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| Macedonia |
Description
The Republic of Macedonia is located in the southeast of Europe, in the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula. It borders with Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Greece and Albania. The total area is 25.7 thousand sq. km. Macedonia is sometimes referred to as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. 80% of the territory is occupied by medium-altitude mountains with flat tops and steep slopes. It has no access to the sea, borders with Albania in the west, Serbia in the north, Bulgaria in the east and Greece in the south.
Geography
The geographical region of Macedonia is now located on the territory of three countries - its southern part - Aegean Macedonia, is part of Greece; the eastern lands - Pirin Macedonia - are part of Bulgaria, and the Republic of Macedonia is located in the north and west, in the valley of the Vardar River. Macedonia is divided by two main mountain systems: the Pindus Mountains, which are a continuation of the Dinaric Mountains, in the extreme west, and the Rhodopes in the center and east. The peaks of many mountain ranges reach heights of 2100-2700 m. There are many deciduous and coniferous forests in the eastern part of the Rhodope Mountains. Such forests are also found in the west, although the western mountainous zone is more covered with shrubs. Between the forests in the east and west are depressions, hollows and arid highlands. Part of the arid region (Mountains of Babun), located to the west of the middle course of the river. Vardar, separates the fertile plain of Bitola (Pelagonia) in the south from the plain of Skopje in the north and from the fertile regions of the southeast.
Time
Behind Moscow for 2 hours.
Climate
Mediterranean. Summers are hot and dry, winters are mild and rainy. The average temperature in January is 11-12 °C, in July + 21-23 °C. The annual rainfall is 500-700 mm in the north. The tourist season here begins in May and lasts until September.
Language
The official language of the country is Macedonian.
Religion
Most believers are Orthodox Christians, Islam is also widespread (mainly among Albanians). About 67% of the country's inhabitants belong to the Macedonian Orthodox Church. In 1967, the church declared its independence from the Serbian Orthodox Church, but its autocephaly is not recognized by other Orthodox churches. Muslims make up 30% of the total number of believers, adherents of other faiths - 3%. There are 1,200 Orthodox churches and monasteries and 425 mosques in Macedonia.
Population
The population is 2 million 043 thousand people, 59.4% are city dwellers. Of these, 21.5% are under the age of 15, 67.8% are between the ages of 15 and 64, and 10.7% are aged 65 and over. The average age of the population is 32.8 years, the average life expectancy is 74.73 years. Population growth in 2004 was 0.39%. The birth rate is estimated at 13.14 per 1000, the death rate at 7.83 per 1000. The emigration rate is 1.46 per 1000. Infant mortality is 11.74 per 1000 newborns. 64% of the population speaks the Macedonian language of the South Slavic group of languages. 25% of the population speaks Albanian, 4% Turkish, 2% Serbian.
Electricity
Mains voltage: 220 V
Current frequency: 50Hz
Emergency Phones
Police - 92
Fire Department - 93
Ambulance - 94
Roadside assistance - 987
Macedonian Car Club (Skopje) - 116-011
Tourist Information Office (Skopje) - 116-854
Skopje Airport - 389-91, 148-300
Ohrid Airport - 389-96, 31-656
Russian representations in Macedonia:
Embassy: Skopje, st. Pirinska, 44,
tel. 117-160, fax 117-808.
Connection
Cellular communication is represented by the GSM-900 standard. The coverage in cities is quite dense, in mountainous areas there are vast areas where cellular communication is not available. Local SIM cards can be purchased from Makedonski Telekomunikacii (MobiMak, network code 294-01) offices. To call from a street payphone, including abroad, telephone cards are used (sold in post offices and kiosks). Calls from hotels are much more expensive, and the quality of the connection is usually lower than from a pay phone. The international code of Macedonia is 389. To call from Russia to Macedonia, dial 8 - 10 - 389 - the area code. To call abroad, the international outgoing code 99 is dialed before the number. Codes of some cities: Skopje - 23, Ohrid - 96, Bitola - 97, Kicevo - 95. For long-distance calls within the country, zero is added before the city code.
