Macedonia
(Republika Makedonija)
(may also be referred to as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia)
| State: | Macedonia is a
republic. It was one of the six republics of Yugoslavia, but became an independent
state in 1991.
|
| Capital: | Skopje
|
| Location: |  41 50 N, 22 00 E in Southeastern Europe.Bordered by Albania to the West, Bulgaria to the East, Serbia to the North, and Greece to the South.
|
| Size: | 25,333 sq km (about the same size as the state of Vermont).
|
| Population: | 2,022,547 (2002 est.)
|
| Ethnic groups: | (2002
est.) Macedonian 64%, Albanian 25%, Turkish 4%, Roma
(Gypsy) 3%, Serb 2%, other 2% (Note: The issue of Macedonia's ethnic composition has
been a highly contentious one especially vis-a-vis the size of the ethnic Albanian
minority. The current figures are based on statistics released by the Macedonian
government and supported by the international community).
|
| Religion: | (1994
statistics) Macedonian Orthodox 67%, Muslim 30%, other 3%
|
| Access to Waterways: | Macedonia
is landlocked. The Vardar river bisects the country and there are three large lakes,
which connect Macedonia to Albania and Greece.
|
| Climate: | Varies
from warm, dry summers and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall, especially in
mountainous regions. Occasional earthquakes.
|
| Natural resources: | Chromium, lead, zinc,
manganese, tungsten, nickel, low-grade iron ore, asbestos, sulfur, timber.
|
| Industries and Agriculture: | When it was part of
Yugoslavia, Macedonia was the poorest republic. Macedonia's economy continues to be
slow, especially due to dependence on outside oil and gas, an influx of refugees from
Kosovo during the 1999 war in Serbia, and lack of foreign investor confidence due to
Macedonia's own potential for national conflict. Macedonia's main industries are food, beverages, tobacco; iron, and steel. The main agricultural products are rice, tobacco, wheat, corn, millet, cotton, sesame, mulberry leaves, citrus, vegetables; beef, pork, poultry, and mutton. Macedonia remains a major transit point for drug trafficking between Asia and Europe. Macedonia's main trading partners are Germany, Yugoslavia, the United States, Greece, and Italy.
|
| Currency: | Macedonian denar (MKD) |
Source: CIA World Factbook
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