Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. North Macedonia Which country does Macedonia belong to?
Republic of Macedonia.
The name of the country is formed by the ethnonym of the pre-Slavic population - the Macedonians, whose name, in turn, comes from the ancient Greek "Macedonos" - "tall", "tall", "slender".
Capital of Macedonia. Skopje.
Macedonia Square. 25333 km2.
Population of Macedonia. 2046 thousand people
Location of Macedonia. The Republic of Macedonia is located in the center of the Balkan Peninsula, in the basin of the Vardar River. It borders with in the north, with - in the east, with - in the south and - in the west.
Administrative divisions of Macedonia. Divided into 34 communities and 123 districts.
Macedonian form of government. Republic.
Head of State of Macedonia. President elected for a term of 5 years.
Supreme legislature of Macedonia. Unicameral Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia, term of office - 4 years.
Supreme executive body of Macedonia. Government. Big cities. Bitola, Kumanovo, Tetovo. Official language. Macedonian. Religion. 74% are Orthodox, 26% are Muslims.
Ethnic composition of Macedonia. 68% - Macedonians, 22% - Albanians, 5% - Serbs, 3.6% -, 3.4% - Turks.
Currency of Macedonia. Macedonian denar = 100deni.
Sights of Macedonia. The ruins of the ancient Greek city of Hera-Klei, the castle of Tsar Samuil, the fortress in Strumica, the Basilica of St. Sophia in Ohrid, the Church of St. Michael in Lesnovo, the Church of St. Panteleimon in Nerezi, etc.
Useful information for tourists
On the east coast, fabulous beaches replace each other. The sandy bay near Kalamitsi is a paradise for scuba divers. Surfers can go from Sarti to Agios Nikolaos. In the clear distance one can see the majestic contours of Agion Oros (Holy Mount Athos) - the third "finger" of the Chalkidiki peninsula. The famous Monastic Republic is located here, the population of which is exclusively male and is about 2000 people. There are 20 monasteries on Athos, of which 17 are Greek, one is Russian, Bulgarian and. Time here flows according to the Julian calendar. Women's access to the Holy Mountain is strictly prohibited.
Emergence of Macedonia
In the prehistoric period, Macedonia was the territory through which carriers of Neolithic cultures penetrated into Europe from Asia Minor (for more details, see Prehistoric Greece). At the end of the Bronze Age, various Indo-European tribes invade Macedonia from the north, some of which head further to Asia Minor, and some to Greece.
The word "Macedonia" comes from the Greek "μακεδνός ( madenos)", which means "high".
The first Macedonian state was founded in the 8th century BC. e. or the beginning of the 7th century BC. e. the Greek dynasty of the Argeads - settlers from the southern Greek city of Argos (hence the name - Argeads), who traced their origin to Hercules. The first king of Macedonia - Perdikka I (according to later data - Karan).
Early kingdom
The mythical founder of the Macedonian state was called Karan, identified with the son of the Argos king Temen Archelaus. According to Justin, 924 years passed from Karan to the last king of Macedonia, Perseus, which forces us to date the reign of Karan to the 11th century BC. e.
Alexander actively used the cultural heritage of the conquered powers, but at the same time introduced the conquered peoples to the culture of Greece and encouraged the study of Greek sciences. And although the newly formed empire collapsed shortly after the death of Alexander, its legacy survived and allowed the conquered peoples to enter the Hellenistic era. The population of the Hellenistic countries of Asia even in the II century. n. e. accounted for more than a quarter of the world's population. Koine Greek has been the international lingua franca for more than a millennium.
In 330 B.C. e. the commander of Alexander the Great Zopirion made a campaign in Scythia, as a result of which his thirty thousandth army was defeated.
kingdom sunset
Language
The language of the Macedonians, which was in use until the beginning of the 5th century BC. e. and preserved in some areas for several centuries of our era, has come down to us in less than a hundred short records made by Hesychius of Alexandria in the 5th century. This language was quite close to Greek, being its dialect. The ancient Macedonian language was influenced by Doric Greek, and with the onset of rapid cultural development and close interaction with other states of Hellas, the difference in languages began to decline. Due to the extremely scarce linguistic material, many points of view on the origin of the ancient Macedonian language have appeared. It is most often viewed as:
- a dialect of Greek with elements of Illyrian;
- a dialect of Greek with elements of Illyrian and Thracian;
- a dialect of Greek with elements of a language of a non-Indo-European group;
- dialect of the Illyrian language with elements of Greek;
- an independent Indo-European language related to Greek, Thracian and Phrygian.
