North Macedonia

Republic of MacedoniaRepublika Makedonija

parliamentary democracy

North Macedonia as the 2005 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 118 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.

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CapitalSkopje
Position41 50 N, 22 00 E
Area25,333 sq km
LocationSoutheastern Europe, north of Greece
2005

Every edition of North Macedonia

Populationas each edition published it
2.05 million July 2005 est. · 2.17m in 1992
Population growth% a year
0.26% 2005 est. · 0.91% in 1993
Median ageyears
32.8 years 2005 est. · 32.5 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
73.73 years 2005 est. · 73.19 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
1.57 children per woman 2005 est. · 2 in 1993
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
10.09 deaths per 1,000 live births 2005 est. · 29.7 in 1993
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$7,100 2004 est. · $3,110 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
1.3% 2004 est. · -18% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

Background

International recognition of Macedonia's 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, although differences over Macedonia's name remain. The undetermined status of neighboring Kosovo, implementation of the Framework Agreement - which ended the 2001 ethnic Albanian armed insurgency - and a weak economy continue to be challenges for Macedonia.

Geography

Southeastern Europe, north of Greece

18 fields

Land useshare of 25,333 sq km

arable land 22.26%permanent crops 1.81%other 75.93% (2001)irrigated 550 sq km (1998 est.)
Area
25,333sq km
land: 24,856 sq kmwater: 477 sq kmslightly larger than Vermont
Coastline
0km
(landlocked)Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Highest point
2,764m
Golem Korab (Maja e Korabit)lowest point: Vardar River 50 m
Land boundaries
766km
border countries: Albania 151 km, Bulgaria 148 km, Greece 246 km, Serbia and Montenegro 221 km

Location

Southeastern Europe, north of Greece

Geographic coordinates

41 50 N, 22 00 E

Climate

warm, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall

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

low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, manganese, nickel, tungsten, gold, silver, asbestos, gypsum, timber, arable land

Natural hazards

high seismic risks

Environment - current issues

air pollution from metallurgical plants

Environment - international agreements

party to:
Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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 fields

Age structuremale left, female right · (2005 est.)

97,117
65 and over10.8%
123,984
707,489
15-6468.7%
697,150
217,057
0-1420.5%
202,465
MaleFemale
Population
2,045,262
(July 2005 est.)growth rate: 0.26% (2005 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2005 est.)

Birth
12Death
8.73Net migration
-0.7

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2005 est.)73.73
71.28 · 76.37Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)10.09
10.2 · 9.97
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (2002 est.)96.1%
98.2% · 94.1%Median age years (2005 est.)32.8
31.7 · 33.9
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups(2002 census)

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

Religions(2002 census)

Macedonian Orthodox 32.4%other Christian 0.2%Muslim 16.9%other and unspecified 50.5% (2002 census)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.78 male(s)/female
total population:
1 male(s)/female (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.57 children born/woman (2005 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 100 (2003 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Macedonian(s)
adjective:
Macedonian

Languages

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

Government

Parliamentary democracy; President Branko CRVENKOVSKI (since 12 May 2004); Prime Minister Vlado BUCKOVSKI (since 17 December 2004)

18 fields

Assembly or Sobranie, 119 seats, elected 15 September 2002one dot, one seat

Together for Macedonia coalition (SDSM 43, LDP 12, others 5) 60VMRO-DPMNE (VMRO 28 and LDT 5) 33Democratic Union for Integration 16Democratic Party of Albanians 7Party for Democratic Prosperity 2Socialist Party of Macedonia 1

Country name

conventional long form:
Republic of Macedonia
conventional short form:
Macedonia; note - the provisional designation used by the UN, EU, and NATO is Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)
local long form:
Republika Makedonija
local short form:
Makedonija
former:
People's Republic of Macedonia, Socialist Republic of Macedonia

Government type

parliamentary democracy

Capital

Skopje

Administrative divisions

85 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, Debartsa, Delcevo, Demir Hisar, Demir Kapija, Dojran, Dolneni, Drugovo, Gazi Baba (Skopje), Gevgelija, Gjorce Petrov (Skopje), 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 Rastusa, Mogila, Negotino, Novaci, Novo Selo, Ohrid, Oslomej, Pehcevo, Petrovec, Plasnica, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis, Rankovce, Resen, Rosoman, Saraj (Skopje), 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; note: the ten municipalities followed by Skopje in parentheses collectively constitute "greater Skopje"

