North Macedonia
The Former Yugoslav Republic of MacedoniaRepublika Makedonija
parliamentary democracy
North Macedonia as the 2003 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 117 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
International recognition of The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's (F.Y.R.O.M.) independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 was delayed by Greece's objection to the new state's use of what it considered a Hellenic name and symbols. Greece finally lifted its trade blockade in 1995, and the two countries agreed to normalize relations, despite continued disagreement over F.Y.R.O.M.'s use of "Macedonia." F.Y.R.O.M.'s large Albanian minority, an ethnic Albanian armed insurgency in F.Y.R.O.M. in 2001, and the status of neighboring Kosovo continue to be sources of ethnic tension.
Geography
Southeastern Europe, north of Greece
18 fieldsLand useshare of 25,333 sq km
Terrain
- mountainous territory covered with deep basins and valleys;
- 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, arable land
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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
19 fieldsPer 1,000 population(2003 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(1994)
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 21.9% (male 235,102; female 217,574)
- 15-64 years:
- 67.5% (male 700,929; female 691,552)
- 65 years and over:
- 10.6% (male 96,039; female 121,926) (2003 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.08 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.08 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years:
- 1.01 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.79 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Government
Parliamentary democracy; President Boris TRAJKOVSKI (since 15 December 1999); Prime Minister Branko CRVENKOVSKI (since 1 November 2002)
18 fieldsAssembly or Sobranie, 119 seats, elected 15 September 2002one dot, one seat
Country name
- conventional long form:
- The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
- conventional short form:
- none
- local long form:
- Republika Makedonija
- abbreviation:
- F.Y.R.O.M.
- local short form:
- Makedonija
Administrative divisions
123 municipalities (opstini, singular - opstina); Aracinovo, Bac, Belcista, Berovo, Bistrica, Bitola, Blatec, Bogdanci, Bogomila, Bogovinje, Bosilovo, Brvenica, Cair (Skopje), Capari, Caska, Cegrane, Centar (Skopje), Centar Zupa, Cesinovo, Cucer-Sandevo, Debar, Delcevo, Delogozdi, Demir Hisar, Demir Kapija, Dobrusevo, Dolna Banjica, Dolneni, Dorce Petrov (Skopje), Drugovo, Dzepciste, Gazi Baba (Skopje), Gevgelija, Gostivar, Gradsko, Ilinden, Izvor, Jegunovce, Kamenjane, Karbinci, Karpos (Skopje), Kavadarci, Kicevo, Kisela Voda (Skopje), Klecevce, Kocani, Konce, Kondovo, Konopiste, Kosel, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krivogastani, Krusevo, Kuklis, Kukurecani, Kumanovo, Labunista, Lipkovo, Lozovo, Lukovo, Makedonska Kamenica, Makedonski Brod, Mavrovi Anovi, Meseista, Miravci, Mogila, Murtino, Negotino, Negotino-Polosko, Novaci, Novo Selo, Oblesevo, Ohrid, Orasac, Orizari, Oslomej, Pehcevo, Petrovec, Plasnica, Podares, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis, Rankovce, Resen, Rosoman, Rostusa, Samokov, Saraj, Sipkovica, Sopiste, Sopotnica, Srbinovo, Star Dojran, Staravina, Staro Nagoricane, Stip, Struga, Strumica, Studenicani, Suto Orizari (Skopje), Sveti Nikole, Tearce, Tetovo, Topolcani, Valandovo, Vasilevo, Velesta, Veles, Vevcani, Vinica, Vitoliste, Vranestica, Vrapciste, Vratnica, Vrutok, Zajas, Zelenikovo, Zeleno, Zitose, Zletovo, Zrnovci; note: the seven municipalities followed by Skopje in parentheses collectively constitute "greater Skopje"
Independence
8 September 1991 referendum by registered voters endorsing independence (from Yugoslavia)
Constitution
adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991 note: in November of 2001, the Macedonian Parliament approved a series of new constitutional amendments strengthening minority rights
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Boris TRAJKOVSKI (since 15 December 1999)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Branko CRVENKOVSKI (since 1 November 2002)
- elections:
- president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
- election last held 14 November 1999 (next to be held NA October 2004);
- prime minister elected by the Assembly;
- election last held 1 November 2002 (next to be held NA 2006)
- election results:
- Boris TRAJKOVSKI elected president on second-round ballot;
- percent of vote - Boris TRAJKOVSKI 52.4%, Tito PETKOVSKI 46.2%;
- Branko CRVENKOVSKI elected prime minister by Parliament with 72% of the vote
