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.

Geographic coordinates: 41 50 N 22 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 25,333 km²
Land: 24,856 km²
Water: 477 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Vermont

Land boundaries
Total: 766 km
Border countries: (4) Albania 151 km; , Bulgaria 148 km; , Greece 246 km; , Serbia and Montenegro 221 km

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
Extremes lowest point: Vardar River 50 m
Extremes 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
Arable land: 22.26%
Permanent crops: 1.81%
Other: 75.93% (2001)

Irrigated land: 550 km² (1998 est.)

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

Population: 2,045,262 (July 2005 est.)
Growth rate: 0.26% (2005 est.)
Below poverty line: 30.2% (2003 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Macedonian
Adjective: Macedonian

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

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

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 20.5% (male 217,057/female 202,465)
15-64 years: 68.7% (male 707,489/female 697,150)
65 years and over: 10.8% (male 97,117/female 123,984) (2005 est.)

Median age
Total: 32.8 years
Male: 31.7 years
Female: 33.9 years (2005 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.26% (2005 est.)

Birth rate: 12 births/1000 population (2005 est.)

Death rate: 8.73 deaths/1000 population (2005 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.7 migrant(s)/1000 population (2005 est.)

Environment
Current issues: air pollution from metallurgical plants
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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.08 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.07 male/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male/female
Total population: 1 male/female (2005 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 10.09 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 10.2 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 9.97 deaths/1000 live births (2005 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.73 years
Male: 71.28 years
Female: 76.37 years (2005 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.57 children born/woman (2005 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: less than 200 (2003 est.)
Deaths: less than 100 (2003 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 96.1%
Male: 98.2%
Female: 94.1% (2002 est.)

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
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

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

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
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]

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
In the us chancery: Suite 302, 1101 30th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,007
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 337-3,063
In the us fax: [1] (202) 337-3,093
In the us consulates general: Southfield (Michigan)
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Lawrence Edward BUTLER
From the us embassy: Bul. Ilindenska bb, 1000 Skopje
From the us mailing address: American Embassy Skopje, Department of State, 7,120 Skopje Place, Washington, DC 20,521-7,120 (pouch)
From the us telephone: [389] 2 311-6,180
From the us fax: [389] 2 311-7,103

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

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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $14.4 billion (2004 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 1.3% (2004 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $7,100 (2004 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 11.2%
Industry: 26%
Services: 62.8% (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

Industrial production growth rate: 0% (2004 est.)

Labor force: 855,000 (2004 est.)
By occupation agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: 37.7% (3rd quarter 2004 est.)

Population below poverty line: 30.2% (2003 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $1.198 billion
Expenditures: $1.245 billion, including capital expenditures of $114 million (2004 est.)

Public debt: 20% of GDP (2004 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 0.4% (2004 est.)

Current account balance: $-311 million (2004 est.)

Exports: $1.629 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: food beverages tobacco; miscellaneous manufactures iron and steel
Partners: Serbia and Montenegro 31.4% Germany 19.9% Greece 8.9% Croatia 6.9% US 4.9% (2004)

Imports: $2.677 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment chemicals fuels; food products automobiles
Partners: Greece 15.4% Germany 13.1% Serbia and Montenegro 10.4% Slovenia 8.6% Bulgaria 8.1% Turkey 6% Romania 4.7% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $928 million (2004 est.)

Debt external: $1.863 billion (2004 est.)

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

Electricity
Production: 6.273 billion kWh (2003)
Consumption: 7.216 billion kWh (2003)
Exports: 0 kWh (2003)
Imports: 953 million kWh (2003)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 560,000 (2002)
Mobile cellular: 830,000 (2005)

Telephone system
General assessment: NA
Domestic: NA
International: country code - 389

Internet
Country code: .mk
Hosts: 3,738 (2004)
Users: 100,000 (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $200 million (FY01/02 est.)
Percent of gdp: 6% (FY01/02 est.)

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)

Airports: 17 (2004 est.)
With paved runways total: 10
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 8 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 7
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 4 (2004 est.)

Pipelines: gas 268 km; oil 120 km (2004)

Railways
Total: 699 km
Standard gauge: 699 km 1.435-m gauge (233 km electrified) (2004)

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)