Independence

8 September 1991 (referendum by registered voters endorsing independence from Yugoslavia)

National holiday

Uprising Day, 2 August (1903); note - also known as Saint Elijah's Day and Ilinden

Constitution

adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991; amended November 2001 by a series of new constitutional amendments strengthening minority rights

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:
President Branko CRVENKOVSKI (since 12 May 2004)
head of government:
Prime Minister Vlado BUCKOVSKI (since 17 December 2004)
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 BDI
elections:
  • president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
  • two-round election last held 14 April and 28 April 2004 (next to be held April 2009);
  • prime minister elected by the Assembly;
  • election last held 1 November 2002 (next to be held NA 2006)
election results:
  • Branko CRVENKOVSKI elected president on second-round ballot;
  • percent of vote - Branko CRVENKOVSKI 62.7%, Sasko KEDEV 37.3%;
  • Vlado BUCKOVSKI elected prime minister by the Assembly

Legislative branch

unicameral Assembly or Sobranie (120 seats - members elected by popular vote from party lists based on the percentage of the overall vote the parties gain in each of six electoral districts; all serve four-year terms)

elections:
last held 15 September 2002 (next to be held NA 2006)
election results:
percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Together for Macedonia coalition 60 (SDSM 43, LDP 12, others 5), VMRO-DPMNE 33 (VMRO 28 and LDT 5), Democratic Union for Integration 16, Democratic Party of Albanians 7, Party for Democratic Prosperity 2, National Democratic Party 1, Socialist Party of Macedonia 1

Judicial branch

  • Supreme Court - the Assembly appoints the judges;
  • Constitutional Court - the Assembly appoints the judges;
  • Republican Judicial Council - the Assembly appoints the judges

Political parties and leaders

  • Democratic Alliance [Pavle TRAJANOV];
  • Democratic Alternative or DA [Vasil TUPURKOVSKI, president];
  • Democratic League of the Bosniaks [Rafet MUMINOVIC];
  • Democratic Party of Albanians or PDSH/DPA [Arben XHAFERI, president];
  • Democratic Party of Serbs [Ivan STOILJKOVIC];
  • Democratic Party of Turks [Kenan HASIPI];
  • Democratic Republican Union of Macedonia or DRUM [Dosta DIMOVSKA];
  • Democratic Union of Vlachs for Macedonia [leader NA];
  • Democratic Union for Integration or BDI/DUI [Ali AHMETI];
  • Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Agrarian Party or VMRO-Agrarian Party [Marjan GJORCEV];
  • Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity or VMRO-DPMNE (including VMRO and LDT) [Nikola GRUEVSKI];
  • Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-True Macedonian Option or VMRO-Vistinska [Boris ZMEJKOVSKI];
  • Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Macedonian [Boris STOJMENOV];
  • Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-People's Party or VMRO-Narodna [Vesna JANEVSKA];
  • League for Democracy [Gjorgi MARJANOVIC];
  • Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Risto PENOV];
  • Liberal Party [Stojan ANDOV];
  • National Democratic Party or PDK [Basri HALITI];
  • National Farmers' Party [Vejljo TANTAROV];
  • Party for Democratic Prosperity or PPD/PDP [Abduljhadi VEJSELI];
  • Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia or SDSM [Vlado BUCKOVSKI, president];
  • Socialist Party of Macedonia or SP [Ljubisav IVANOV, president];
  • Together for Macedonia coalition (including the SDSM and LDP) [Vlado BUCKOVSI];
  • United Party for Emancipation or OPE [Nezdet MUSTAFA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Civic Movement of Macedonia [Gordana SILJANOVSKA]; Movement for Macedonia's Euro-Atlantic Integration [Dosta DIMOVSKA]

International organization participation

ACCT, BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Nikola DIMITROV
chancery:
Suite 302, 1101 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20007
telephone:
[1] (202) 337-3063
FAX:
[1] (202) 337-3093
consulate(s) general:
Southfield (Michigan)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Lawrence Edward BUTLER
embassy:
Bul. Ilindenska bb, 1000 Skopje
mailing address:
American Embassy Skopje, Department of State, 7120 Skopje Place, Washington, DC 20521-7120 (pouch)
telephone:
[389] 2 311-6180
FAX:
[389] 2 311-7103

Flag description

a yellow sun with eight broadening rays extending to the edges of the red field

Economy

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.