Currency exchange
Monetary unit: denar of the Republic of Macedonia (spelled MKD).
In circulation are banknotes in denominations of 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 5000 denars of two series, as well as coins of 1, 2, 5 denars and 50 denis (they are withdrawn from circulation due to denomination).
The working day of Macedonian banks usually lasts from 7.00 to 13.00 on weekdays, some large banks (Stopanska Banka) are open until 19.00 on weekdays and until 13.00 on Saturdays (Sunday is a day off). Exchange offices usually work from 7.00 to 19.00. The only legal tender in the country is the denar. Currency can be exchanged at banks and numerous exchange offices.
Credit cards are not very common in the country, they can be used practically only in expensive metropolitan hotels and shops, but you can withdraw cash from a bank without any problems. Preference is given to means of payment in euros and US dollars.
Visa
Citizens of the Russian Federation can enter the territory of the Republic of Macedonia without a visa if they have the original invitation certified by the relevant authorities in Macedonia, or the original tourist voucher confirming the payment for the hotel and other services for the entire stay in the country, or a valid Schengen visa category "C". In all other cases, a visa must be issued in advance at the consular department of the Macedonian Embassy in Moscow.
Practical experience shows that in case of arrival at the border without a pre-arranged visa, the issue of entry is decided individually by the duty officer of the border service.
Visa-free entry to the territory of Macedonia is not possible if the Schengen visa is "redeemed" in the tourist's passport (there are stamps on entry and exit from the Schengen area) or instead of the original voucher or invitation there is only a fax copy or a printout of the hotel reservation from the Internet.
Customs regulations
Import and export of foreign currency is not limited. The export and import of the national currency is formally prohibited. The transit of explosives and toxic substances, drugs, gold bars, plates and coins, objects of historical and cultural value is prohibited. Duty-free importation of cigarettes up to 200 pieces is allowed. and alcoholic beverages - up to 1 liter. Duty-free import of food, perfumes, clothing is allowed within the limits of personal needs. The import of household appliances into Macedonia as gifts is allowed with payment of customs duty, for personal needs - no more than one item, which is entered in the customs declaration and must be taken out of the country.
Holidays and non-working days
March-April - Orthodox Easter
In Orkhida, in early July, a folk song and dance festival is held, and at this time folklore groups from many Balkan countries come here. The summer festival, held in Orchid from mid-July to mid-August, is famous for its classical music concerts. Poets gather in Struga at the end of August for the International Poetry Festival.
Transport
Bus transport is well developed in Macedonia, especially the routes connecting Skopje, Bitola and Ohrid. Always pre-book your bus tickets to and from Ohrid.
Rail transport is not particularly developed here. There is a local train from Skopje to Bitola that covers a distance of 230 km in four hours.
Tourists and travelers can be given advice - if you intend to visit Ohrid, then book bus tickets to and from it in advance. For those who want to move around the country on their own, car rental is always available. You can rent a car both at the offices of international companies located, for example, at Ohrid and Skopje airports, as well as in small private garages. In order to arrange a rental, you must have an international driver's license and paid insurance. Instead of insurance, you can make a cash deposit, the amount of which will depend on the price group of the car. In addition, you will have to pay local rental taxes (up to 15%) and an insurance fee.
Tips
Tipping in restaurants and taxis is generally 10% of the bill.
The shops
Most shops are open on weekdays from 8.00 to 20.00 and on Saturday from 8.00 to 15.00. Shops in Macedonia offer a large selection of goods, both local and imported. Duty free shops are usually located at the airport. From Wednesday to Friday from 8:00 to 20:00 or until 21:00 in summer. Saturday shops are open longer in tourist areas. In shops in Macedonia you can pay with Macedonian dinars, as well as most credit cards (Diners, American Express, Visa and MasterCard/EuroCard) and Eurocheques, which are accepted for payment in most hotels, shops and restaurants.
National cuisine
The national cuisine of Macedonia will surely appeal to true gourmets. In numerous Macedonian restaurants and cafes, you can taste Turkish-style fried minced meat.
