Map of North Macedonia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: North Macedonia gained its independence peacefully from Yugoslavia in 1991 under the name of 'Macedonia.' Greek objection to the new country’s name, insisting it implied territorial pretensions to the northern Greek province of Macedonia, and democratic backsliding for several years 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. The country 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 continued. Over time, the US and over 130 other nations recognized Macedonia by its constitutional name, Republic of Macedonia. Ethnic Albanian grievances over perceived political and economic inequities escalated into a conflict in 2001 that eventually led to the internationally brokered Ohrid Framework Agreement, which ended the fighting and established guidelines for constitutional amendments and the creation of new laws that enhanced the rights of minorities. In January 2018, the government adopted a new law on languages, which elevated the Albanian language to an official language at the national level, with the Macedonian language remaining the sole official language in international relations. Relations between ethnic Macedonians and ethnic Albanians remain complicated, however.


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Location: Southeastern Europe, north of Greece

Geographic coordinates: 41 50 N, 22 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 25,713 km²
Land: 25,433 km²
Water: 280 km²
Rank: 149
Comparative: slightly larger than Vermont; almost four times the size of Delaware

Land boundaries
Total: 838 km
Border countries: (5) Albania 181 km; , Bulgaria 162 km; , Greece 234 km; , Kosovo 160 km; , Serbia 101 km

Coastline: 0 km
Note: (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

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

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

Elevation
Mean elevation: 741 m
Lowest point: Vardar River 50 m
Highest point: Golem Korab (Maja e Korabit) 2,764 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 44.3% (2011 est.)
Forest: 39.8% (2011 est.)
Other: 15.9% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 1280 km² (2012)

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
Distribution: a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations: 2,125,971 (July 2020 est.)
Rank: 147
Growth rate: 0.15% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 182
Below poverty line: 21.5% (2015 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Macedonian(s)
Adjective: Macedonian

Ethnic groups: Macedonian 64.2%, Albanian 25.2%, Turkish 3.9%, Romani 2.7%, Serb 1.8%, other 2.2% (2002 est.)
Note: North Macedonia has not conducted a census since 2002; Romani populations are usually underestimated in official statistics and may represent 6.5-13% of North Macedonia’s population

Languages: Macedonian (official) 66.5%, Albanian 25.1%, Turkish 3.5%, Romani 1.9%, Serbian 1.2%, other (includes Aromanian (Vlach) and Bosnian) 1.8% (2002 est.)
Note: minority languages are co-official with Macedonian in municipalities where they are spoken by at least 20% of the population; Albanian is co-official in Tetovo, Brvenica, Vrapciste, and other municipalities; Turkish is co-official in Centar Zupa and Plasnica; Romani is co-official in Suto Orizari; Aromanian is co-official in Krusevo; Serbian is co-official in Cucer Sandevo

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 16.16% (male 177,553/female 165,992)
15-24 years: 12.65% (male 139,250/female 129,770)
25-54 years: 44.47% (male 480,191/female 465,145)
55-64 years: 12.55% (male 131,380/female 135,407)
65 years and over: 14.17% (male 131,674/female 169,609) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 44.5
Youth dependency ratio: 23.6
Elderly dependency ratio: 20.9
Potential support ratio: 4.8 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 39 years
Male: 38 years
Female: 40 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 58

Population growth rate: 0.15% (2020 est.)
Rank: 182

Birth rate: 10.7 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 182

Death rate: 9.6 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 43

Net migration rate: 0.4 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 67

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

Urbanization
Urban population: 58.5% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 0.45% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 595,000 SKOPJE (capital) (2020)

Environment
Current issues: air pollution from metallurgical plants; Skopje has severe air pollution problems every winter as a result of industrial emissions, smoke from wood-buring stoves, and exhaust fumes from old cars
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 27.2 years (2017 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 7.4 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 8.2 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 6.5 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 155

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.3 years
Male: 74.2 years
Female: 78.6 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 97

Total fertility rate: 1.5 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 201

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 40.2% (2011)

Drinking water source
Urban: 0.2% of population
Rural: 1.1% of population
Total: 0.6% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 6.1% (2017)

Physicians density: 2.87 physicians/1000 population (2015)

Hospital bed density: 4.3 beds/1000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 2.8% of population
Rural: 17.4% of population
Total: 9.1% of population (2017 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate note: <.1% (2018 est.)
People living with hivaids note: <500 (2018 est.)
Deaths: 300 (2018 est.)
Deaths rank: 60

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 22.4% (2016)
Rank: 77

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 1.3% (2011)
Rank: 124

Education expenditures
Note: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97.8%
Male: 98.8%
Female: 96.8% (2015)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 14 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 14 years (2018)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of North Macedonia
Conventional short form: North Macedonia
Local long form: Republika Severna Makedonija
Local short form: Severna Makedonija
Former: Democratic Federal Macedonia, Peoples Republic of Macedonia, Socialist Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Macedonia
Etymology: the country name derives from the ancient kingdom of Macedon (7th to 2nd centuries B.C.)

