History of Republic of Macedonia
Welcome to My Macedonia. The Republic of Macedonia occupies the western half of the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia. The part of the southern Balkan Peninsula traditionally known as Macedonia is bounded to the south by th Aegean Sea and the Aliakmon River; to the west by Lakes Prespa and Ohrid, the watershed west of the Crni Drim River, and the Shar Mountains; and to the north by the mountains of the Skopska Crna Gora and the watershed between the Morava and Vardar basins. The Pirin Mountains mark its eastern edge. Since 1913 this geographic and historical region has been divided between Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria, and only some 40 percent of its area is occupied by the independent state, MACEDONIA
National Name: Republika Makedonija
President: Branko Crvenkovski (2004)
Area: 9,928 sq mi (25,713 sq km)
Population (2004 est.): 2,071,210 (growth rate: 0.4%); birth rate: 13.1/1000; infant mortality rate: 11.7/1000; life expectancy: 74.7; density per sq mi: 212
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Skopje, 587,300 (metro. area), 452,500 (city proper)
Other large cities: Bitola, 84,400; Kumanovo, 78,900; Prilep, 56,900
Monetary unit: Denar
Languages: Macedonian 68%, Albanian 25% (both official); Turkish 3%, Serbo-Croatian 2%, other 2%
Ethnicity/race: Macedonian 64.2%, Albanian 25.2%, Turkish 3.8%, Roma (Gypsy) 2.7%, Serb 1.8%, other 2.3% (2002)
Religions: Macedonian Orthodox 70%, Islam 29%, other 1% (1994)
Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2003 est.): $13.81 billion; per capita $6,700
Real growth rate: 2.8%. Inflation: –2.6%. Unemployment: 36.7%. Arable land: 24%
Agriculture: rice, tobacco, wheat, corn, millet, cotton, sesame, mulberry leaves, citrus, vegetables; beef, pork, poultry, mutton.
Labor force: 860,000; agriculture n.a., industry n.a., services n.a. Industries: coal, metallic chromium, lead, zinc, ferronickel, textiles, wood products, tobacco, food processing, buses.
Natural resources: chromium, lead, zinc, manganese, tungsten, nickel, low-grade iron ore, asbestos, sulfur, timber, arable land
Exports: $1.346 billion (f.o.b., 2003 est.): food, beverages, tobacco; miscellaneous manufactures, iron and steel
Imports: $2.184 billion (f.o.b., 2003 est.): machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels; food products
Major trading partners: Germany, Italy, U.S., Croatia, Greece, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine, Austria
Communications-Telephones: main lines in use: 408,000 (1997); mobile cellular: 12,362 (1997).
Radio broadcast stations: AM 29, FM 20, shortwave 0 (1998). Radios: 410,000 (1997).
Television broadcast stations: 31 (plus 166 repeaters) (1995). Televisions: 510,000 (1997).
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 6 (2000). Internet users: 100,000 (2001).
Railways: total: 699 km (2002). Highways: total: 8,684 km; paved: 5,540 km (including 133 km of expressways); unpaved: 3,144 km (1999 est.).
Waterways: none, lake transport only. Ports and harbors: none. Airports: 18 (2002).
International disputes: the Albanian government calls for the protection of the rights of ethnic Albanians in R.Macedonia. while continuing to seek regional cooperation; ethnic Albanians in Kosovo continue to protest 2000 F.Y.R.O.M.-Serbia and Montenegro boundary treaty, which transfers small tracts of land to R.Macedonia.; dispute with Greece over country's name persists.
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