from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Macedonia
Introduction
Background: Macedonia gained its independence peacefully from
Yugoslavia in 1991, but Greece's objection to the new
state's use of what it considered a Hellenic name and
symbols delayed international recognition, which
occurred under the provisional designation of the
"Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia." In 1995,
Greece lifted a 20-month trade embargo 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.
Geography
Location: Southeastern Europe, north of Greece
Geographic 41 50 N, 22 00 E
coordinates:
Map Europe
references:
Area: total: 25,333 sq km
land: 24,856 sq km
water: 477 sq km
Area - slightly larger than Vermont
comparative:
Land total: 766 km
boundaries: border countries: Albania 151 km, Bulgaria 148 km,
Greece 246 km, Serbia 221 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime none (landlocked)
claims:
Climate: warm, dry summers and autumns; 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 lowest point: Vardar River 50 m
extremes: highest point: Golem Korab (Maja e Korabit) 2,764 m
Natural low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite,
resources: manganese, nickel, tungsten, gold, silver, asbestos,
gypsum, timber, arable land
Land use: arable land: 22.01%
permanent crops: 1.79%
other: 76.2% (2005)
Irrigated 550 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural high seismic risks
hazards:
Environment - air pollution from metallurgical plants
current
issues:
Environment - party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
international Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species,
agreements: Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer
Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected
agreements
Geography - landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western
note: and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to
Western Europe
People
Population: 2,050,554 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 20.1% (male 213,486/female 199,127)
15-64 years: 68.9% (male 711,853/female 701,042)
65 years and over: 11% (male 98,618/female 126,428)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 34.1 years
male: 33.2 years
female: 35.1 years (2006 est.)
Population 0.26% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 12.02 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 8.77 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -0.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 9.81 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 9.94 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 9.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 73.97 years
expectancy at male: 71.51 years
birth: female: 76.62 years (2006 est.)
Total 1.57 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - less than 200 (2003 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - less than 100 (2003 est.)
deaths:
Nationality: noun: Macedonian(s)
adjective: Macedonian
Ethnic groups: Macedonian 64.2%, Albanian 25.2%, Turkish 3.9%, Roma
2.7%, Serb 1.8%, other 2.2% (2002 census)
Religions: Macedonian Orthodox 64.7%, other Christian 0.37%,
Muslim 33.3%, other and unspecified 1.63% (2002 census)
Languages: Macedonian 66.5%, Albanian 25.1%, Turkish 3.5%, Roma
1.9%, Serbian 1.2%, other 1.8% (2002 census)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.1%
male: 98.2%
female: 94.1% (2002 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Macedonia
conventional short form: Macedonia
local long form: Republika Makedonija
local short form: Makedonija
note: the provisional designation used by the UN, EU,
and NATO is Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
(FYROM)
former: People's Republic of Macedonia, Socialist
Republic of Macedonia
Government parliamentary democracy
type:
Capital: name: Skopje
geographic coordinates: 41 59 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
Administrative 85 municipalities (opstini, singular - opstina);
divisions: Aerodrom (Skopje), Aracinovo, Berovo, Bitola, Bogdanci,
Bogovinje, Bosilovo, Brvenica, Butel (Skopje), Cair
(Skopje), Caska, Centar (Skopje), Centar Zupa,
Cesinovo, Cucer-Sandevo, Debar, Debartsa, Delcevo,
Demir Hisar, Demir Kapija, Dojran, Dolneni, Drugovo,
Gazi Baba (Skopje), Gevgelija, Gjorce Petrov (Skopje),
Gostivar, Gradsko, Ilinden, Jegunovce, Karbinci, Karpos
(Skopje), Kavadarci, Kicevo, Kisela Voda (Skopje),
Kocani, Konce, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krivogastani,
Krusevo, Kumanovo, Lipkovo, Lozovo, Makedonska
Kamenica, Makedonski Brod, Mavrovo i Rastusa, Mogila,
Negotino, Novaci, Novo Selo, Ohrid, Oslomej, Pehcevo,
Petrovec, Plasnica, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis,
Rankovce, Resen, Rosoman, Saraj (Skopje), Skopje,
Sopiste, Staro Nagoricane, Stip, Struga, Strumica,
Studenicani, Suto Orizari (Skopje), Sveti Nikole,
Tearce, Tetovo, Valandovo, Vasilevo, Veles, Vevcani,
Vinica, Vranestica, Vrapciste, Zajas, Zelenikovo,
