Macedonia - the Republic of Macedonia

MACEDONIA

3/25/12

History

Macedonia, also known as "The Republic of Macedonia" is a parliamentary democracy governed by chef of state, President Gjorge Ivanov. The people of Macedonia have come a long way and faced a great deal of conflicts to be granted its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. Macedonia was first defeated and forced to be a Roman province in 148 B.C., then was ruled by the Byzantine Empire until being part of the Ottoman Empire for five centuries. But the journey did not stop here; Macedonian territory was then divided among Serbia, Greece, and Bulgaria. Throughout its hardships, Macedonia's distinct culture and language was able to flourish, thus, earning their own state. Without a tight grasp on their culture and language, Macedonians could have slowly diminished into Europe's melting pot.

Geography

Macedonia resides in Southeastern Europe, and borders Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Greece, and Serbia. Its size is approximately 25,713 square kilometers which is slightly larger than America's Vermont. Although Macedonia's climate includes warm dry summers, it has cold winters with heavy snowfall. The terrain features mountainous territory covered with basins and valleys. With such terrains come natural resources such as:

* Iron ore

* Copper

* Lead

* Zinc

* Chromite

* Nickel

* Tungsten

* Gold and silver

* Timber

Unfortunately, the manufacturing of such metals have raised issues of air pollution. Air pollution being more severe, there is also talk of water pollution from livestock waste and farming industries.

Population

Macedonia accompanies just over 2 million people. According to the 2002 census, the country consists of Macedonians (65%), Albanians (25%), Turkish (3.5%), and others (6.5%). The main languages spoken are Macedonian, Albanian, and, Turkish. Major religions include Macedonian Orthodox, Islam, and a small number of Catholic and Protestants. The major city and capital is Skopje which holds the biggest population of about 480,000 people. Skopje, containing a quarter of the Macedonian population, is also where one of the 2 main universities is located.

Education

Primary level, or elementary, education for children between the ages of 7-15 is mandatory. Since 1997, there have been reports of improvements in the number of students enrolled in primary level schools. As of the 2006 school year, about 95% of children were enrolled in primary level schools. There are also many secondary level, or high-school level, schools that are now mandatory as well. In 1997, almost 84,000 students were enrolled in secondary schools.

Students who desire to continue their learning can choose to attend one of the two universities. The Bitola University and the University of Skopje. These schools offer practices in law, engineering, medicine, arts, science, physical education, architecture, and agriculture. In 1997, both colleges had a combined enrollment of over 30,000 students.

Economy

Macedonia is a relatively small economy. Reports from 2010 show Gross Domestic Product of about $9.17 billion which is 0.01% of the entire world. Although it is a candidate for the European Union, Macedonia uses the Denar as their home currency. Macedonia faced all kinds of economic struggle during its transition to a market economy, such as:

* The break up from Yugoslavia (deprived Macedonia of key markets and transfer of payments).

* The war in Bosnia.

* International sanctions on Serbia.

* Crisis of 1999, neighboring Kosovo.

* Trade embargo imposed by Greece, 1994 (due to disagreement about the Macedonian flag).

These occurrences delivered much shock to Macedonia's economy in regards to trade. After much efforts and treaties, Macedonia was able to be an open economy. It is now deeply integrated into international trade, however, economic problems continue against efforts to complete the transition into a market-oriented economy. Today, Macedonia has maintained macroeconomic stability with low inflation, but it has failed in attracting foreign investment and creating jobs. Central economic problems include; a relatively low standard of living, high unemployment rate of 30%, and a shy economic growth rate.

Culture

Macedonian culture has both, traditionalist and modernist attributes. Traditionally, the culture is rural. However, over 60% of the population is urban stemming from the city of Skopje. Modern homes feature high-rise apartment influenced by Mediterranean, Byzantine, and Ottoman architecture.

The people of Macedonia are very accommodating to foreigners, especially