North Macedonia
Edited by:
Massimo Martini
Access
North Macedonia can be reached from Italy mainly by air: Alexander the Great International Airport in Skopje (SKP) is the main airport, with direct flights from Milan, Rome and other Italian cities (Wizz Air, easyJet and other low-cost carriers); Ohrid Airport (OHD) serves seasonal destinations, mainly charters. The overland route from Italy passes through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina or Serbia, with access to North Macedonia through the passes of Tabanovce (Serbia) and Bogorodica (Greece). The [A2] motorway (Skopje-Tetovo-Kosovo border) and the [A3] (Skopje-Veles-Bitola) constitute the main motorway network. The state roads are gradually improving but not always at the level of European motorways. The North Macedonia Railways (MŽ) operate a limited network; trains connect Skopje with Bitola and neighbouring countries. Access to the Šar Planina massif, Lake Ohrid and the Mavrovo National Park is via state roads from the respective settlements. In winter, mountain roads may be subject to snow closures.
.Introduction
North Macedonia - officially the Republic of North Macedonia - is a landlocked state in south-eastern Europe, located in the centre of the Balkan Peninsula. The current name has been in force since 12 February 2019, following the signing of the Prespa Agreement (June 2018) with Greece, which ended a long diplomatic dispute over names: the country was previously known as "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" (FYROM) in the international arena. The surface area is 25,436 km² and the population is approximately 1,837,000 (2021 census). The capital is Skopje. The country borders Serbia and Kosovo to the north, Bulgaria to the northeast, Greece to the south and Albania to the west. The ethnic composition is diverse: Slavic Macedonians (58.5%), Albanians (24.5%), Turks, Roma, Serbs. The main religions are Orthodox Christianity (about 46%) and Islam (about 32%). The official languages are Macedonian and, at the municipal level where Albanians exceed 20%, also Albanian. North Macedonia is a member of NATO from 2020 and a candidate for EU membership (negotiations open in 2022).
.Description
Macedonian territory is predominantly mountainous - about 80 per cent of the surface area - with mountain ranges exceeding 2,000 m. The orographic structure is divided into parallel systems with a north-west-southeast and north-east-southwest orientation. The main ranges are: Šar Planina (with the highest peak in the country, Golem Korab, 2,764 m, on the border with Albania, and Titov Vrv, 2,748 m); Korab, on the border with Albania; Baba Planina and Pelister (2,601 m, in Pelister National Park) in the southwest; Jakupica and Babuna Mountains in the centre; and Osogovo and Belasica Mountains in the east. The main lakes are Lake Ohrid (shared with Albania, 348 km², the deepest in the Balkans at 288 m) - a UNESCO site for natural and cultural heritage - and Lake Prespa (shared with Albania and Greece). The Vardar (388 km) is the main river, which crosses the country from north-west to south-east and flows into the Aegean Sea in Greece. The climate varies from continental (centre-north) to sub-Mediterranean in the south-western sector around Lake Ohrid.
The history of the Macedonian territory is among the most stratified in the Balkans, traversed by Illyrian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Bulgarian, Serbian and Ottoman cultures. The ancient Kingdom of Macedonia - the reign of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) - had its centre in the region of present-day northern Greece, but also included areas of present-day northern Macedonia. Ottoman rule (1389-1912) left a deep mark on the ethnic and religious composition. With the Balkan Wars (1912-1913), the territory passed to Serbia. In 1944, during Tito's Yugoslavia, the People's Republic of Macedonia was established as one of the six republics of the Yugoslav Federation, with the recognition of Macedonian ethnic identity. Independence was declared on 8 September 1991, peacefully. The 2001 ethnic conflict between Macedonians and Albanians ended with the Ohrid Accords, which recognised equal rights and decentralisation in favour of the Albanian communities.
The Macedonian economy is among the least developed in Europe. GDP per capita is low compared to the EU average. The main sectors are manufacturing (textiles, metallurgy, agribusiness), agriculture (tobacco - of which Macedonia is one of the world's leading producers - grapes, cereals, cotton), mining (chrome, iron, lead, zinc) and tourism (growing around Lake Ohrid). Tobacco, produced on the plains of Vardar and Bitola, is the main agricultural export. Macedonian gastronomy reflects Ottoman, Greek and Balkan influences: tavče gravče (baked beans in an earthenware dish), burek, kebapi, salty šopska, ajvar (roasted pepper preserves) and Macedonian wine (Vranec and Tikveš).
North Macedonia's UNESCO heritage includes Lake Ohrid - a mixed natural and cultural site - with the ancient city of Ohrid (early Christian and Byzantine monasteries, rock churches, mosaics and medieval architecture). The city of Ohrid was the seat of the first Slavic archbishopric (893 AD, founded by Clement of Ohrid, disciple of Cyril and Methodius) and of the Old Slavic University. The Mavrovo National Park - the largest in the country (730 km²), with the Mavrovo reservoir and the Bistra mountains (2.163 m) - is home to the wolf (Canis lupus), the bear (Ursus arctos), the Balkan chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra balcanica) and the rare Balkan lynx (Lynx lynx), one of the most endangered populations in Europe. The Pelister National Park (with Pelister, 2,601 m) and the Galicica National Park (Lake Ohrid and Prespa) complete the protected system.
Hiking in North Macedonia is mainly on Šar Planina and in the Mavrovo Park. The Šar Planina massif - the continuation of the Dinaric mountain system towards Kosovo and Macedonia - offers high-altitude trekking with routes to Titov Vrv (2,748 m) from Šar Planina National Park (Kosovan side) or from Popova Šapka (Macedonian side). The Via Dinarica also crosses the Macedonian sector with the continuation of the White Trail towards North Macedonia. The Ohrid-Prespa route connects the two UNESCO lakes through Galicica Park. The Ohrid Summer Route and the trails around Lake Ohrid offer scenic hiking.
The mountaineering history of North Macedonia is associated with the peaks of Korab and Šar Planina. Golem Korab (2,764 m) - the highest peak in the country on the border with Albania - can be reached from Mavrovo in a 2-3 day hike; the route requires orientation and appropriate equipment as the paths are not always well marked. Titov Vrv (2,748 m) on Šar Planina is accessible from the Popova Šapka ski resort.
Trail running in North Macedonia is in its infancy. The Korab Ultra Trail and some races near Skopje and Popova Šapka are the emerging events. The potential is high - mountainous terrain, unspoilt landscapes - but the organisational and trail infrastructure is still developing.
Information
General Data
Capital: Skopje
Area: 25.436 km²
Minimum elevation: 45m (border with Greece, Vardar valley)
Maximum elevation: 2,764m - Golem Korab (border with Albania)
Number of inhabitants: 1,837.000 (2021 census)
Official name: Republika Severna Makedonija
Name of inhabitants: Macedonians
Regions: 8 statistical regions + 80 municipalities
Border countries: Albania - Bulgaria - Greece - Kosovo - Serbia
Institutional website: https://vlada.mk