38 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$14.4billion
(2004 est.)
Real growth rate
1.3%
(2004 est.)industrial production growth: 0% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate
37.7%
(3rd quarter, 2004 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(2004 est.)

agriculture 11.2%industry 26%services 62.8% (2004 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

31.4%
Serbia and Montenegro
10.4%
19.9%
Germany
13.1%
8.9%
Greece
15.4%
Slovenia
8.6%
Bulgaria
8.1%
6.9%
Croatia
Turkey
6%
4.9%
US
Romania
4.7%
Exports $1.629 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)Imports $2.677 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)(2004)

Budget

Revenues
$1.198 billionExpenditures
$1.245 billion (2004 est.)
expenditures including capital expenditures of $114 million

Electricity

Electricity production
6.273 billion (2003)Electricity consumption
7.216 billion (2003)Electricity imports
953 million (2003)

Economy - overview

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 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 the down-sized 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 0.9%, then rose by a moderate 3.4% in 2003, and is estimated at 1.3% in 2004. Unemployment at one-third of the workforce remains a critical economic problem. Much of the extensive grey market activity falls outside official statistics.

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $7,100 (2004 est.)

Labor force

855,000 (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Investment (gross fixed)

17.5% of GDP (2004 est.)

Public debt

20% of GDP (2004 est.)

Agriculture - products

wheat, grapes, rice, tobacco, corn, millet, cotton, sesame, mulberry leaves, citrus, vegetables; beef, pork, poultry, mutton

Industries

coal, metallic chromium, lead, zinc, ferronickel, textiles, wood products, tobacco, food processing, buses, steel

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

22,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Current account balance

$-311 million (2004 est.)

Exports

$1.629 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

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

Imports

$2.677 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

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

Debt - external

$1.863 billion (2004 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$250 million (2003 est.)

Currency (code)

Macedonian denar (MKD)

Exchange rates

Macedonian denars per US dollar - 49.41 (2004), 54.32 (2003), 64.35 (2002), 68.04 (2001), 65.9 (2000)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields
Mobile cellular
830,000
(2005)
Internet users
3,738
(2004)
Fixed lines
560,000
(2002) · country code .mk

Telephone system

general assessment:
NA
domestic:
NA
international:
country code - 389

Radio broadcast stations

AM 29, FM 20, shortwave 0 (1998)

Television broadcast stations

31 (plus 166 repeaters) (1995)

Internet users

100,000 (2002)

Transportation

6 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right

2
2,438 to 3,047 m
8
under 914 m
4
914 to 1,523 m
3
Paved 10Unpaved 7

Networkskm

Highways
8,684Railways
699
Highways: paved: 5,540 km (including 133 km of expressways) · unpaved: 3,144 km (1999 est.) · Railways: standard gauge: 699 km 1.435-m gauge (233 km electrified) (2004)

Railways

total:
699 km
standard gauge:
699 km 1.435-m gauge (233 km electrified) (2004)

Highways

total:
8,684 km
paved:
5,540 km (including 133 km of expressways)
unpaved:
3,144 km (1999 est.)

Pipelines

gas 268 km; oil 120 km (2004)

Airports

17 (2004 est.)

Military

Army of the Republic of Macedonia (ARM; includes Air and Air Defense Command)

7 fields

Military branches

Army of the Republic of Macedonia (ARM; includes Air and Air Defense Command)

Military service age and obligation

  • conscription to be phased out by 2007;
  • current tour of conscript duty is 6 months;
  • 18 years of age for voluntary military service (January 2005)

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49: 498,259 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49: 411,156 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$200 million (FY01/02 est.)

Transnational Issues

3 fields

Disputes - international

  • ethnic Albanians in Kosovo object to demarcation of the boundary with Macedonia in accordance with the 2000 Macedonia-Serbia and Montenegro delimitation agreement;
  • Greece continues to reject the use of the name Macedonia or Republic of Macedonia

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs: 2,678 (ethnic conflict in 2001; most IDPs have returned) (2004)

Illicit drugs

  • major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish;
  • minor transit point for South American cocaine destined for Europe;
  • although most criminal activity is thought to be domestic and not a financial center, money laundering is a problem due to a mostly cash-based economy and weak enforcement (no arrests or prosecutions for money laundering to date)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Macedonia.” The World Factbook 2005. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/north-macedonia/2005.

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