Origin
MACEDONIA
(Republic of Macedonia)
General information
Geographical position. The Republic of Macedonia is located in the center of the Balkan Peninsula, in the basin of the Vardar River. It borders with Albania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece.
Square. The territory of Macedonia occupies 25,713 sq. km.
Main cities, administrative divisions. The capital of Macedonia is Skopje. The largest cities: Skopje (563 thousand people), Bitola (138 thousand people), Kumanovo (136 thousand people), Tetovo (180 thousand people). Administratively, Macedonia is divided into 30 districts.
Political system
Republic of Macedonia. The head of state is the president, the head of government is the prime minister. The legislature is the unicameral Assembly.
Relief. Most of Macedonia is occupied by medium-altitude mountains (height up to 2764 m) with flat peaks and steep slopes. The mountains are separated by tectonic depressions occupied by lakes (Ohrid and Prespa) or river valleys (Vardar river basin, etc.). In the northwest, on the border of Macedonia with Kosovo, there is the largest Macedonian mountain Titov vrh (2748 m). There are three large national parks in Macedonia: Pelister (west of Bitola), Galicia (between Ohrid and Prespa lakes) and Mavrovo (between Ohrid and Tetovo).
Geological structure and minerals. On the territory of Macedonia there are deposits of lead, zinc, copper, iron ore.
Climate. Macedonia has a Mediterranean climate. Summers are hot and dry, winters are mild and rainy. In winter, a warm wind in the Vardar River valley moderates the continental climate prevailing in the northern part of the country. Average temperatures in January are -1-3°С, in July 18-22°С. Precipitation 500 mm per year.
Inland waters. Lakes Ohrid and Prespa are the largest lakes on the Balkan Peninsula. They are located in the southwestern part of Macedonia on the border with Albania. The Vardar River flows through the center of the country and its capital, Skopje.
Soils and vegetation. On slopes up to 2000m. mixed forests and shrubs grow, steppe mountain meadows are located higher.
Animal world. The fauna of Macedonia is characterized by wolf, fox, hare, hedgehog, deer, wild boar. Pelicans live near the lakes, turtles, snakes, lizards live in karst areas.
Population and language
About 2 million people live in Macedonia. About 68% of the population are Macedonian Slavs. Other ethnic groups: Albanians - 22%, Serbs - 5%, Roma - 3.6% and Turks - 3.4%.
Most Albanians are concentrated in the area between Tetovo and Debar in the northwestern part of the country. Here at one time there were demonstrations in defense of the rights to receive education in the Albanian language.
The Macedonian Slavs have nothing in common with the Greek Macedonians of antiquity. Macedonian is very similar to Bulgarian and Serbian. Many ethnographers classify Macedonians as ethnic Bulgarians. The official position of the Bulgarian government is that Macedonians are Bulgarians. Among the Macedonians, there are very few supporters of this point of view.
Religion
Almost all Albanians and Turks are Muslims, Orthodox Slavs.
Brief historical outline
The territory of Macedonia has been inhabited since the Neolithic. The first historically known settlement was founded by the Illyrian and Thracian tribes.
In the 5th century BC e. a state arose on the territory of Macedonia (it existed until the 2nd century BC). Cities as centers of crafts and trade in the early period almost did not exist here.
In the VI-VII centuries. n. e. The territory of Macedonia was inhabited by Slavic tribes. It is believed that these tribes, ethnically and linguistically, were one group with the tribes that settled in the territory occupied by modern Bulgaria.
In the 7th century Byzantium partially subjugated the Slavs of Macedonia. In 670-675 years. The proto-Bulgarian horde of Khan Kuver invaded Macedonia and settled in the area of the city of Bitola.
In the ninth century most of Macedonia was part of the First Bulgarian Kingdom.
In the IX-X centuries. feudal relations are formed on the territory of Macedonia, Christianity is widely spread.
In 1018, Macedonia was conquered by the Byzantine Empire.
In 1230 the Macedonian territory became part of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom.
In the middle of the XIV century. Macedonia was conquered by the Serbian king Stefan Dusan, and in the last quarter of the 14th century. - The Ottoman Empire.
During the period of Turkish domination, the influx of Albanians into Macedonia increased, and purely Muslim villages arose.