There is also a special women's cafe "Baghdad" in the Charshija area. All other cafes are predominantly male territory.
The local cuisine is formed as a result of mixing the culinary traditions of different peoples. Bulgarian, Serbian, Turkish and Greek traditions had a great influence.
The country has long been famous for simple but very tasty dishes of vegetables, meat and spices. Meat dishes are prepared mainly from lamb and pork, while, as in neighboring Serbia and Montenegro, a characteristic feature is the widespread use of specially fermented milk - "kaymak" (served as a cold appetizer). It is recommended to try Turkish-style fried minced meat, layer cake with meat or cheese "burek", beans in a frying pan "tavche gravce", minced meat sausages "chevapchichi", various versions of "kebab", eggplants, potatoes and tomatoes with layers of meat - moussaka, tomato salad with paprika and beans "ajvar", Ohrid trout "pastrmka", shopska salad "shopska salata", traditional "tarator" and "muchkalitsa", meat stew "dzhuvech" or "gyuvech" with rice and vegetables , meat meatballs "koftinya", cabbage rolls "sarma", stuffed peppers "stuffed piperki", meat stew "selsko meso", smoked meat, "kebapchinya", meat baked with vegetables and spices "turli tava", vegetable stew "zarzavat", chicken in mustard sauce or kaymak, the famous dried hams "prosciutto" and dozens of other original dishes.
Constantly on the table fresh bread "leb", herbs and cheese. Baklava, Sutliyash rice pudding, Slatko, Burek or Zelnik jams are served as a sweet. Very popular black coffee "hollandse coffee" or in Turkish - "tursko coffee", teas with herbs, honey and various mousses and juices. Local wines, although not well known in international markets, have excellent data and low cost. Of the strong drinks, moonshine "raki" (grape, plum, pear, herbal, etc.) is popular, which is found in two types - "white" and "yellow".
Attractions
This is a country where you can have a great rest and touch the origins of Orthodox culture. It is safe and inexpensive, environmentally friendly and sunny. The capital of the country - Skopje, as the city has been known since the time of the Roman Empire - an early Byzantine fortress, Turkish mosques and other buildings of the XV-XX centuries. (destroyed by the earthquake of 1963, architectural monuments have been restored since the 1960s). A new urban center is being built (project by the Japanese architect K. Tange). Near Skopje are the ruins of the ancient city of Skupi. The real pearl of this region is Lake Ohrid, located at an altitude of 695 m (area 348 sq. Km., depth up to 285 m), and apparently connected by underground karst cavities with the lake. Prespa. This is one of the most beautiful and cleanest lakes in Europe, a popular resort area. The city of Ohrid, located on the shore of the lake, is famous for its architectural monuments - the basilica of St. Sophia of the 11th century and the church of St. Clement of the 13th century, in which Byzantine frescoes have been preserved, the National Museum and the castle of Tsar Samuil (XI century) are also interesting. One of the monasteries in the city is the place where the educators Cyril and Methodius created the Slavic alphabet and first began to teach it to their students. In all major cities - Bitola (former Monastir), Prilep, Kumanovo, Skopje, many architectural monuments of the Middle Ages and antiquity have been preserved, and the carefully preserved natural environment allows us to consider the country one of the best European centers for active recreation - hiking and mountain tourism, rafting and sport fishing.
Bitola- the second largest city in the country, located in the very south, near the border with Greece. The main attraction of the city are the ruins of the ancient Heraclea Lincestis, founded by Philip II of Macedon in the 4th century BC. BC e. No less interesting is the Doyran Lake in the east of the country, whose surroundings can be considered one of the most beautiful in the country, the Debar mineral springs, the picturesque canyons of the Matka and Treska rivers, the most beautiful canyon in Europe - the Radika Gorge and the waterfall of the same name - the highest in the Balkans, the most beautiful cave area in mountains of Bistra, caves Vrelo ("spring"), Krstalnya and Ubava ("beautiful") in Treska canyon, Lake Matka and nearby monasteries Matka (XIV c.), St. Andrew (1389) and St. Nikola Shishovsky (XIV c.), the monastery of St. Jovan Bigorski with its unique wooden iconostasis, the winemaking capital of Kavadarchi, Lake Prespa (274 sq. km.) with the island of Golem Grad, the picturesque area of Tsarev Dvor, the church of St. George (1191) in the village of Kurbinovo, the capital of ceramics Oteshevo (located under the auspices of UNESCO), etc.
