Macedonia

§1. 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.

§2. Macedonia Geography

Location:
  Southeastern Europe, north of Greece

Geographic coordinates:
  41 50 N, 22 00 E

Map references:
  Europe

Area:
  total: 25,333 km²
  land: 24,856 km²
  water: 477 km²

Area - comparative:
  slightly larger than Vermont

Land boundaries:
  total: 766 km
  border countries: Albania 151 km, Bulgaria 148 km, Greece 246 km, Serbia
    and Montenegro 221 km

Coastline:
  0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
  none (landlocked)

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 extremes:
  lowest point: Vardar River 50 m
  highest point: Golem Korab (Maja e Korabit) 2,764 m

Natural resources:
  low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, 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 land:
  550 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards:
  high seismic risks

Environment - current issues:
  air pollution from metallurgical plants

Environment - international agreements:
  party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
    Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
    Layer Protection, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
  landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe
  to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe

§3. Macedonia 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 growth rate:
  0.26% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  12.02 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  8.77 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -0.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)

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 mortality rate:
  total: 9.81 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 9.94 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 9.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 73.97 years
  male: 71.51 years
  female: 76.62 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  1.57 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  less than 200 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  less than 100 (2003 est.)

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 32.4%, other Christian 0.2%, Muslim 16.9%, other and
  unspecified 50.5% (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.)

§4. Macedonia Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: Republic of Macedonia
  conventional short form: Macedonia; note - the provisional designation used
    by the UN, EU, and NATO is Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)
  local long form: Republika Makedonija
  local short form: Makedonija
  former: People's Republic of Macedonia, Socialist Republic of Macedonia

Government type:
  parliamentary democracy

Capital:
  Skopje

Administrative divisions:
  85 municipalities (opstini, singular - opstina); 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 holiday:
  Uprising Day, 2 August (1903); note - also known as 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 branch:
  chief of state: President Branko CRVENKOVSKI (since 12 May 2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Vlado BUCKOVSKI (since 17 December 2004)
  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 SDSM, LDP, DUI, and several small ethnic parties
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year 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 branch:
  unicameral Assembly or Sobranie (120 seats - members 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 15 September 2002 (next to be held by fall 2006)
  election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Together
    for Macedonia coalition 60 (SDSM 43, LDP 12, others 5), VMRO-DPMNE 33
    (VMRO 28 and Liberal Party 5), DUI 16, PDSH/DPA 7, PPD/PDP 2, PDK 1, SP 1

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court - the Assembly appoints the judges; Constitutional Court -
  the Assembly appoints the judges; Republican Judicial Council - the
  Assembly appoints the judges

Political parties and leaders:
  Democratic Alliance [Pavle TRAJANOV]; Democratic Alternative or DA [Vasil
  TUPURKOVSKI]; Democratic 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 [leader NA]; 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 [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]; United Party for Emancipation or OPE
  [Nezdet MUSTAFA]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  Civic Movement of Macedonia [Gordana SILJANOVSKA]; World Macedonian
  Congress [Todor PETROV]

International organization participation:
  ACCT (associate), BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt,
  ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, 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 representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Nikola DIMITROV
  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 representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Gillian A. MILOVANOVIC
  embassy: Bul. Ilindenska bb, 1000 Skopje
  mailing address: American Embassy Skopje, Department of State, 7120 Skopje
    Place, Washington, DC 20521-7120 (pouch)
  telephone: [389] 2 311-6180
  FAX: [389] 2 311-7103

Flag description:
  a yellow sun with eight broadening rays extending to the edges of the red
  field

§5. Macedonia Economy

Economy - overview:
  At independence in September 1991, Macedonia was the 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 (purchasing power parity):
  $15.55 billion
  note: Macedonia has a large informal sector (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $5.255 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  3.7% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $7,600 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 9.7%
  industry: 28.8%
  services: 61.5% (2005 est.)

Labor force:
  855,000 (2004 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%

Unemployment rate:
  38% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  29.6% (2004 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: NA%
  highest 10%: NA%

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  28.2 (1998)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  0.5% (2005)

Investment (gross fixed):
  18% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $2.105 billion
  expenditures: $2.15 billion; including capital expenditures of $114 million
    (2005 est.)

Public debt:
  37.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  grapes, wine, tobacco, vegetables; milk, eggs

Industries:
  food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, steel, cement, energy,
  pharmaceuticals

Industrial production growth rate:
  6% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
  6.271 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - consumption:
  7.933 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (2005)

Electricity - imports:
  1.662 billion kWh (2005)

Oil - production:
  0 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  23,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Natural gas - production:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  0 m³ (2003 est.)

Current account balance:
  $-303 million (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $2.047 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  food, beverages, tobacco; miscellaneous manufactures, iron and steel

Exports - partners:
  Serbia and Montenegro 31.4%, Germany 19.9%, Greece 9%, Croatia 6.9%, US
  4.9% (2004)

Imports:
  $3.196 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and equipment, automobiles, chemicals, fuels, food products

Imports - partners:
  Greece 15.5%, Germany 13.1%, Serbia and Montenegro 10.4%, Slovenia 8.6%,
  Bulgaria 8.1%, Turkey 6%, Romania 4.7% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $1.076 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $1.939 billion (2005 est.)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $250 million (2003 est.)

Currency (code):
  Macedonian denar (MKD)

Exchange rates:
  Macedonian denars per US dollar - 48.92 (2005), 49.41 (2004), 54.322
  (2003), 64.35 (2002), 68.037 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Macedonia Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  525,000 (2003)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  830,000 (2005)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: NA
  domestic: NA
  international: country code - 389

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 29, FM 20, shortwave 0 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:
  31 (plus 166 repeaters) (1995)

Internet country code:
  .mk

Internet hosts:
  3,541 (2005)

Internet users:
  392,671 (2004)

§7. Macedonia Transportation

Airports:
  17 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 10
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  under 914 m: 8 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 7
  914 to 1,523 m: 3
  under 914 m: 4 (2005)

Pipelines:
  gas 268 km; oil 120 km (2004)

Railways:
  total: 699 km
  standard gauge: 699 km 1.435-m gauge (233 km electrified) (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 8,684 km
  paved: 5,540 km
  unpaved: 3,144 km (1999)

§8. Macedonia Military

Military branches:
  Army of the Republic of Macedonia (ARM; includes Joint Operational Command,
  with subordinate Air Wing); Special Force Command (2006)

Military service age and obligation:
  conscription to be phased out by 2007; current tour of conscript duty is
  six months; 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2005)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 18-49: 498,259 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 18-49: 411,156 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
  males: 16,686 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $200 million (FY01/02 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  6% (FY01/02 est.)

§9. Macedonia Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  ethnic Albanians in Kosovo object to demarcation of the 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 internally displaced persons:
  IDPs: 2,678 (ethnic conflict in 2001) (2005)

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)


<Factbook 2006>