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital
Name: Skopje
Geographic coordinates: 42 00 N, 21 26 E
Time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October: etymology: Skopje derives from its ancient name Scupi, the Latin designation of a classical era Greco-Roman frontier fortress town; the name may go back even further to a pre-Greek, Illyrian name

Administrative divisions: 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

Dependent areas

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

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

Constitution
History: several previous; latest adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991
Amendments: proposed by the president of the republic, by the government, by at least 30 members of the Assembly, or by petition of at least 150,000 citizens; final approval requires a two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; amended several times, last in 2019

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

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of North Macedonia
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Stevo PENDAROVSKI (since 12 May 2019)
Head of government: Prime Minister Zoran ZAEV (since 31 August 2020); note - Prime Minister ZAEV resigned on 3 January 2019 but was reelected by the Assembly on 31 August 2020 (62-51) following the delayed Assembly general election on 15 July 2020
Cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Assembly by simple majority vote
Electionsappointments: president directly elected using a modified 2-round system; a candidate can only be elected in the first round with an absolute majority from all registered voters; in the second round, voter turnout must be at least 40% for the result to be deemed valid; president elected for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 21 April and 5 May 2019 (next to be held in 2024); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the Assembly; Zoran ZAEV reelected prime minister by the Assembly on 31 August 2020; Assembly vote - 62 for, 51 against
Election results: Stevo PENDAROVSKI elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Stevo PENDAROVSKI (SDSM) 44.8%, Gordana SILJANOVSKA-DAVKOVA (VMRO-DPMNE) 44.2%, Blenim REKA (independent) 11.1%; percent of vote in second round - Stevo PENDAROVSKI 53.6%, Gordana SILJANOVSKA-DAVKOVA 46.4%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Assembly - Sobraine in Macedonian, Kuvend in Albanian (between 120 and 140 seats, currently 120; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed-list proportional representation vote; possibility of 3 directly elected in diaspora constituencies by simple majority vote provided there is sufficient voter turnout; members serve 4-year terms)
Elections: last election was to be held on 12 April 2020 but was postponed until 15 July 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic (next to be held in 2024)
Election results: percent of vote by party/coalition - We Can 35.9%, Renewal 34.6%, BDI 11.5%, AfA-Alternative 9%, The Left 4.1%, PDSh 1.5%, other 3.4%; seats by party/coalition - We Can 46, Renewal 44, BDI 15, AfA-Alternative 12, The Left 2, PDSh 1

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of 22 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by the Judicial Council, a 7-member body of legal professionals, and appointed by the Assembly; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the Assembly for nonrenewable, 9-year terms
Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Basic Courts

Political parties and leaders: Alliance for Albanians or AfA [Ziadin SELA]Alternative (Alternativa) [Afrim GASHI]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 [Hristijan MICKOSKI]Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - People's Party or VMRO-NP [Ljubco GEORGIEVSKI]Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Goran MILEVSKI]Renewal (VMRO-DPMNE coalition)Social Democratic Union of Macedonia or SDSM [Zoran ZAEV]The Left (Levica) [Dimitar APASIEV]Turkish Democratic Party of DPT [Beycan ILYAS]We Can (coalition includes SDSM/Besa/VMRO-NP, DPT, LDP)

International organization participation: 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, NATO, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Vasko NAUMOVSKI (since 18 November 2014)
In the us chancery: 2,129 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 667-0501
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 667-2,131
In the us consulate: Chicago, Detroit, New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Kate Marie BYRNES (since 12 July 2019)
From the us telephone: [389] (2) 310-2000
From the us embassy: Str. Samoilova, Nr. 21, 1000 Skopje
From the us mailing address: American Embassy Skopje, US Department of State, 7,120 Skopje Place, Washington, DC 20,521-7,120 (pouch)
From the us FAX: [389] (2) 310-2,499

