North Macedonia
The Former Yugoslav Republic of MacedoniaRepublika Makedonija
emerging democracyIndependence 17 September 1991 (from Yugoslavia)
North Macedonia as the 1998 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 98 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.
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Geography
Southeastern Europe, north of Greece
18 fieldsLand useshare of 25,333 sq km
Terrain
- mountainous territory covered with deep basins and valleys;
- there are three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line;
- country bisected by the Vardar River
Natural resources
chromium, lead, zinc, manganese, tungsten, nickel, low-grade iron ore, asbestos, sulfur, timber
Environment-international agreements
- party to:
- Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
- 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
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1998 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 24% (male 244,636; female 230,103)
- 15-64 years:
- 67% (male 675,783; female 669,878)
- 65 years and over:
- 9% (male 85,030; female 103,957) (July 1998 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.08 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.81 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Government
Emerging democracy; President Kiro GLIGOROV (since 27 January 1991); Prime Minister Branko CRVENKOVSKI (since 4 September 1992)
20 fieldsAssembly or Sobranje, 120 seats, elected 16 and 30 October 1994one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
- conventional short form:
- none
- local long form:
- Republika Makedonija
- local short form:
- Makedonija
- abbreviation:
- F.Y.R.O.M.
Administrative divisions
34 counties (opstinas, singular-opstina) Berovo, Bitola, Brod, Debar, Delcevo, Gevgelija, Gostivar, Kavadarci, Kicevo, Kocani, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krusevo, Kumanovo, Murgasevo, Negotino, Ohrid, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis, Resen, Skopje-Centar, Skopje-Cair, Skopje-Karpos, Skopje-Kisela Voda, Skopje-Gazi Baba, Stip, Struga, Strumica, Sveti Nikole, Tetovo, Titov Veles, Valandovo, Vinica; note: in September 1996, the Macedonian Parliament passed legislation changing the territorial division of the country; names of the 123 new municipalities are not yet available
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Kiro GLIGOROV (since 27 January 1991)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Branko CRVENKOVSKI (since 4 September 1992)
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers elected by the majority vote of all the deputies in the Assembly;
- note-after the withdrawal of the Liberal Party (LP) from the ruling coalition in early 1996, the Council of Ministers was reorganized without LP participation
- elections:
- president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 16 October 1994 (next to be held NA 1999)
- election results:
- Kiro GLIGOROV elected president; percent of vote-Kiro GLIGOROV 78.4%
Legislative branch
- unicameral Assembly or Sobranje (120 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms);
- note-Assembly to vote on new election laws in spring 1998
- elections:
- last held 16 and 30 October 1994 (next to be held NA October/November 1998)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party-NA;
- seats by party-SDSM 58, LDP 29, SP 8, PDP 10, DPA 4, independents 7, other 4;
- note-since October 1994 elections, some members of the Assembly have changed their party affiliation;
- the seating as of January 1997 is as follows: SDSM 61, LDP 27, SP 6, PDP 11, DPA 7, independents 3, other 5
Judicial branch
Constitutional Court, judges are elected by the Judicial Council; Judicial Court of the Republic, judges are elected by the Judicial Council
Political parties and leaders
- Social-Democratic Alliance of Macedonia or SDSM (former Communist Party) [Branko CRVENKOVSKI, president];
- Party for Democratic Prosperity or PDP [Abdurahman ALITI, president];
- Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Stojan ANDOV and Petar GOSEV];
- Socialist Party of Macedonia or SP [Ljubislav IVANOV-ZINGO, president];
- Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity or VMRO-DPMNE [Ljubcho GEORGIEVSKI, president];
- Democratic Party for Albanians or DPA [Arben XHAFERI, president];
- Democratic Alternative or DA [Vasil Tupur KOVSKI, president]
Political pressure groups and leaders
- Movement for All Macedonian Action or MAAK;
- Democratic Party of Serbs;
- Democratic Party of Turks;
- Party for Democratic Action (Slavic Muslim);
- Party for the Complete Emancipation of Romas or PCER [Faik ABDI]
International organization participation
CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Ljubica Z. ACEVSKA
- chancery:
- 3050 K Street, NW, Suite 210, Washington, DC 20007
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 337 3063
- consulate(s) general:
- New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Christopher Robert HILL (18 July 1996)
- embassy:
- Bul. Ilindenska bb, 9100 Skopje
- mailing address:
- American Embassy Skopje, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7120 (pouch)
- telephone:
- [389] (91) 116-180
Economy
28 fieldsGDP-composition by sector(1995 est.)
Economy-overview
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, although the poorest republic in the former Yugoslav federation, can meet basic food and energy needs through its own agricultural and coal resources. The economy slowly rebounded in 1996-97 after years of recession. Continued recovery depends on Macedonia's ability to attract investment, to redevelop trade ties with Greece and Serbia and Montenegro, and to maintain its commitment to economic liberalization.
The economy depends on outside sources for all of its oil and gas and most of its modern machinery and parts. An important supplement of GDP is the remittances from thousands of Macedonians working in Germany and other West European nations.
Agriculture-products
rice, tobacco, wheat, corn, millet, cotton, sesame, mulberry leaves, citrus, vegetables; beef, pork, poultry, mutton
Exports
- total value:
- $1.2 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
- commodities:
- food, beverage, tobacco 17.0%, machinery and transport equipment 13.3%, other manufactured goods 58%
- partners:
- Bulgaria, other former Yugoslav republics, Germany, Italy
Imports
- total value:
- $1.6 billion (c.i.f., 1996)
- commodities:
- machinery and equipment 19%, chemicals 14%, fuels 12%
- partners:
- other former Yugoslav republics, Germany, Bulgaria, Italy, Austria
Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $NA note: US, $10 million (for humanitarian and technical assistance); in December 1995, the EU agreed to provide a credit line of ECU 21.7 million for investment projects
Exchange rates
denar per US$1-31 (July 1997), 40.5 (September 1996), 38.8 (December 1995), 39 (November 1994), 865 (October 1992)
Transportation
8 fieldsNetworkskm
Military
Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Police | Force
7 fieldsMilitary expenditures-dollar figure
7 billion denars (1993 est.); note-conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes-international
- dispute with Greece over name;
- in September 1995, Skopje and Athens signed an interim accord resolving their dispute over symbols and certain constitutional provisions;
- Athens also lifted its economic embargo on The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia;
- 20 bilateral agreements remain unsigned in a dispute over Bulgarian nonrecognition of Macedonian as a language distinct from Bulgarian;
- the border commission formed by The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia and Montenegro in April 1996 to resolve differences in delineation of their mutual border has made no progress so far;
- Albanians in Macedonia claim discrimination in education, access to public-sector jobs and representation in government;
- Party for Democratic Action (DPA) calls for a rewrite of the constitution to declare ethnic Albanians a national group and allow for regional autonomy
Illicit drugs
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish; minor transit point for South American cocaine MADAGASCAR
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of.” The World Factbook 1998. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/north-macedonia/1998.