Macedonia

macedoniaMacedonia presently has two names due to an unresolved name issue: the first name “The Former Yugoslav Republic (FYR) of Macedonia” is recognized by the United Nations until the name issue is resolved; the second name “Republic of Macedonia” is used by Macedonia’s embassies, and has been recognized by about 130 countries including the United States. However, it is not recognized by the Government of Greece.

Macedonia is a landlocked, mountainous south-eastern European country, located in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula. Its population is 2.1 million (2012), and the name of its capital is Skopje. Although Macedonia’s economic development has continued since its independence in 1991 yet it remains a less developed country with one of the lowest per capita GDPs in Europe. Administratively, Macedonia is divided into eight statistical regions, which are sub-divided into a total of 80 municipalities.

Acknowledgements

  • Authored by M. Kalim Qamar (February 2014)
  • Edited by Burton E. Swanson