The growing liberation struggle of the Greeks, connected with the Greek national liberation revolution of 1821-1829, also embraced the Greek population in Macedonia. The liberation movement of the Slavic population also unfolded.
of Macedonia, aimed at overthrowing the Ottoman yoke and against the Hellenization policy pursued by the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
In 1903, a national liberation uprising broke out in Macedonia, during which the so-called Krushevo Republic was proclaimed and a Provisional Revolutionary Government headed by N. Karev was created.
With an exacerbation at the beginning of the 20th century. the struggle of European powers (especially Germany and Austria-Hungary) for dominance in the Balkan Peninsula, Macedonia has become one of the nodes of international contradictions. The struggle of other Balkan countries for Macedonia also intensified.
As a result of the Balkan wars of 1912-1913. Macedonia was divided between Serbia (Vardar Macedonia), Greece (Aegean Macedonia) and Bulgaria (Pirina Region).
In 1918, Vardar Macedonia became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (since 1929 - Yugoslavia). Vardar Macedonia was one of the most backward regions of royal Yugoslavia.
The Serbian bourgeoisie, which occupied a dominant position in royal Yugoslavia, pursued a policy of national oppression in Vardar Macedonia. The very name "Macedonia" was deleted from the official lexicon, and forced Serbianization was carried out. This caused active resistance on the part of the Macedonians, Macedonian cultural circles were created, the Macedonian literary language was formed, the foundations of Macedonian national literature were laid, which was facilitated by the vigorous activity of advanced social forces, communists, and progressive intelligentsia. There was a process of formation of the Macedonian nation.
In 1941, as a result of the occupation of Yugoslavia by the Nazi troops, most of Vardar Macedonia was occupied by monarcho-fascist Bulgaria, and the rest of the regions by fascist Italy.
In October 1941, the liberation struggle began in Vardar Macedonia, which was an integral part of the all-Yugoslav national liberation movement.
In 1943, at the 2nd session of the Anti-Fascist Council for the People's Liberation of Yugoslavia, it was decided that the new Yugoslavia would be built as a democratic federation of equal peoples, including the Macedonians.
In 1944, Macedonia was finally liberated from the fascist invaders.
In April 1945, the first people's government of Macedonia was formed. In November 1945, the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia was proclaimed. The People's Republic of Macedonia became one of its six republics.
A new stage in the formation and development of the Macedonian nation began under the conditions of socialist construction, during which illiteracy was eliminated, an education system was created in the native language, the working people were introduced to the achievements of science and culture, the intelligentsia was created, the Macedonian folk culture was formed, etc.
In January 1992, the country declared itself completely independent from Yugoslavia.
Brief economic essay
Macedonia is an agro-industrial country.
Extraction of chromites, copper, lead-zinc, iron ores. Enterprises of ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, machine-building, chemical-pharmaceutical, food (tobacco, wine-making, rice-cleaning), light, woodworking industries. Agriculture is dominated by crop production: cereals (rice, wheat, corn). Cotton, opium poppy, peanuts, and anise are cultivated. Macedonia is a significant producer of southern tobacco varieties. Fruit growing, viticulture. Mountain pasture sheep breeding. Lake fishing. Forestry. Export: clothing, textiles, machinery and equipment, medicines, furniture, agricultural products.
The monetary unit is the Macedonian dinar.
A Brief Outline of Culture
Art and architecture. On the territory of Macedonia, the ruins of cities that existed before the 4th-6th centuries BC have been preserved. - Stoby, Buy, Heracles.
The character of medieval architecture is determined by the influence of Byzantine architecture. Secular architecture before the Turkish conquest is represented by the remains of the Cyclopean walls of Skopje (535), the castle of Tsar Samuil (beginning of the 11th century).
An early type of church architecture is a three-aisled basilica with a dome and choirs (Basilica of St. Sophia in Ohrid, circa 1037-1050). In the XII-XIV centuries. the type of cross-domed church with one dome (the Church of St. Michael and Gabriel in Lesnovo, 1341) or five (the Church of St. Panteleimon in Nerezi, 1164) was established.
From the end of the XIII century. the façades of the buildings were often decorated with rich patterned masonry of stone and brick.
During the era of Turkish rule in cities (Skopje, Bitola, Shtip, etc.), domed mosques, minarets, inns, baths and tower-like dwellings were built.
By the XVIII-XIX centuries. include picturesque ensembles of monasteries (the monastery of John Bigorsky, 1743) and various examples of folk architecture (residential buildings with a symmetrical arrangement of rooms around the entrance hall and a courtyard isolated from the street).
