Macedonia gained its independence peacefully from Yugoslavia in 1991. Greek objection to Macedonia’s name, insisting it implies territorial pretensions to the northern Greek province of the same name, and democratic backsliding have stalled the country’s movement toward Euro-Atlantic integration. Immediately after Macedonia declared independence, Greece sought to block Macedonian efforts to gain UN membership if the name “Macedonia” was used. Macedonia was eventually admitted to the UN in 1993 as “The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,” and at the same time it agreed to UN-sponsored negotiations on the name dispute. 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 US and over 130 other nations have recognized Macedonia by its constitutional name, Republic of Macedonia. Ethnic Albanian grievances over perceived political and economic inequities escalated into an insurgency in 2001 that eventually led to the internationally brokered Ohrid Framework Agreement (OFA), which ended the fighting and established guidelines for constitutional amendments and the creation of new laws that enhanced the rights of minorities. Relations between Macedonians and ethnic Albanians remain fragile, however.

Macedonia has been engulfed in a political crisis that began after the 2014 legislative and presidential election, and which escalated in 2015 when the opposition party began releasing wiretap content that it alleged showed widespread government corruption. Although Macedonia became an EU candidate in 2005, the country still faces challenges, including overcoming the political crisis, fully implementing the OFA, resolving the outstanding name dispute with Greece, improving relations with Bulgaria, halting democratic backsliding, and stimulating economic growth and development. At the 2008 NATO Summit in Bucharest, Romania, the Allies agreed that Macedonia would be invited to join the Alliance as soon as a mutually acceptable resolution to the name dispute was reached with Greece.

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 with deep basins and valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country bisected by the Vardar River

highest point: Golem Korab (Maja e Korabit) 2,764 m

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

arable land 16.4%; permanent crops 1.4%; permanent pasture 26.5%

1,280 sq km (2012)

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations

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

2,103,721 (July 2017 est.)

Macedonian 64.2%, Albanian 25.2%, Turkish 3.9%, Romani 2.7%, Serb 1.8%, other 2.2% (2002 est.)

Macedonian (official) 66.5%, Albanian 25.1%, Turkish 3.5%, Romani 1.9%, Serbian 1.2%, other 1.8% (2002 est.)

Macedonian Orthodox 64.8%, Muslim 33.3%, other Christian 0.4%, other and unspecified 1.5% (2002 est.)

0.17% (2017 est.)

11.4 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

9.2 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

-0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations

SKOPJE (capital) 503,000 (2015)

26.8 years (2014 est.)

8 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

1.6 children born/woman (2017 est.)

40.2% (2011)

6.5% of GDP (2014)

2.8 physicians/1,000 population (2013)

4.5 beds/1,000 population (2011)

urban: 99.8% of population

rural: 98.9% of population

total: 99.4% of population

urban: 0.2% of population

rural: 1.1% of population

total: 0.6% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 97.2% of population

rural: 82.6% of population

total: 90.9% of population

urban: 2.8% of population

rural: 17.4% of population

total: 9.1% of population (2015 est.)

<.1% (2016 est.)

<500 (2016 est.)

<100 (2016 est.)

22.4% (2016)

1.3% (2011)

parliamentary republic

70 municipalities (opstini, singular - opstina) and 1 city* (grad); Aracinovo, Berovo, Bitola, Bogdanci, Bogovinje, Bosilovo, Brvenica, Caska, Centar Zupa, Cesinovo-Oblesevo, Cucer Sandevo, Debar, Debarca, Delcevo, Demir Hisar, Demir Kapija, Dojran, Dolneni, Gevgelija, Gostivar, Gradsko, Ilinden, Jegunovce, Karbinci, Kavadarci, Kicevo, Kocani, Konce, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krivogastani, Krusevo, Kumanovo, Lipkovo, Lozovo, Makedonska Kamenica, Makedonski Brod, Mavrovo i Rostusa, Mogila, Negotino, Novaci, Novo Selo, Ohrid, Pehcevo, Petrovec, Plasnica, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis, Rankovce, Resen, Rosoman, Skopje*, Sopiste, Staro Nagoricane, Stip, Struga, Strumica, Studenicani, Sveti Nikole, Tearce, Tetovo, Valandovo, Vasilevo, Veles, Vevcani, Vinica, Vrapciste, Zelenikovo, Zelino, Zrnovci

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

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

civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

Alliance for Albanians [Ziadin SELA]

Besa Movement [Bilal KASAMI]

Democratic Party of Albanians or PDSh [Menduh THACI]

Democratic Union for Integration or BDI [Ali AHMETI]

Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity or VMRO-DPMNE [Nikola GRUEVSKI]

Social Democratic Union of Macedonia or SDSM [Zoran ZAEV]

Confederation of Free Trade Unions or KSS [Blagoja RALPOVSKI]

Federation of Trade Unions of Macedonia or SSM [Zivko MITREVSKI]

Trade Union of Education, Science and Culture or SONK [Jakim NEDELKOV]

Student Plenum

Eco Guerilla [Arianit XHAFERI]

BIS, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EU (candidate country), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), 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; national colors: red, yellow

Since its independence in 1991, Macedonia has made progress in liberalizing its economy and improving its business environment. Its low tax rates and free economic zones have helped to attract foreign investment, which is still low relative to the rest of Europe. Corruption and weak rule of law remain significant problems. Some businesses complain of opaque regulations and unequal enforcement of the law.