Zelino, Zrnovci
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 Uprising Day, 2 August (1903); note - also known as
holiday: 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 and in 2005
with amendments related to the judiciary
Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of
legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive chief of state: President Branko CRVENKOVSKI (since 12
branch: May 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Nikola GRUEVSKI
(since 28 August 2006)
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 VMRO/DPMNE, NSDP, PDSH/DPA, and several small
parties
elections: president elected by popular vote for a
five-year term (eligible for a second term); two-round
election last held 14 April and 28 April 2004 (next to
be held by April 2009); prime minister elected by the
Assembly following legislative elections
election results: Branko CRVENKOVSKI elected president
on second-round ballot; percent of vote - Branko
CRVENKOVSKI 62.7%, Sasko KEDEV 37.3%
Legislative unicameral Assembly or Sobranie (120 seats - members
branch: elected by popular vote from party lists based on the
percentage of the overall vote the parties gain in each
of six electoral districts; all serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 5 July 2006 (next to be held by
July 2010)
election results: percent of vote by party - VMRO-DPMNE
32.5%, SDSM 23.3%, DUI 12.2%, PDSH/DPA 7.5%; seats by
party - VMRO-DPMNE 44, SDSM 32, DUI 28, PDSH/DPA 11,
other 5
Judicial Supreme Court - the Assembly appoints the judges;
branch: Constitutional Court - the Assembly appoints the
judges; Republican Judicial Council - the Assembly
appoints the judges
Political Democratic Alliance [Pavle TRAJANOV]; Democratic
parties and Alternative or DA [Vasil TUPURKOVSKI]; Democratic
leaders: League of the Bosniaks [Rafet MUMINOVIC]; Democratic
Party of Albanians or PDSH/DPA [Arben XHAFERI];
Democratic Party of Serbs [Ivan STOILJKOVIC];
Democratic Party of Turks [Kenan HASIPI]; Democratic
Renewal of Macedonia [Liljana POPOVSKA]; Democratic
Republican Union of Macedonia or DRUM [Goran
RAFAJLOVSKI]; Democratic Union of Vlachs for Macedonia
[Mitko KOSTOV]; Democratic Union for Integration or DUI
[Ali AHMETI]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary
Organization-Democratic Party for Macedonian National
Unity or VMRO-DPMNE [Nikola GRUEVSKI]; Internal
Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Macedonian [Boris
STOJMENOV]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary
Organization-People's Party or VMRO-Narodna [Vesna
JANEVSKA, acting]; League for Democracy [Gjorgi
MARJANOVIC]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Risto
PENOV]; Liberal Party [Stojan ANDOV]; National
Alternative [Harun ALIU]; National Democratic Party or
PDK [Basri HALITI]; National Farmers' Party [Vejljo
TANTAROV]; New Democratic Forces [Hysni SHAQIRI]; New
Social Democratic Party or NSDP [Tito PETKOVSKI]; Party
for Democratic Future [Alajdin DEMIRI]; Party for
Democratic Prosperity or PPD/PDP [Abduljhadi VEJSELI];
Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia or SDSM [Vlado
BUCKOVSKI]; Socialist Party of Macedonia or SP
[Ljubisav IVANOV-ZINGO]; United Party for Emancipation
or OPE [Nezdet MUSTAFA]
Political Civic Movement of Macedonia [Gordana SILJANOVSKA];
pressure World Macedonian Congress [Todor PETROV]
groups and
leaders:
International BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
organization ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
participation: IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, OIF, OPCW,
OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge
representation d'Affaires Oliver KRLIU
in the US: chancery: 1101 30th Street NW, Suite 302, Washington,
DC 20007
telephone: [1] (202) 337-3063
FAX: [1] (202) 337-3093
consulate(s) general: Southfield (Michigan)
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador Gillian A. MILOVANOVIC
representation embassy: Bul. Ilindenska bb, 1000 Skopje
from the US: mailing address: American Embassy Skopje, US Department
of State, 7120 Skopje Place, Washington, DC 20521-7120
(pouch)
telephone: [389] 2 311-6180
FAX: [389] 2 311-7103
Flag a yellow sun with eight broadening rays extending to
description: the edges of the red field
Economy
Economy - At independence in September 1991, Macedonia was the
overview: 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 central government and eliminated
advantages from inclusion in a de facto free trade
area. An absence of infrastructure, UN sanctions on the
downsized 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 3.4% in 2003, 4.1% in 2004, and
3.7% in 2005. Macedonia has maintained macroeconomic
stability with low inflation, but it has lagged the
region in attracting foreign investment and job growth
has been anemic. Macedonia has an extensive grey
market, estimated to be more than 20 percent of GDP,
that falls outside official statistics.