Resorts
Macedonia is surrounded by mountains on all sides, so all the resort opportunities in Macedonia are directly connected with the mountains.
In the first place is Lake Ohrid, which has the properties of a mountain climatic resort. It is located at an altitude of 695 m above sea level near the border with Albania. The lake is considered the cleanest in Europe and offers tourists a swimming season from May to September (the water warms up to +24 ° C). The entire coast of the lake is built up with sanatoriums and hotels offering a full range of entertainment.
In Macedonia, you can have a great time and ski resorts. The most famous and most popular is Popova-Shapka. The resort is located at an altitude of 1845 m above sea level near the town of Tetovo. The weakness of this resort so far is the lack of infrastructure. Although work on its creation is actively underway.
Republic of Macedonia.
The name of the country is derived from 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.
Macedonia or Republic of Macedonia- a state in the southeast of Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. In the north it borders on Kosovo and Serbia, in the west - on Albania, in the south - on Greece, in the east - on Bulgaria. There is no access to the sea.
On most of the territory there are ridges of medium-high mountain systems Skopska-Crna-Gora, Pind, Shar (the highest point is Mount Korab (2764 m)) and Pirin, separated by vast intermountain basins. From each other, mountain ranges separate the valleys of the Vardar and Strumitsa rivers, which flow through the whole country. In the southwest, there are the large lakes Ohrid and Prespa, partly belonging to Macedonia, and in the southeast, the large Lake Doyran.
The region is seismically active, earthquakes are quite strong. As a result of the last, which occurred in 1963, the city of Skopje was heavily destroyed.
Territory and name
The official designation since 1993, used in the UN at the urging of Greece, is the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Often referred to simply as Macedonia, but should not be confused with the state of Ancient Macedonia and the historical region of Macedonia in neighboring Greece. The Republic of Macedonia occupies about 35.8% of the area of historical Macedonia (52.4% is located on the territory of modern Greece, and 9.6% is on the territory of Bulgaria and makes up about 40.9% of its population).
The territory of the Republic of Macedonia previously formed the southernmost part of Yugoslavia. Its modern borders were established shortly after the Second World War. In August 1947, President of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) Josip Tito and Bulgarian Prime Minister Georgi Dimitrov met in Bled and agreed that all of Macedonia (or at least part of Greek and all Bulgarian Macedonia) would eventually be included in Union with Yugoslav Macedonia, provided that Bulgaria becomes an integral part of the Federation of Balkan States. Thus, the Socialist Republic of Macedonia was formed as part of the SFRY - thereby the Macedonians were recognized as an independent people within the SFRY.
In 1991, with the disintegration of Yugoslavia into separate states, the territory of Macedonia has not changed. At the same time, the emergence of this separate state led to ongoing (July 2010) political disputes with Greece over the use of the names "Macedonia" and "Macedonians".
On November 4, 2004, the US administration officially recognized the Republic of Macedonia under this constitutional name. Meanwhile, the European Union has declared that it will use the former name of Macedonia. The European Union also gave Greece guarantees that Macedonia would be able to join this organization only with the addition of the words "the former Yugoslav Republic" to the name.
Last changes: 05/18/2013Climate in Macedonia
Climate in Macedonia depending on the geographical location, it passes from a temperate continental climate to a subtropical one.
In the southern part of the country, climatic conditions similar to those of the Mediterranean prevail. In summer it is hot here, the air is dry, the air temperature is from +20°C to +23°C.
However, if you go up into the mountains, you will notice that it is noticeably cooler there. Winters are mild and humid, with average temperatures ranging from -1°C to -10°C.
In the north of the country, the annual rainfall is approximately 500 mm, and in the west, on the slopes of the mountains, up to 1700 mm in winter.