Medieval fine arts on the territory of Macedonia are represented by numerous cycles of frescoes, which occupy an important place in the history of Eastern European painting of the 11th-14th centuries.
Significant monuments of art of the Byzantine period are the fresco cycles in the church of St. Sophia in Ohrid (mid-11th century) and the church of St. Panteleimon in Nerezi (1164).
The frescoes of the masters Michael and Eutychius in the churches of St. Clement in Ohrid (1295) and St. George in Staro-Nagori Chino (1317-1318), which are distinguished by a variety of plots and an abundance of real details.
Macedonia is a picturesque nature, architectural monuments, as well as a great place for active tourism. Thanks to the large number of rivers, lakes and magnificent mountains, there is always something to do here.
Republic of Macedonia on the map of the world and Europe
Macedonia is great for traveling, as this country has an ancient history, original culture and excellent conditions for a good rest. Here will be interesting to rest both families and young people. Due to the fact that it is not so long to get to it, and the tourist service is well developed, you will not be bored.
Where is?
A small Balkan state with a population of only 2 million people is located in the north of the Balkan Peninsula in its very center, and relatively - in the southeast. It got its name thanks to the pre-Slovonic population.
Translated from the Greek language "Macedonos" - tall, tall, slender.
Who does it border on?
The country is surrounded on all sides by several states. In the north it has borders with in the east has a common border with Bulgaria, in the southeast with Greece, and in the West- With .
Most of the small state is occupied mountains– Rhodopes, Skopska Cherna Gora and Pindus.
water arteries
Between the mountains flow the rivers Vardar and Strumica - two important water arteries. In the southwest there are two beautiful lakes - Ohrid And Prespa- the two main pearls of Macedonia, and to the southeast - Doyran lake.
How to get from Russia?
It is customary to get to Macedonia in several ways, and a pleasant event is the fact that a visa for Russians is not needed (up to 90 days of stay). There are no direct flights connecting the Macedonian Republic with Russia, so tourists come here by plane with transfers in Belgrade, or in.
Flights depart daily from Moscow's Sheremetyevo or Domodedovo airports, as well as from airports located in other major cities. Planes arrive at the international airport in Skopje or Ohrid. Travel time takes from three hours.
When traveling to another country by plane, study the rules and regulations for hand luggage on board at.
The following are delivered to the country airlines:
- Air Serbia;
- Aeroflot;
- Air Italy;
- Pegasus Airlines;
- Turkish Airlines;
- Austrian Airlines;
- flydubai.
Some tourists who have a Schengen choose their own more economical routes, going to Belgrade or Thessaloniki, and from there low-cost airlines or trains to Skopje.
This search form will help you find a suitable plane ticket. Enter departure and arrival cities, date, number of passengers.
Map of Macedonia with cities in Russian
On a small territory of the country, dotted with mountains and large lakes, there are several large settlements that existed here in ancient times.
Capital
The most important city Skopje- the oldest capital, which can be found in the north a few kilometers from the border with Serbia in a picturesque valley surrounded by mountain ranges. It is the largest city in Macedonia.
Of the 2 million Macedonians, about 670 thousand people live in the capital, and no more than 74 thousand in the rest.
Devastating earthquake 1963 almost wiped Skopje off the face of the earth. The city was badly damaged, and its architectural appearance has noticeably changed. Walking through the Old Town, you can find unrestored areas surrounded by modern houses, which make the capital seem like a modern metropolis.
- old market;
- Museum of Macedonia;
- Venetian fortress of Calais;
- Medieval tower Saat Kula;
- Church of the Holy Savior;
- Hamam Dautpashi.
Skopje is a very attractive and hospitable Balkan capital, so tourists here are not uncommon. This city was known during the Roman Empire.
Big cities
The second important historical and tourist city in Macedonia is Ohrid- an incredibly authentic settlement in the southwest, located on the shores of the most picturesque Balkan Lake Ohrid. These places are considered a popular resort, allowing you to get to know the historical heritage of the Macedonians, as well as enjoy the local cuisine and picturesque views of one of the cleanest lakes on the planet.
The city has important sights of the country:
- Church of St. Sophia- a religious masterpiece of the art of the Middle Ages;
- Church of St. Clement- treasury of shrines;
- Roman amphitheater- an ancient structure with the names of spectators on the seats.
The first mention of Ohrid dates back to 353 BC. At that time it was called Lychnidos and belonged to the Greeks, and in 879 it was renamed Ohrid.
Bitola- Another historically important settlement in the south-west of the country, located in the intermountain Bitola-Prilepskaya basin.