GDP $15.94 billion
(purchasing note: Macedonia has a large informal sector (2005 est.)
power parity):
GDP (official $5.304 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 4% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $7,800 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 11.8%
composition by industry: 31.9%
sector: services: 56.3% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 855,000 (2004 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: NA%
by occupation: industry: NA%
services: NA%
Unemployment 37.3% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population 29.6% (2004 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: NA%
income or highest 10%: NA%
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 28.2 (1998)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 0% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 18.3% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $2.105 billion
expenditures: $2.15 billion; including capital
expenditures of $114 million (2005 est.)
Public debt: 33.7% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - grapes, wine, tobacco, vegetables; milk, eggs
products:
Industries: food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, steel,
cement, energy, pharmaceuticals
Industrial 6.8% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 6.271 billion kWh (2005)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 83.7%
production by hydro: 16.3%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 7.933 billion kWh (2005)
consumption:
Electricity - 0 kWh (2005)
exports:
Electricity - 1.662 billion kWh (2005)
imports:
Oil - 0 bbl/day (2005 est.)
production:
Oil - 23,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: NA bbl/day
Oil - imports: NA bbl/day
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 0 cu m (2003 est.)
consumption:
Current $-81.1 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $2.047 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - food, beverages, tobacco; miscellaneous manufactures,
commodities: iron and steel
Exports - Germany 17.8%, Greece 15.3%, Italy 8.3% (2005)
partners:
Imports: $3.196 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - machinery and equipment, automobiles, chemicals, fuels,
commodities: food products
Imports - Russia 13.2%, Germany 10.4%, Greece 9.2%, Bulgaria
partners: 7.3%, Italy 6% (2005)
Reserves of $1.341 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $2.19 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $250 million (2003 est.)
recipient:
Currency Macedonian denar (MKD)
(code):
Currency code: MKD
Exchange Macedonian denars per US dollar - 48.92 (2005), 49.41
rates: (2004), 54.322 (2003), 64.35 (2002), 68.037 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 533,200 (2005)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 1.261 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: NA
system: domestic: NA
international: country code - 389
Radio AM 29, FM 20, shortwave 0 (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 410,000 (1997)
Television 31 (plus 166 repeaters) (1995)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 510,000 (1997)
Internet .mk
country code:
Internet 3,716 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 6 (2000)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 392,671 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 17 (2006)
Airports - total: 10
with paved 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
runways: under 914 m: 8 (2006)
Airports - total: 7
with unpaved 914 to 1,523 m: 3
runways: under 914 m: 4 (2006)
Pipelines: gas 268 km; oil 120 km (2006)
Railways: total: 699 km
standard gauge: 699 km 1.435-m gauge (233 km
electrified) (2005)
Roadways: total: 8,684 km
paved: 5,540 km
unpaved: 3,144 km (1999)
Military
Military Army of the Republic of Macedonia (ARM): Joint
branches: Operational Command, with subordinate Air Wing
(Makedonsko Voeno Vozduhoplovstvo, MVV), Special Force
Command (2006)
Military conscription to be phased out by 2007; current tour of
service age conscript duty is six months; 18 years of age for
and voluntary military service (2005)
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 498,259
available for females age 18-49: 481,317 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 411,156
for military females age 18-49: 397,839 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 16,686
reaching females age 18-49: 15,664 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $200 million (FY01/02 est.)
expenditures -
dollar figure:
Military 6% (FY01/02 est.)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - ethnic Albanians in Kosovo object to demarcation of the
international: 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 IDPs: 2,678 (ethnic conflict in 2001) (2005)
internally
displaced
persons:
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 (no arrests or
prosecutions for money laundering to date)