijat CANOSKI]; Serbian Progressive party in Macedonia, SPSM [Dragisha MILETIC]; Social-Democratic Union of Macedonia, SDSM [Branko CRVENKOVSKI]; Socialist Party of Macedonia, SP [Ljubisav IVNAOV DZINGO]; Union of Roma of Macedonia SR [Amdi BAJRAM]

Federation of Free Trade Unions [Rasko MISHKOSKI]; Federation of Trade Unions [Zivko MITREVSKI]; Trade Union of Education, Science and Culture [Yakim NEDELKOV]

BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EU (candidate country), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, 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

eight-rayed sun

Macedonia is vulnerable to economic developments in Europe - due to strong banking and trade ties - 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 the Socialist Federal Republic 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. Since then, 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 29.1%, but may be overstated based on the existence of an extensive gray market, estimated to be between 20% and 45% 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 availability, and a large trade deficit. However, as a result of conservative fiscal policies and a sound financial system, in 2010 the country credit rating improved slightly to BB+ and was kept at that level in 2011. Macroeconomic stability has been maintained by a prudent monetary policy, which keeps the domestic currency pegged against the euro. As a result, GDP growth was modest, but positive, in 2010 and 2011, and inflation was under control.

$21.62 billion (2011 est.)

$20.98 billion (2010 est.)

$20.61 billion (2009 est.)

$10.33 billion (2011 est.)

3% (2011 est.)

1.8% (2010 est.)

-0.9% (2009 est.)

$10,500 (2011 est.)

$10,200 (2010 est.)

$10,000 (2009 est.)

942,400 (2011 est.)

31.4% (2011 est.)

32% (2010 est.)

30.9% (2010)

44.2 (2008)

39 (2003)

30.3% of GDP (2011 est.)

30% of GDP (2011 est.)

-2.5% of GDP (2011 est.)

28.2% of GDP (2011 est.)

24.6% of GDP (2010 est.)

3.9% (2011 est.)

1.6% (2010 est.)

4% (31 December 2011 est.)

6.5% (31 December 2009 est.)

8.87% (31 December 2011 est.)

7.9% (31 December 2010 est.)

$1.792 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$1.239 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$5.415 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$5.022 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$4.418 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$4.448 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$2.504 billion (31 December 2011)

$2.647 billion (31 December 2010)

$922.2 million (31 December 2009)

grapes, tobacco, vegetables, fruits; milk, eggs

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

4% (2011 est.)

-$300 million (2011 est.)

-$262 million (2010 est.)

$4.348 billion (2011 est.)

$3.296 billion (2010 est.)

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

Germany 28.5%, Italy 7.3%, Bulgaria 5.4%, Greece 5% (2011)

$7.007 billion (2011 est.)

$5.241 billion (2010 est.)

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

Germany 13.1%, Greece 13.1%, Bulgaria 11.1%, UK 7.9%, Turkey 5.4%, Italy 5.4% (2011)

$2.581 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$2.278 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$6.609 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$5.804 billion (31 December 2010 est.)

$4.036 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$3.739 billion (31 October 2010 est.)

$NA (31 December 2011)

$564 million (31 December 2009 est.)

Macedonian denars (MKD) per US dollar -

44.231 (2011 est.)

46.485 (2010 est.)

44.1 (2009)

41.414 (2008)

44.732 (2007)

calendar year

6.39 billion kWh (2011 est.)

9.024 billion kWh (2011 est.)

0 kWh (2011 est.)

2.634 billion kWh (2011 est.)

1.54 million kW (2009 est.)

65.7% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

34.3% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

18,800 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)

21,280 bbl/day (2008 est.)

17,490 bbl/day (2011 est.)

7,706 bbl/day (2009 est.)

21,530 bbl/day (2008 est.)

0 cu m (2010 est.)

136.8 million cu m (2011)

136.8 million cu m (2011)

0 cu m (2010 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

8.231 million Mt (2010 est.)

413,100 (2009)

2.153 million (2009)

public TV broadcaster operates 3 national channels and a satellite network; 5 privately-owned TV channels broadcast nationally using terrestrial transmitters and about 15 broadcast on national level via satellite; roughly 75 local commercial TV stations; large number of cable operators offering domestic and international programming; public radio broadcaster operates over multiple stations; 3 privately-owned radio stations broadcast nationally; about 70 local commercial radio stations (2010)

.mk

62,718 (2010)

1.057 million (2009)

14 (2012)

gas 268 km; oil 120 km (2010)

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

18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2008 (2011)

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