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Revision as of 17:07, 31 March 2006 by 62.14.212.229 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| Република Македонија Republic of Macedonia | |
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Flag
Coat of arms of the Republic of Macedonia
Coat of arms
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| Motto: (Macedonian: Слобода или Смрт) (English: "Liberty or death") | |
| Anthem: Macedonian: Денес Над Македонија (Transliteration: Denes Nad Makedonija) (Translation: "Today Over Macedonia") | |
 | |
| Capitaland largest city | Skopje |
| Official languages | Macedonian |
| Government | Parliamentary republic |
| Independence | |
| • Water (%) | 1.9% |
| Population | |
| • 2005 estimate | 2,045,262 (140th) |
| GDP (PPP) | 2004 estimate |
| • Total | $14.914 billion (121st) |
| • Per capita | $7,237 (82nd) |
| HDI (2003) | 0.797 high (59th) |
| Currency | Macedonian Denar (MKD) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Calling code | 389 |
| ISO 3166 code | MK |
| Internet TLD | .mk |
| In communities where over 20% of the people speak another language, the language becomes a municipal official language. These include Albanian, Turkish, Serbian, and Romany | |
The Republic of Macedonia (Macedonian: Република Македонија), or Macedonia (recognised by most states and international organisations, including the United Nations and the European Union as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia - FYROM), is an independent state on the Balkan peninsula in southeastern Europe. The country borders Serbia and Montenegro to the north, Albania to the west, Greece to the south, and Bulgaria to the east.
The capital is Skopje with more than 600,000 inhabitants. It has a number of smaller cities, notably Bitola, Prilep, Tetovo, Kumanovo, Ohrid, Veles, Stip, and Strumica.
The Republic of Macedonia is often called a land of lakes and mountains. There are more than 50 natural and artificial lakes and sixteen mountain ranges higher than 2,000 metres (6,550 ft) above sea level.
The country is member of the UN, Council of Europe, associate member of La Francophonie, World Trade Organization (WTO), Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, since December 2005 it is a candidate for joining the European Union, and is also expecting NATO membership.
History
- Main article: History of the Republic of Macedonia
The lands governed by the Republic of Macedonia were previously the southernmost part of Yugoslavia. Its current borders were fixed shortly after World War II when the government of Yugoslavia established the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, recognizing the Macedonians as a separate nation within Yugoslavia.
In the past, these lands came under a number of ancient states and former empires; Paionia, the kingdom of ancient Macedon (which gave its name to the whole Macedonian region). It must be noted though,that the ancient kingdom of Macedon was centered in what is known today as Greek Macedonia and its boundaries did not exceed the town Bitola.Later, in 146 BC, the area became part of the Roman and Byzantine empires, and the medieval Bulgarian and Serbian states. In the 14th century the region was conquered by the Ottoman Empire.
Following the two Balkan wars of 1912 and 1913 and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the region of Macedonia was divided between Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia. The territory of the present-day Republic of Macedonia was then named Južna Srbija, "Southern Serbia". After the First World War Serbia joined the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. In 1929, the kingdom was officially renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and divided into provinces called banovinas. So called "Southern Serbia", including all of what is now the Republic of Macedonia, became a part of the Vardar Banovina.
In 1941, Yugoslavia was occupied by the Axis Powers and the Vardar Banovina was divided between its neighbors, Bulgaria and Italian-occupied Albania. Harsh rule by the occupying forces encouraged many Macedonians to support the Communist Partisan resistance movement of Josip Broz Tito. After the end of the Second World War, when Tito became Yugoslavia's president, the People's Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was established. The People's Republic of Macedonia became one of the six republics of the Yugoslav federation. Following the federation's renaming as the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1963, the People's Republic of Macedonia was likewise renamed, becoming the Socialist Republic of Mace