Flag description: 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

National symbols: eight-rayed sun; national colors: red, yellow

National anthem
Name: Denes nad Makedonija (Today Over Macedonia)
Lyricsmusic: Vlado MALESKI/Todor SKALOVSKI
Note: written in 1943 and adopted in 1991, the song previously served as the anthem of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia while part of Yugoslavia

National heritage


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 194

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Rank: 95

Gross national saving:
Rank: 29

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 65.6% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 15.6% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 13.6% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 20.2% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 54% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -69% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 10.9% (2017 est.)
Industry: 26.6% (2017 est.)
Services: 62.5% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: grapes, tobacco, vegetables, fruits; milk, eggs

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

Industrial production growth rate: -7.8% (2017 est.)
Rank: 198

Labor force: 793,000 (2020 est.)
Rank: 146
By occupation agriculture: 16.2%
By occupation industry: 29.2%
By occupation services: 54.5% (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 182

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 21.5% (2015 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.7%
Highest 10: 25% (2015 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: 3.295 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 3.605 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -2.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 122

Taxes and other revenues: 29% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 88

Public debt:
Note: official data from Ministry of Finance; data cover central government debt; this data excludes debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; includes treasury debt held by foreign entitites; excludes debt issued by sub-national entities; there are no debt instruments sold for social funds
Rank: 134

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 54

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:
Rank: 93

Exports:
Rank: 119
Partners: Germany 46.7%, Bulgaria 6.1%, Serbia 4.4%, Belgium 4.1% (2017)
Commodities: foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco; textiles, miscellaneous manufactures, iron, steel; automotive parts

Imports:
Rank: 125
Commodities: machinery and equipment, automobiles, chemicals, fuels, food products
Partners: Germany 11.9%, UK 10%, Greece 8%, Serbia 7.1%, China 5.9%, Italy 5.5%, Turkey 4.5%, Bulgaria 4.3% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 112

Debt external:
Rank: 117

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)
Production: 5.396 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 119
Consumption: 6.42 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 112
Exports: 58.5 million kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 84
Imports: 2.191 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 55
Installed generating capacity: 1.828 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 115
Generation sources fossil fuels: 60% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 131
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 133
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 37% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 57
Generation sources other renewable sources: 3% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 126

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 166
Crude oil exports: 142 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 80
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 157
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 161

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 169
Products consumption: 21,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 138
Products exports: 3,065 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 99
Products imports: 23,560 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 111

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 162
Consumption: 198.2 million m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 105
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 143
Imports: 198.2 million m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 72
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (31 December 2016 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 163

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 7.459 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 123

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 402,250
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18.95 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 100
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 2,094,037
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 98.65 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 149

Telephone system

Broadcast media: public service TV broadcaster Macedonian Radio and Television operates 3 national terrestrial TV channels and 2 satellite TV channels; additionally, there are 10 regional TV stations that broadcast nationally using terrestrial transmitters, 54 TV channels with concession for cable TV, 9 regional TV stations with concessions for cable TV; 4 satellite TV channels broadcasting on a national level, 21 local commercial TV channels, and a large number of cable operators that offer domestic and international programming; the public radio broadcaster operates over 3 stations; there are 4 privately owned radio stations that broadcast nationally; 17 regional radio stations, and 49 local commercial radio stations (2019)

Internet
Country code: .mk
Users total: 1,677,569
Users percent of population: 79.17% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 127

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 427,964
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 20 (2018 est.)
Rank: 88


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 104

Military and security forces:

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

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: Z3 (2016)

Airports: 10 (2013)
Rank: 155
With paved runways total: 8 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 6 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 2 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines: 262 km gas, 120 km oil (2017)

Railways
Total: 925 km (2017)
Standard gauge: 925 km
Note: 1.435-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2017)
Rank: 93

Roadways
Total: 14,182 km
Note: (includes 290 km of expressways) (2017)
Paved: 9,633 km (2017)
Unpaved: 4,549 km (2017)
Rank: 128

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: Kosovo and North Macedonia completed demarcation of their boundary in September 2008

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Stateless persons: 567 (2019)
Note: 506,774 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-August 2020); North Macedonia is predominantly a transit country and hosts fewer than 50 refugees and asylum seekers as of October 2017; 3,132 migrant arrivals in 2018

Illicit drugs: 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