- 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, and DUI (or BDI)
Legislative branch
unicameral Assembly or Sobranie (120 seats - 85 members are elected by popular vote, 35 members come from lists of candidates submitted by parties based on the percentage that a party gains from the overall vote; all serve four-year terms)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Together for Macedonia coalition (SDSM and LDP) 60, VMRO-DPMNE 33, Democratic Union for Integration 16, Democratic Party of Albanians 7, Party for Democratic Prosperity 2, National Democratic Party 1, Socialist Party of Macedonia 1
- elections:
- last held 15 September 2002 (next to be held NA 2006)
Judicial branch
- Supreme Court - Parliament appoints the judges;
- Constitutional Court - Parliament appoints the judges;
- Republican Judicial Council - Parliament appoints the judges
Political parties and leaders
- Democratic Alternative or DA [Vasil TUPURKOVSKI, president];
- Democratic Union for Integration or DUI (also BDI) [Ali AHMETI];
- Democratic Party of Albanians or PDSH [Arben XHAFERI, president];
- Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity or VMRO-DPMNE [Ljubco GEORGIEVSKI, president];
- Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-True Macedonian Reform Option or VMRO-VMRO [Boris ZMEJKOVSKI];
- Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Macedonian [Boris STOJMENOV];
- Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Risto PENOV];
- Liberal Party [Stojan ANDOV];
- National Democratic Party or PDK [Kastriot HAXHIREXHA];
- Party for Democratic Prosperity or PPD [Abdurrahman HALITI];
- Social-Democratic Alliance of Macedonia or SDSM [Branko CRVENKOVSKI, president];
- Socialist Party of Macedonia or SP [Ljubisav IVANOV, president];
- Together for Macedonia coalition (including the SDSM and LDP) [Branko CRVENKOVSKI];
- Union of Romanies of Macedonia or SRM [leader NA]
International organization participation
ACCT, BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Nikola DIMITROV
- chancery:
- Suite 302, 1101 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
- consulate(s) general:
- New York
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 337-3093
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 337-3063
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Laurence Edward BUTLER
- embassy:
- Bul. Ilinden bb, 91000 Skopje
- mailing address:
- American Embassy Skopje, Department of State, 7120 Skopje Place, Washington, DC 20521-7120 (pouch)
- telephone:
- [389] 116-180
- FAX:
- [389] 117-103
Economy
At independence in November 1991, Macedonia was the least developed of the Yugoslav republics, producing a mere 5% of the total federal output of goods and services.
36 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(2001 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
Electricity
Economy - overview
At independence in November 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 center and eliminated advantages from inclusion in a de facto free trade area.
An absence of infrastructure, UN sanctions on 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 0.3%, then rose to 2.8% in 2003. Unemployment at one-third of the workforce remains the most critical economic problem. But even this issue is overshadowed by the fragile political situation.
Industries
coal, metallic chromium, lead, zinc, ferronickel, textiles, wood products, tobacco, food processing, buses
Agriculture - products
rice, tobacco, wheat, corn, millet, cotton, sesame, mulberry leaves, citrus, vegetables; beef, pork, poultry, mutton
Exchange rates
Macedonian denars per US dollar - 64.35 (2002), 68.04 (2001), 65.9 (2000), 56.9 (1999), 54.46 (1998)
Communications
8 fieldsTransportation
8 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
Military
Army (ARM), Air and Air Defense Forces, Police Force
7 fieldsTransnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
- the Albanian government calls for the protection of the rights of ethnic Albanians in F.Y.R.O.M. while continuing to seek regional cooperation;
- ethnic Albanians in Kosovo continue to protest 2000 F.Y.R.O.M.-Serbia and Montenegro boundary treaty, which transfers small tracts of land to F.Y.R.O.M.;
- dispute with Greece over country's name persists
Illicit drugs
- major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish;
- minor transit point for South American cocaine destined for Europe;
- while money laundering is a problem on a local level due to organized crime activities, the lack of a well-developed financial infrastructure limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of.” The World Factbook 2003. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/north-macedonia/2003.