North Macedonia

North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked nation located in Southeast Europe, with a population of roughly 1.83 million inhabitants. Situated at the crossroads of the Balkans, this little nation has borders to Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest, and Serbia to the north. The strategic position of the nation has been very important in forming its rich and varied history, culture, and population.

With almost a quarter of the population of North Macedonia, Skopje, the capital and biggest city, acts as the political, economic, and cultural center for the country. North Macedonia’s population is varied, with the majority of its ethnic Macedonians—a South Slavic population. But the nation also boasts a sizable minority of Albanians, over 25% of the population, as well as smaller populations of Turks, Roma, Serbs, Bosniks, Aromanians, and other ethnic groups, therefore adding to the cosmopolitan fabric of the nation.

Rising from the ancient kingdom of Paeonia, the history of the area now known as North Macedonia spans millennia. Various empires and countries have ruled the territory throughout ages, each leaving their mark on the people and the ground. The Persian Achaemenid Empire ruled the area in the late sixth century BC; it was replaced in the fourth century BC by the Kingdom of Macedonia. Romanization began with the territory included into the greater province of Macedonia during the second century BC under the rule of the Roman Republic.

The area stayed under Constantinople’s sway as the Roman Empire entered its Byzantine stage. But the entrance of Slavic tribes in the sixth century CE started a process of demographic and cultural change that would fundamentally affect the course of the region. Each of the Bulgarian, Byzantine, and Serbian Empires fought for authority over this strategically significant area in the next centuries, therefore engaging in a war for control.

About five centuries of Turkish domination began when the Ottoman Empire expanded into the Balkans in the middle of the 14th century. The region’s culture, architecture, and social systems were permanently changed by this protracted era under Ottoman control. The land of what is now North Macedonia fell under Serbian authority, therefore ending Ottoman rule, only in the early 20th century during the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913.

The turbulent years of the 20th century brought still more changes to the area. Bulgaria briefly ruled over the province during World War I, but the conflict’s end saw it returned to Serbian control as part of the newly established Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, which would subsequently become Yugoslavia. Bulgaria was under control once more during World War II, but by 1945 it had become a constituent republic of communist Yugoslavia, a position it would keep until its peaceful separation in 1991.

There were difficulties along the road to worldwide acceptance for the nation. After joining the United Nations in 1993, a conflict with Greece over the name “Macedonia” resulted in its admittance under the temporary designation “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” (usually shortened as FYRM). Decades of this name debate affected the nation’s goals for European integration and its foreign policy. A solution came about in 2018; an agreement to rename the nation the “Republic of North Macedonia,” a change implemented early in 2019.

North Macedonia has advanced greatly in its path towards integration with Euro-Atlantic institutions since attaining independence. Since 2005 the nation has been a candidate for European Union membership and joined NATO. Among the several regional and international organizations North Macedonia also actively participates in are the Council of Europe, the World Bank, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA), the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The World Bank ranks North Macedonia as an upper-middle-income nation economically, which reflects the development in an open market economy it has accomplished since independence. With an eye toward a business-friendly climate and international investment attraction, the nation has instituted significant economic changes. Notwithstanding these initiatives, problems persist and the government keeps striving to raise living conditions and lower unemployment.

North Macedonia’s provision of free elementary and secondary education, a universal healthcare system, and social security—all of which reflect its dedication to the welfare of its people These social policies seek to guarantee everyone’s minimum quality of living and promote human growth by means of which Though still much room for development, the nation’s Human Development Index ranking of 82nd shows advancement in areas including education, healthcare, and standard of living.

With 6.7% of North Macedonia’s GDP in 2016, tourism has become rather important for its economy. Together with its rich cultural legacy, the nation’s varied landscapes—from gorgeous lakes to grand mountains—draw tourists from all around. Recovering from events including the armed hostilities in 2001, the tourism industry has showed resilience and expansion to see consistent rise in foreign visitors. Among the popular attractions are the magnificent Lake Ohrid, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the energetic capital city of Skopje, and many historical and cultural sites reflecting the long and varied past of the nation.