Macedonia’s economy is closely linked to Europe as a customer for exports and source of investment, and has suffered as a result of prolonged weakness in the euro zone. Unemployment has remained consistently high at about 23%, but may be overstated based on the existence of an extensive gray market, estimated to be between 20% and 45% of GDP, which is not captured by official statistics.

Macedonia is working to build a country-wide natural gas pipeline and distribution network. Currently, Macedonia receives its small natural gas supplies from Russia via Bulgaria. In 2016, Macedonia signed a memorandum of understanding with Greece to build an interconnector that could connect to the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline that will traverse the region once complete, or to an LNG import terminal in Greece.

Macedonia maintained macroeconomic stability through the global financial crisis by conducting prudent monetary policy, which keeps the domestic currency pegged to the euro, and inflation at a low level. However, in the last two years, the internal political crisis has hampered economic performance, with GDP slowing in 2016, and both domestic private and public investments declining. Fiscal policies were lax, with unproductive public expenditures, including subsidies and pension increases, and rising guarantees for the debt of state owned enterprises, and fiscal targets were consistently missed. In 2016, public debt reached 50.5% of GDP before being revised down to 47.8% of GDP by year’s end, still relatively low compared to its Western Balkan neighbors and the rest of Europe. In 2016, Macedonia issued a Eurobond worth approximately $495 million to finance 2016 and part of 2017 budget needs.

$30.26 billion (2016 est.)

$29.17 billion (2015 est.)

$27.79 billion (2014 est.)

$10.91 billion (2016 est.)

2.4% (2016 est.)

3.8% (2015 est.)

3.6% (2014 est.)

$14,600 (2016 est.)

$14,300 (2015 est.)

$13,800 (2014 est.)

30.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

29% of GDP (2015 est.)

29.8% of GDP (2014 est.)

grapes, tobacco, vegetables, fruits; milk, eggs

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

7.6% (2016 est.)

948,600 (2016 est.)

23.6% (2016 est.)

26.1% (2015 est.)

21.5% (2015 est.)

33.7 (2015)

35.2 (2014)

27.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

-2.6% of GDP (2016 est.)

47.8% of GDP (2016 est.)

46.7% of GDP (2015 est.)

calendar year

-0.2% (2016 est.)

-0.3% (2015 est.)

3.25% (31 March 2017)

3.75% (31 December 2016)

6.61% (31 December 2016 est.)

7.08% (31 December 2015 est.)

$1.909 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$1.797 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$4.574 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$4.459 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$5.01 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$5.308 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$2.078 billion (31 December 2016)

$1.853 billion (31 December 2015)

$2.269 billion (31 December 2014)

$-336 million (2016 est.)

$-203.6 million (2015 est.)

$3.75 billion (2016 est.)

$3.37 billion (2015 est.)

foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco; textiles, miscellaneous manufactures, iron, steel; automotive parts

Germany 40.9%, Kosovo 13.5%, Serbia 7.7%, Bulgaria 4.5% (2016)

$5.805 billion (2016 est.)

$5.393 billion (2015 est.)

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

Germany 12.2%, UK 10.7%, Serbia 7.9%, Greece 7.3%, China 6.2%, Italy 5.6%, Turkey 5.1%, Bulgaria 4.6% (2016)

$2.755 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$2.471 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$7.685 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$6.942 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$6.8 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

$6.227 billion (31 December 2015 est.)

$849.1 million (31 December 2016 est.)

$666.7 million (31 December 2015 est.)

Macedonian denars (MKD) per US dollar -

55.733 (2016 est.)

55.733 (2015 est.)

55.537 (2014 est.)

46.437 (31 December 2013 est.)

47.89 (2012 est.)

5.303 billion kWh (2016 est.)

6.455 billion kWh (2016 est.)

58.5 million kWh (2016 est.)

2.191 billion kWh (2016 est.)

2.057 million kW (2016 est.)

64.3% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

32.8% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

2.9% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

0 bbl/day (2016 est.)

142.3 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2017 es)

0 bbl/day (2016 est.)

20,700 bbl/day (2016 est.)

3,900 bbl/day (2016 est.)

23,400 bbl/day (2016 est.)

0 cu m (2016)

471 million cu m (2015 est.)

0 cu m (2016)

60 million cu m (2015 est.)

0 cu m (31 December 2016 )

7.9 million Mt (2013 est.)

public service TV broadcaster Macedonian Radio and Television operates 3 national terrestrial TV channels and 2 satellite TV channels; additionally, there are 5 privately owned TV channels that broadcast nationally using terrestrial transmitters, 4 TV channels with concession for cable TV, 5 satellite TV channels broadcasting on a national level, 47 local commercial TV channels, and a large number of cable operators that offer domestic and international programming; the public radio broadcaster operates over multiple stations; there are 3 privately owned radio stations that broadcast nationally and about 75 local commercial radio stations (2017)

.mk

1.475 million

70.4% (July 2016 est.)

Z3 (2016)

10 (2013)

gas 262 km; oil 120 km (2017)

0.97% of GDP (2016)

1.05% of GDP (2015)

1.08% of GDP (2014)

1.17% of GDP (2013)

1.23% of GDP (2012)

Army of the Republic of Macedonia (ARM; includes General Staff and subordinate Joint Operational Command, Training and Doctrine Command, Special Operations Regiment) (2012)

18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2008 (2013)

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