Map of Macedonia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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Background: International recognition of The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's (FYROM) 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. FYROM's large Albanian minority and the de facto independence of neighboring Kosovo continue to be sources of ethnic tension.


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Location: Southeastern Europe north of Greece

Geographic coordinates: 41 50 N 22 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Comparative: slightly larger than Vermont

Land boundaries

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

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

Elevation

Natural resources: chromium lead zinc manganese tungsten nickel low-grade iron ore asbestos sulfur timber arable land

Land use

Irrigated land: 830 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: high seismic risks

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


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Population: 2,041,467 (July 2000 est.)
Growth rate: 0.04% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Macedonian 66.6% Albanian 22.7% Turkish 4% Roma 2.2% Serb 2.1% other 2.4% (1994)

Languages: Macedonian 70% Albanian 21% Turkish 3% Serbo-Croatian 3% other 3%

Religions: Macedonian Orthodox 67% Muslim 30% other 3%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 0.04% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 13.73 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 7.69 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: -5.66 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: air pollution from metallurgical plants

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 13.35 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 1.82 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: emerging democracy

Capital: Skopje

Administrative divisions: 34 counties (opstini 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

Dependent areas

Independence: 17 September 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

National holiday: 8 September Independence Day

Constitution: adopted 17 November 1991 effective 20 November 1991

Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly or Sobranje (120 seats - 85 members are elected by popular vote; 35 members come from lists of candidates submitted by parties based on the percentage that parties gain from the overall vote; all serve four-year terms)

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: Alliance of Romas [leader NA]; Alliance of Communists [leader NA]; Civic Liberal Party [leader NA]; Communist Party [leader NA]; Democratic Alternative or DA [Vasil TUPURKOVSKI president]; Democratic Party for Albanians or DPA [Arben XHAFERI president]; Democratic Party of Macedonia or DPM [Tomislav STOJANOVSK-BOMBAJ]; Democratic Party of Serbs or DPSM [Dragisa MILETIC]; Democratic Party of Turks or DPTM [Erdogan SARAC]; Democratic Progressive Party of Romas [leader NA]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity or VMRO-DPMNE [Ljubcho GEORGIEVSKI president]; Labor Party or LP [Krste JANKOVSKI]; League of Democracy [leader NA]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Risto PENOV]; Movement for All Macedonian Action or MAAK [Straso ANGELOVSKI]; Party for Democratic Action-True Path [leader NA]; Party for Democratic Prosperity or PDP [Abdurahman HALITI president]; Party for the Complete Emancipation of Romas or PCER [Bajram BERAT]; Party of Pensioners of Macedonia [leader NA]; Republican Party for National Unity [leader NA]; Social Christian Party of Macedonia [leader NA]; Social-Democratic Alliance of Macedonia or SDSM (former Communist Party) [Branko CRVENKOVSKI president]; Social Democratic Party of Macedonia or SDPM [leader NA]; Socialist Party of Macedonia or SP [Ljubisav IVANOV president]

International organization participation: BIS CCC CE CEI EAPC EBRD ECE FAO IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Intelsat (nonsignatory user) Interpol IOC ISO ITU OSCE PFP UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WHO WIPO WMO WToO WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: a rising yellow sun with eight rays extending to the edges of the red field

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991 deprived Macedonia then its poorest republic of key protected markets and large transfer payments from the center. Worker remittances and foreign aid have softened the subsequent volatile recovery period. 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 can meet its basic food needs but depends on outside sources for all of its oil and gas and most of its modern machinery and parts. Growth in 1999 was held down by the severe regional economic dislocations caused by the Kosovo conflict.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2.5% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: rice tobacco wheat corn millet cotton sesame mulberry leaves citrus vegetables; beef pork poultry mutton

Industries: coal metallic chromium lead zinc ferronickel textiles wood products tobacco

Industrial production growth rate: -2% (1999 est.)

Labor force: 673,000 (1995 est.)
By occupation agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: 35% (1999 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1% (1999 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $1.2 billion (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: food beverages tobacco; miscellaneous manufactures iron and steel
Partners: Germany 21% Serbia and Montenegro 18% US 13% Greece 7% Italy 6% (1998)

Imports: $1.56 billion (f.o.b. 1999 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment chemicals fuels; food products
Partners: Germany 13% Serbia and Montenegro 13% Slovenia 8% Ukraine 6% Italy 6% (1998)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $1.7 billion (1998 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: denars per US$1 - 59.773 (January 2000) 56.902 (1999) 54.462 (1998) 50.004 (1997) 39.981 (1996) 37.882 (1995)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 6.664 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity consumption: 6.198 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity exports: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $77 million (FY99)
Percent of gdp: 2.5% (FY99)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 16 (1999 est.)

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines: 10 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways: none lake transport only

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: dispute with Greece over its name; 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 F.Y.R.O.M. claim discrimination in education access to public-sector jobs and representation in government

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: increasing transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish; minor transit point for South American cocaine destined for Europe