In the mountains, snow lies from November to March. However, already in May the air temperature often does not fall below zero.
The summer holiday season in Macedonia lasts from May to September.
Last changes: 05/18/2013Population
The population of Macedonia is 2,057,284 (2010).
The ethnic composition of the population: Macedonians - 64%, Albanians - 25%, Turks - 4%, Gypsies - 3%, Serbs - 2%, others - 2%.
Most of the inhabitants of the country (about 67%) belong to the Macedonian Orthodox Church. In 1967, the church declared its independence from the Serbian Orthodox Church, but its autocephaly is not recognized by other Orthodox churches.
Muslims make up 30% of the total number of believers, adherents of other faiths - 3%. There are 1,200 Orthodox churches and monasteries and 425 mosques in Macedonia.
The official language of Macedonia is Macedonian, which belongs to the group of South Slavic languages. It is spoken by almost 70% of the country's population.
The second most important language is Albanian, which is used for communication by more than 21% of the country's inhabitants. The fact that on the territory of Macedonia there are areas of compact residence of Albanians served as a reason for assigning the official status to the Albanian language, however, only in these areas, along with Macedonian. In addition, about 3% of the inhabitants of Macedonia speak Turkish, Serbian, Croatian and other languages.
The Macedonian language is controversial around its name. Perhaps it is worth noting this. The fact is that some linguists believe that no Macedonian language exists. And there is only a stable dialect of Bulgarian, which, due to the large number of people who are its speakers, has undeservedly received the status of an independent language. The official Macedonian language is the literary Macedonian language, created on the basis of dialects common in the country.
For a Russian-speaking person, the Macedonian language is quite difficult to understand and even perceive, due to the abundance of solid consonants.
Last changes: 05/18/2013About money
Monetary unit of Macedonia: Macedonian denar(MKD), 1 MKD = 100 deni.
There are coins in circulation in denominations of 50 deni, 1, 2, 5, 10 and 50 denar; banknotes - 10, 50, 100, 500, 1000 and 5000 denars.
The only legal tender in the country is the denar. Currency can be exchanged at banks and numerous exchange offices.
Banks are usually open from 7:00 to 13:00 on weekdays, some large banks are open until 19:00 on weekdays and until 13:00 on Saturdays. Exchange offices are usually open from 7:00 to 19:00.
Credit cards are not very common in the country: you can pay with them only in expensive metropolitan hotels and shops, but you can withdraw cash from them at the bank without any problems.
Denar is a fairly stable currency, but outside of Macedonia you will not be able to exchange it. It is for this reason that it is best to change the currency to denar not all at once, but in the required quantities.
Last changes: 05/18/2013Communication and communications
Telephone code: 389
Internet domain: .mk
Police: 92, Fire: 93, Ambulance: 94, Roadside Assistance: 987
Phone codes of cities
Skopje - 2, Ohrid - 46, Bitola - 47
How to call
To call from Russia to Macedonia, you need to dial: 8 - beep - 10 - 389 - area code - subscriber number.
To call from Macedonia to Russia, you need to dial: 00 - 7 - area code - subscriber number.
Fixed line
To call from a street pay phone, including abroad, telephone cards are used - they are sold at post offices and kiosks.
Calls from hotels are much more expensive, and the quality of the connection is usually lower than from a pay phone.
mobile connection
Cellular communication is represented by the GSM-900 standard. The coverage in cities is quite dense, in mountainous areas there are vast areas where cellular communication is not available.
Local SIM cards can be purchased at the offices of Makedonski Telekom operators.
shopping
Popular souvenirs are a variety of jewelry made of gold, silver and Ohrid pearls. Rakia (local moonshine) is also brought from Macedonia.
Ohrid pearls should either be bought in specialized stores or not bought at all, but in no case in souvenir shops, where there is a very high probability of buying a fake.
Last changes: 05/18/2013Where to stay
The tourist infrastructure in the Republic of Macedonia is still relatively poorly developed, there are not many hotels, but the prices for accommodation in them in the whole country are quite high. In some hotels, foreigners are charged a double rate and often only in foreign currency.
It is often more expedient to stay in the private sector (maximum $10-20 per person in high season).
Last changes: 05/18/2013Story
The territory of modern Macedonia was mastered by man in the Neolithic times. The first historically known settlement is a settlement founded by Illyrian and Thracian tribes. Already in the 5th century BC. e. a state arose on the territory of Macedonia, which existed until the 2nd century BC. e. at the same time, cities as centers of crafts and trade almost did not exist here.
The history of Macedonia from the 6th century AD is literally woven from the conquests of its various tribes, peoples, and states.
So, in the 6-7th century, Slavic tribes came to the territory of Macedonia, which, ethnically and linguistically, constituted one group with the tribes that settled on the territory of modern Bulgaria. In the 7th century, the Slavs of Macedonia submitted to Byzantium. At the end of the 7th century, the Proto-Bulgarian horde of Khan Kuver invaded here and settled in the area of the city of Bitola. In the 9th century, most of Macedonia was part of the First Bulgarian Kingdom. In the 9th-10th centuries, the first feudal relations were formed on the territory of Macedonia, and Christianity became widespread. At the beginning of the 11th century, Macedonia was completely conquered by the Byzantine Empire. And since the middle of the 13th century, the territory of the country has been part of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom. In the middle of the 14th century, Macedonia was conquered by the Serbian king Stefan Dusan, and a quarter of a century later, by the Ottoman Empire.
Turkish rule contributed to the influx of Albanians into Macedonia, and purely Muslim villages began to appear. At the same time, the liberation struggle of the Greeks, connected with the Greek national liberation revolution of 1821-1829, also covered the Greek population of Macedonia. At the same time, the liberation movement of the Slavic population of Macedonia was unfolding, aimed at overthrowing the Ottoman yoke. As a result, in 1903, a national liberation uprising broke out in Macedonia, during which the so-called Republic of Krushevo was proclaimed and a Provisional Revolutionary Government headed by N. Karev was created.
The aggravation at the beginning of the 20th century of the struggle of European powers, and especially Germany and Austria-Hungary, for dominance in the Balkan Peninsula turned Macedonia into one of the nodes of international contradictions. The Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 eventually led to the fact that the territory of Macedonia was divided between Serbia (or sometimes this part is called Vardar Macedonia), Greece (or Aegean Macedonia) and Bulgaria (Pirina Region).
In 1918 Vardar Macedonia became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, which became Yugoslavia in 1929. At the same time, in economic terms, Vardar Macedonia was one of the most backward regions of royal Yugoslavia.
In 1941, Yugoslavia was occupied by the Axis countries (countries of the Nazi bloc). The territory of Vardar Macedonia was divided between Bulgaria and Albania. Part of the Macedonian Slavs supported the resistance movement, led by Josip Broz Tito, who later became the president of Yugoslavia. The Bulgarian occupation authorities formed the Independent State of Macedonia, which existed for several months in 1944.
At the end of World War II, the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia was formed from six republics, including the People's Republic of Macedonia. When the association was renamed the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1963, Macedonia was also renamed the Socialist Republic of Macedonia.
1991 - declaration of sovereignty and a referendum on the independence of Macedonia, which led to a bloodless secession from Yugoslavia. Kiro Gligorov (1991-1999), a native of the local party nomenklatura, became the first president of Macedonia.
1991 - Bulgaria is the first country in the world to recognize the independence of Macedonia.
1992 - withdrawal of parts of the Yugoslav army.
1993 - The Republic of Macedonia is admitted to the UN as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
1995 - after the assassination attempt on Kiro Gligorov, Stoyan Andov was acting head of state for a short period.
As a result of the Kosovo War in 1999, some 360,000 Kosovo Albanians fled to Macedonian territory. The refugees soon left the country, but a little later, the local Albanians, following their example, put forward a demand for autonomy for the regions of the republic with a predominantly Albanian population.
1999 - Joint Declaration fixing the principles of good neighborly relations between Bulgaria and Macedonia; confirmed by a joint memorandum in 2008.
1999-2004 - President Boris Traikovsky.
2001 March - August - The Albanian National Liberation Army (leader - Ali Ahmeti) began military guerrilla operations against the regular army of Macedonia in the north and west of the country (especially in the Tetovo region). Only NATO intervention put an end to the confrontation, as a result of which the Ohrid Agreement was signed with the Albanian separatists, which provided limited legal and cultural autonomy (official status of the Albanian language, amnesty for the rebels, Albanian police in Albanian regions).
2002 - sporadic recurrences of the Albanian-Macedonian inter-ethnic conflict.
Last changes: 05/18/2013Useful information
Macedonia has announced a ban on smoking in public places. It is forbidden to smoke in restaurants, cafes, bars, educational institutions, government agencies, cinemas and other crowded places.
In the Albanian regions of Macedonia, cases of petty scams are very common, the allegedly suddenly appearing language barrier is especially popular among the local population, so you should be especially careful when discussing financial issues, making purchases and paying for services.
One small but very valuable advice: do not give money up front until the service is rendered. Otherwise, you can be left with nothing.
Last changes: 05/18/2013How to get to Macedonia
There are no direct scheduled flights between Macedonia and Russia. Sometimes charters fly from Russia to Macedonia (Moscow-Orchid-Moscow).
You can also get to Macedonia from Moscow by regular flights to Belgrade (Serbia), which are operated by Aeroflot and Jat Airways, then - an internal flight to Skopje or Orchid. The duration of the flight from Moscow to Belgrade is about 3 hours.
If the tourist has a Greek visa, you can use one of the many and relatively inexpensive flights to Thessaloniki, and then get to Macedonia by train (3-4 hours).
When departing from Macedonia, you need to pay a tax - 12 US dollars.
By train
Traveling from Russia to Macedonia by train is extremely inconvenient, expensive and time consuming. It implies the crossing of several states (Hungary, Serbia), which leads to the need to obtain transit visas.
Macedonia is connected by rail with Greece and Serbia. Transit trains run 2-3 times a day from Greek Thessaloniki to Belgrade, through Macedonia and its cities Gevgelia, Gradsko, Kumanovo. In addition, there are regional trains connecting Skopje and Nis (Serbia), Skopje and Thessaloniki.
By bus
Macedonia is in close interaction with neighboring and some Western European countries. Therefore, you can also get to the country using one of the regular or seasonal bus routes.
Bus flights to Macedonia are carried out regularly from Serbia, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece, Albania, Turkey.
In addition, regular flights are operated weekly to Budapest, Berlin, Prague, Vienna and Zurich. Flights to Western Europe are much more expensive.
By car
Distances from Skopje by road: Moscow - 2550 km, Belgrade - 416 km, Thessaloniki - 234 km, Sofia - 190 km, Athens - 710 km. Last changes: 05/18/2013
short information
The legendary Alexander the Great, king of the Macedonian kingdom, forever introduced the word "Macedonia" into world history. Now Macedonia is not as big as during the time of the empire of Alexander the Great, but, nevertheless, its very name speaks of the great history of this country. Even if Greece disputes the right of Macedonia to bear such a name ... Modern Macedonia surprises tourists with its nature, mountains, lakes, and culture. This Balkan country has several thermal and ski resorts.
Geography of Macedonia
Macedonia is located in the center of the Balkan Peninsula, in Southeast Europe. Macedonia borders Bulgaria to the east, Serbia to the north, Kosovo to the northwest, Greece to the south, and Albania to the west. The total area of this Balkan country is 25,333 sq. km, and the total length of the state border is 748 km.
Macedonia is located in the valley of the Vardar River, and yet most of this country is occupied by mountains (Skopska Crna Gora, Pindus and Pirin). The highest peak in Macedonia is Mount Korab, whose height reaches 2764 m. In general, there are 16 mountains in this country, with a height of more than 2,000 meters.
The largest lakes in Macedonia are Ohrid, Prespa and Dojran.
Capital
The capital of Macedonia is Skopje, which now has a population of more than 870 thousand people. Archaeologists believe that the first human settlement on the territory of modern Skopje appeared in the 3rd century BC.
Official language
In Macedonia, the official language is Macedonian (it belongs to the eastern subgroup of South Slavic languages).
Religion
About 67% of the population of Macedonia are Orthodox Christians (Macedonian Orthodox Church). Another 15% of Macedonians are Sunni Muslims.
State structure
According to the 1991 Constitution, Macedonia is a parliamentary republic. The head of state is the President, elected for 5 years.
Legislative power belongs to the unicameral Parliament - the Assembly (120 deputies).
Climate and weather
Macedonia has a transitional climate from Mediterranean to continental. Summers in this Balkan country are hot and dry, while winters are not very cold. There are three climatic zones in Macedonia - temperate Mediterranean, mountainous and temperate continental.
The highest average air temperature in Macedonia is observed in July and August - +31C, and the lowest - in January and February (-3C).
Rivers and lakes
There are about 50 lakes in Macedonia. The largest of them are Ohrid, Prespa and Doyran. By the way, Lake Ohrid was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980.
As for the rivers of Macedonia, the Vardar River flows through the entire territory of this country, the length of which is 388 km.
Story
In ancient times, Thracian and Illyrian tribes lived on the territory of modern Macedonia.
In 356 BC Philip II of Macedon expands the Macedonian kingdom, capturing the surrounding lands. The Macedonian kingdom reached its peak under Alexander the Great.
During the early Middle Ages, Macedonia was under the rule of the Byzantine Empire and the Bulgarian kingdom. At the beginning of the XIV century, Macedonia became part of the Serbian state, and then the Ottoman Empire conquered this country. Macedonia was part of the Ottoman Empire for five centuries.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Macedonia belonged to Serbia, Greece and Bulgaria. Then Macedonia, under the name Vardar banovina, was part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
After World War II, Macedonia became one of the republics in the socialist Yugoslavia.
Macedonia became independent in 1991. In 1993, Macedonia was admitted to the UN.
culture
In all Macedonian cities and villages, the inhabitants carefully preserve their folk traditions. An example of this is the medieval town of Krushevo, where the traditions of the Macedonians are probably most pronounced.
The most popular holidays among Macedonians are New Year, Orthodox Christmas, Great Day, Independence Day, and Ramadan Bairam.
Macedonian cuisine
Macedonian cuisine has absorbed many of the culinary traditions of the Balkans. Macedonian cuisine has been heavily influenced by Greek, Turkish, Middle Eastern and Hungarian culinary traditions. Macedonians eat Shopska salad (Shopska salad) almost every day - diced tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and cheese.
Great wine is made in Macedonia, which is no worse than in Greece. Other traditional Macedonian alcoholic drinks are Rakia and Mastic liqueur.
Sights of Macedonia
Ancient Macedonia will be of great interest to any inquisitive tourist. This country has many interesting sights. The top ten Macedonian attractions, in our opinion, include the following:
- Stone bridge in Skopje
- Fortress Skopsko Kale
- The old Turkish hotel Kursumliya An
- Church of the Holy Savior in Skopje
- Turkish baths Daud Pasha in Skopje
- Ancient Roman city of Stobi
- Medieval town Krusevo
- Mustafa Pasha Mosque in Skopje
- Statue of Mother Teresa in Skopje
- Tsar Samuil's Castle
Cities and resorts
The largest cities in Macedonia are Bitola, Kumanovo, Prilep, and, of course, the capital is Skopje.
Macedonia can be called a mountainous country, so it is not surprising that there are ski resorts there. The most popular of them are Krushevo, Mavrovo, Kozuf, and Popova Shapka.
There are many thermal springs in Macedonia, and even the Turks of the Ottoman Empire knew about their healing properties, who built baths in their places. Now excellent spa resorts operate at Macedonian thermal springs - Banište, Banja Bansko, Katlanovo, Kežovica, Kosovrasti, Istibanja, Banja Kočani.
Souvenirs/Shopping
Tourists from Macedonia usually bring handicrafts (such as ceramics), Macedonian embroidery, traditional Macedonian clothing, gold and silver jewelry.
