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Countries

North Macedonia

North Macedonia gained its independence peacefully from Yugoslavia in 1991 under the name of “Macedonia.” Greek objection to the new country’s name, insisting it implied territorial pretensions to the northern Greek province of Macedonia, and democratic backsliding for several years stalled the country’s movement toward Euro-Atlantic integration. Immediately after Macedonia declared independence, Greece sought to block Macedonian efforts to gain UN membership if the name “Macedonia” was used. The country was eventually admitted to the UN in 1993 as “The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,” and at the same time it agreed to UN-sponsored negotiations on the name dispute. In 1995, Greece lifted a 20-month trade embargo and the two countries agreed to normalize relations, but the issue of the name remained unresolved and negotiations for a solution continued. Over time, the US and over 130 other nations recognized Macedonia by its constitutional name, Republic of Macedonia. Ethnic Albanian grievances over perceived political and economic inequities escalated into a conflict in 2001 that eventually led to the internationally brokered Ohrid Framework Agreement, which ended the fighting and established guidelines for constitutional amendments and the creation of new laws that enhanced the rights of minorities. In January 2018, the government adopted a new law on languages, which elevated the Albanian language to an official language at the national level, with the Macedonian language remaining the sole official language in international relations. Relations between ethnic Macedonians and ethnic Albanians remain complicated, however.

North Macedonia’s pro-Western government has used its time in office since 2017 to sign a historic deal with Greece in June 2018 to end the name dispute and revive Skopje’s NATO and EU membership prospects. This followed a nearly three-year political crisis that engulfed the country but ended in June 2017 following a six-month-long government formation period after a closely contested election in December 2016. The crisis began after the 2014 legislative and presidential election, and escalated in 2015 when the opposition party began releasing wiretapped material that revealed alleged widespread government corruption and abuse. Although an EU candidate since 2005, North Macedonia has yet to open EU accession negotiations. The country still faces challenges, including fully implementing reforms to overcome years of democratic backsliding and stimulating economic growth and development. In June 2018, Macedonia and Greece signed the Prespa Accord whereby the Republic of Macedonia agreed to change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia. Following ratification by both countries, the agreement went in to force on 12 February 2019. North Macedonia signed an accession protocol to become a NATO member state in February 2019.

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North Macedonia Tourism Information…

Title
Exploring Macedonia
Title
Macedonia Timeless
Title
Travel 2 Macedonia
Macedonia Travel

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The Best of North Macedonia

Here is a list of some of the most interesting and visited places. Cities or areas listed will always have more than just one thing see and do. With the popular cities or areas we list some of the best known, which should go on everyone’s, must see list when they visit.  

  • Bitola Heraclea Lyncestis ruins
    • Ohrid Ancient Theater of Ohrid
    Galicica National Park
    Lake Ohrid
    St. Jovan Kaneo
    Tsar Samuel’s Fortress

    Matka CanyonMavrovo National Park Sveti Jovan Bigorksi
     Skopje Old Bazzar
    Macedonia Square
    Millennium Cross
    Stone Bridge
    St. Sophia
    Stobi ruins

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North Macedonia Country Information…

Capital:

Skopje

Largest City:

Skopje

Government:

Parliamentary Republic

Currency:

Macedonian denar (MKD)

Area:

Total:25,713 km (9,928 sq. mi.) ranked (148th)

Climate:

Warm, dry summers and autumns; relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall

Population:

2,100,025 (July 2016 est.)  ranked 146th

Language:

Macedonian (official) 66.5%, Albanian (official) 25.1%, Turkish 3.5%, Roma 1.9%, Serbian 1.2%, other 1.8% (2002 est.)

Ethnic Groups:

Macedonian 64.2%, Albanian 25.2%, Turkish 3.9%, Roma  2.7%, Serb 1.8%, other 2.2% (2002 est.)

Religion:

Macedonian Orthodox 64.8%, Muslim 33.3%, other Christian 0.4%, other and unspecified 1.5% (2002 est.)

Electricity:

230V, 50Hz (European plug C, F )

Telephone Code:

+389

Local Emergency Phone Number:

Ambulance: 94; Fire: 93; Police: 92

Internet TLD:

.mk

Time Zone:

CET (UTC+1) / Summer CEST (UTC+2) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March, ends last Sunday in October

Road Driving Side:

Right

Anthem:

Денес над Македонија    Denes nad Makedonija     Today over Macedonia

President:

Stevo Pendarovski

Prime Minister:

Zoran Zaev

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Holidays and Observances in North Macedonia in 2021

Date NameType
Jan 1FridayNew Year’s DayNational holiday
Jan 6WednesdayOrthodox Christmas EveOptional Holiday
Jan 7ThursdayOrthodox Christmas DayNational holiday, Orthodox
Jan 19TuesdayEpiphany (Orthodox)Optional Holiday
Jan 27WednesdaySt Sava’s DayOptional Holiday
Feb 14SundayValentine’s DayObservance
Mar 8MondayMothers’ Day/International Women’s DayObservance
Mar 20SaturdayMarch EquinoxSeason
Mar 28SundayDaylight Saving Time startsClock change/Daylight Saving Time
Apr 2FridayGood FridayObservance
Apr 3SaturdayEaster SaturdayObservance
Apr 4SundayEaster SundayObservance
Apr 5MondayEaster MondayOptional Holiday
Apr 8ThursdayInternational Romani Day (for Romani community)Optional Holiday
Apr 30FridayGood Friday (Orthodox)Optional Holiday
May 1SaturdayEaster Saturday (Orthodox)Observance, Orthodox
May 1SaturdayLabor DayNational holiday
May 2SundayEaster Sunday (Orthodox)Observance, Orthodox
May 3MondayEaster Monday (Orthodox)National holiday, Orthodox
May 13ThursdayEid al-FitrNational holiday
May 21FridayFriday before PentecostOptional Holiday
May 23SundayVlach’s National Day (for Vlach community)Optional Holiday
May 24MondaySaints Cyril and Methodius’ DayNational holiday
Jun 21MondayJune SolsticeSeason
Jul 20TuesdayEid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice)Optional Holiday
Aug 2MondayRepublic DayNational holiday
Aug 28SaturdayFeast of the Assumption of Mary (Orthodox)Optional Holiday
Sep 8WednesdayIndependence DayNational holiday
Sep 12SundayFathers’ DayObservance
Sep 16ThursdayFirst day of Yom Kippur (Jewish community)Optional Holiday
Sep 22WednesdaySeptember EquinoxSeason
Sep 28TuesdayInternational Bosniaks’ Day (for Bosniak community)Optional Holiday
Oct 11MondayDay of People’s UprisingNational holiday
Oct 23SaturdayDay of the Macedonian Revolutionary StruggleNational holiday
Oct 31SundayHalloweenObservance
Oct 31SundayDaylight Saving Time endsClock change/Daylight Saving Time
Nov 1MondayAll Saints’ DayOptional Holiday
Nov 22MondayAlbanian Alphabet Day (Albanian community)Optional Holiday
Dec 8WednesdaySaint Kliment Ohridski’s DayNational holiday
Dec 21TuesdayTurkish Language Day (Turkish community)Optional Holiday
Dec 21TuesdayDecember SolsticeSeason
Dec 24FridayChristmas EveObservance
Dec 25SaturdayChristmas DayOptional Holiday
Dec 31FridayNew Year’s EveObservance