Until 1991, Bitola was the southernmost point of Yugoslavia, and today it is considered the closest city bordering (16 km to the borders).
Bitola at all times performed an important military role. Initially, its founder was Philip of Macedon (4th century BC), but two centuries later the city passed to the Romans, becoming a transit point between the Adriatic and the Aegean Sea. In the 10th century it turned into the most valuable trading center of the Balkan Peninsula.
Sights here testify to past events:
- Mosque Isak;
- Mosque Aydar-Kadi;
- Closed Turkish market Bezistan;
- Church of St. Dmitry with engraved iconostasis.
Tourists from all over the world constantly come to Bitola to visit iconic sights that tell about the hectic life of the ancient city.
Another significant city in Macedonia - Tetovo- a large settlement in the north-west of the country, built at the foot of the Shar mountains. The Pena River flows through it, and the highway to Gostivar also passes through it. Tetovo was founded in the 13th century as an Orthodox settlement at the Church of the Holy Virgin, but after the conquest by the Ottoman Empire, the growth of Muslims began in the city, and with them the construction of mosques, baths and markets arose.
In addition, Tetovo has undergone many military events. As a result of the Balkan War, it passed to Serbia, and during the Second World War it came under the influence of Albania. Thanks to such events, a rather diverse ethnic composition. Albanians, Macedonians, Turks, Italians and Serbs coexist in the city.
Other major cities in Macedonia include:
- Kumanovo;
- Prilep;
- Veles;
- Gostivar;
- Stip.
Country Information
Almost every corner of Macedonia says that this country had to experience many important events that influenced her fate, in particular, this is noticeable in the composition of the population and in the language (it resembles Bulgarian).
At the same time, the country has all the benefits of civilization, but at the same time it continues to be one of the most unexplored countries in Europe.
A bit of history
First mention about the country dates back to the 8th century BC, when the legendary Perdiccas I designated the first Macedonian kingdom here. Three centuries later, this settlement was conquered by the Persian king Darius I from the Achaemenid dynasty, and Alexander the Great returned its independence. Under Philip II of Macedon, who established an absolute monarchy in Macedonia, this state conquered Greece.
Since 1371, the territory of Macedonia has been constantly assigned to other states. First, it was divided by Greece and Serbia, after which it was conquered by the Turks, and finally, after the Balkan War, it was divided by Greece and Serbia. After the Second World War, Macedonia became part of Yugoslavia, and in 1991 gained independence and became Macedonia again.
Administrative division
Macedonia is usually divided into 34 communities, 123 districts, as well as Skopje, as an independent unit of government. It is also customary to divide the republic into eight regions:
- Skopje;
- Vardarsky;
- Oriental;
- Pelagonic;
- Polozhsky;
- Northeastern;
- Skopsky;
- Southwestern.
Population
The vast majority of the population is Macedonians, a quarter of the country consists of Albanians, other representatives of the Balkan peoples - Serbs And Montenegrins.
Language
The official language of Macedonia is Macedonian vaguely reminiscent of Bulgarian.
Macedonia is one of the most prosperous and peaceful countries of the Balkan Peninsula, and recently it has earned popularity among tourists, thanks to luxurious nature And low prices to rest.
Energetic, progressive, changeable twentieth century contributed not only to the development of science and technology. He also touched the political map of the world, completely removing some states from it and settling others. Following the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia also sank into oblivion, on the site of which Macedonia arose. You can learn more about where Macedonia is located from our article.
Where is Macedonia located?
One of the parts of the former Yugoslavia, and now the independent Republic of Macedonia, should be sought in the center of the Balkan Peninsula, in the southeast of the European mainland. This beautiful mountainous country has no direct access to the sea and is adjacent to Serbia, Kosovo, Bulgaria and Greece. By the way, with the latter, Macedonia has been arguing for two decades over the name, which the Greeks consider their property. The Macedonians categorically disagree with this. At the moment, the question of ownership of the name remains open. Despite this, Macedonia maintains good relations with Greece, as well as with other neighbors on the mainland, conducting active trade activities with them. The country is also famous for its mountain resorts, on the slopes of which competitions of European and world level are held.
How to get to Macedonia?
Anyone who wants to see all the beauties of Macedonia with their own eyes should be prepared for a fairly long journey with several transfers. Unfortunately, there is simply no way to get from the CIS countries to Macedonia without transfers.
By plane from Moscow to Macedonia you can get in this way:
