*Macedonia, Geography Location: Southern Europe, between Serbia and Montenegro and Greece Map references: Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World Area: total area: 25,333 km2 land area: 24,856 km2 comparative area: slightly larger than Vermont Land boundaries: total 748 km, Albania 151 km, Bulgaria 148 km, Greece 228 km, Serbia and Montenegro 221 km (all with Serbia) Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) Maritime claims: none; landlocked International disputes: Greece claims republic's name implies territorial claims against Aegean Macedonia Climate: hot, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall Terrain: mountainous territory covered with deep basins and valleys; there are three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line Natural resources: chromium, lead, zinc, manganese, tungsten, nickel, low-grade iron ore, asbestos, sulphur, timber Land use: arable land: 5% permanent crops: 5% meadows and pastures: 20% forest and woodland: 30% other: 40% Irrigated land: NA km2 Environment: Macedonia suffers from high seismic hazard; air pollution from metallurgical plants Note: landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe *Macedonia, People Population: 2,193,951 (July 1993 est.) Population growth rate: 0.91% (1993 est.) Birth rate: 15.91 births/1,000 population (1993 est.) Death rate: 6.79 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.) Infant mortality rate: 29.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 73.19 years male: 71.15 years female: 75.41 years (1993 est.) Total fertility rate: 2 children born/woman (1993 est.) Nationality: noun: Macedonian(s) adjective: Macedonian Ethnic divisions: Macedonian 67%, Albanian 21%, Turkish 4%, Serb 2%, other 6% Religions: Eastern Orthodox 59%, Muslim 26%, Catholic 4%, Protestant 1%, other 10% Languages: Macedonian 70%, Albanian 21%, Turkish 3%, Serbo-Croatian 3%, other 3% Literacy: total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% Labor force: 507,324 by occupation: agriculture 8%, manufacturing and mining 40% (1990) *Macedonia, Government Names: conventional long form: Republic of Macedonia conventional short form: Macedonia local long form: Republika Makedonija local short form: Makedonija Digraph: MK Type: emerging democracy Capital: Skopje Administrative divisions: 34 districts (opcine, singular - opcina) Berovo, Bitola, Brod, Debar, Delcevo, Demir Hisar, Gevgelija, Gostivar, Kavadarci, Kicevo, Kocani, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krusevo, Kumanovo, Negotino, Ohrid, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis, Resen, Skopje-Centar, Skopje-Cair, Skopje-Karpos, Skopje-Kisela Voda, Skopje-Gazi Baba, Stip, Struga, Strumica, Sveti Nikole, Tetovo, Titov Veles, Valandovo, Vinica Independence: 20 November 1991 (from Yugoslavia) Constitution: adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991 Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts National holiday: NA Political parties and leaders: Social-Democratic League of Macedonia (SDSM; former Communist Party), Branko CRVENKOVSKI, president; Party for Democratic Prosperity in Macedonia (PDPM), Nevzat HALILI, president; National Democratic Party (PDP), Ilijas HALINI, president; Alliance of Reform Forces of Macedonia (SRSM), Stojan ANDOV, president; Socialist Party of Macedonia (SPM), Kiro POPOVSKI, president; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity (VMRO-DPMNE), Ljupco GEORGIEVSKI, president; Party of Yugoslavs in Macedonia (SJM), Milan DURCINOV, president Other political or pressure groups: Movement for All Macedonian Action (MAAK); League for Democracy; Albanian Democratic Union-Liberal Party Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal Elections: President: last held 27 January 1991 (next to be held NA); results - Kiro GLIGOROV was elected by the Assembly Assembly: last held 11 and 25 November and 9 December 1990 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (120 total) VMRO-DPMNE 37, SDSM 31, PDPM 25, SRSM 17, SJM 1, SPM 5, others 4 Executive branch: president, Council of Ministers, prime minister Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly (Sobranje) Judicial branch: Constitutional Court, Judicial Court of the Republic *Macedonia, Government Leaders: Chief of State: President Kiro GLIGOROV (since 27 January 1991) Head of Government: Prime Minister Branko CRVENKOVSKI (since NA September 1992), Deputy Prime Ministers Jovan ANDONOV (since NA March 1991), Stevo CRVENKOVSKI (since NA September 1992), and Becir ZUTA (since NA March 1991) Member of: EBRD, ICAO, IMF, UN, UNCTAD, WMO Diplomatic representation in US: none; US does not recognize Macedonia US diplomatic representation: none; US does not recognize Macedonia Flag: 16-point gold sun (Vergino, Sun) centered on a red field *Macedonia, Economy Overview: Macedonia, although the poorest among the six republics of a dissolved Yugoslav federation, can meet basic food and energy needs through its own agricultural and coal resources. It will, however, move down toward a bare subsistence level of life unless economic ties are reforged or enlarged with its neighbors Serbia and Montenegro, Albania, Greece, and Bulgaria. The economy depends on outside sources for all of its oil and gas and its modern machinery and parts. Continued political turmoil, both internally and in the region as a whole, prevents any swift readjustments of trade patterns and economic programs. Inflation in early 1992 was out of control, the result of fracturing trade links, the decline in economic activity, and general uncertainties about the future status of the country; prices rose 38% in March 1992 alone. In August 1992, Greece, angry at the use of "Macedonia" as the republic's name, imposed a partial blockade for several months. This blockade, combined with the effects of the UN sanctions on Serbia and Montenegro, cost the economy approximately $1 billion in 1992 according to official figures. Macedonia's geographical isolation, technological backwardness, and potential political instability place it far down the list of countries of interest to Western investors. Resolution of the dispute with Greece and an internal commitment to economic reform would help to encourage foreign investment over the long run. In the immediate future, the worst scenario for the economy would be the spread of fighting across its borders. National product: GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $7.1 billion (1991 est.) National product real growth rate: -18% (1991 est.) National product per capita: $3,110 (1991 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 114.9% (1991 est.) Unemployment rate: 20% (1991 est.) Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA Exports: $578 million (1990) commodities: manufactured goods 40%, machinery and transport equipment 14%, miscellaneous manufactured articles 23%, raw materials 7.6%, food (rice) and live animals 5.7%, beverages and tobacco 4.5%, chemicals 4.7% partners: principally Serbia and Montenegro and the other former Yugoslav republics, Germany, Greece, Albania Imports: $1,112 million (1990) commodities: fuels and lubricants 19%, manufactured goods 18%, machinery and transport equipment 15%, food and live animals 14%, chemicals 11.4%, raw materials 10%, miscellaneous manufactured articles 8.0%, beverages and tobacco 3.5% partners: other former Yugoslav republics, Greece, Albania, Germany, Bulgaria External debt: $845.8 million Industrial production: growth rate -18% (1991 est.) Electricity: 1,600,000 kw capacity; 6,300 million kWh produced, 2,900 kWh per capita (1992) *Macedonia, Economy Industries: low levels of technology predominate, such as, oil refining by distillation only; produces basic liquid fuels, coal, metallic chromium, lead, zinc, and ferronickel; light industry produces basic textiles, wood products, and tobacco Agriculture: provides 12% of GDP and meets the basic need for food; principal crops are rice, tobacco, wheat, corn, and millet; also grown are cotton, sesame, mulberry leaves, citrus fruit, and vegetables; Macedonia is one of the seven legal cultivators of the opium poppy for the world pharmaceutical industry, including some exports to the US; agricultural production is highly labor intensive Illicit drugs: NA Economic aid: $10 million from the US for humanitarian and technical assistance; EC promised a 100 ECU million economic aid package Currency: 1 denar (abbreviation NA) = 100 NA Exchange rates: denar per US$1 - 240 (January 1991) Fiscal year: calendar year *Macedonia, Communications Railroads: NA Highways: 10,591 km total (1991); 5,091 km paved, 1,404 km gravel, 4,096 km earth Inland waterways: NA km Pipelines: none Ports: none; landlocked Airports: total: 17 useable: 17 with permanent-surface runways: 9 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 2 Telecommunications: 125,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 6 AM, 2 FM, 5 (2 relays) TV; 370,000 radios, 325,000 TV; satellite communications ground stations - none *Macedonia, Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force, Police Force Manpower availability: males age 15-49 597,024; fit for military service 484,701; reach military age (19) annually 18,979 (1993 est.) Defense expenditures: 7 billion denars, NA% of GNP (1993 est.); note - conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results