North Macedonia

Airports

total: 16 usable: 16 with permanent-surface runways: 10 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 2

Highways

total: 10,591 km paved: 5,091 km unpaved: gravel 1,404 km; earth 4,096 km (1991)

Inland waterways

NA km

Pipelines

none

Ports

none; landlocked

Railroads

NA

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

Branches

Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force, Police Force

Defense expenditures

7 billion denars, NA% of GNP (1993 est.); note - conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the prevailing exchange rate could produce misleading results

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 604,257; fit for military service 489,746; reach military age (19) annually 19,539 (1994 est.)

Agriculture

provides 12% of GDP and meets the basic needs for food; principal crops are rice, tobacco, wheat, corn, and millet; also grown are cotton, sesame, mulberry leaves, citrus fruit, and vegetables; The Former Yugoslav Republic of 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

Budget

revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Currency

the denar, which was adopted by the Macedonian legislature 26 April 1992, was initially issued in the form of a coupon pegged to the German mark; subsequently repegged to a basket of seven currencies

Economic aid

recipient: US $10 million (for humanitarian and technical assistance) EC promised a 100 ECU million economic aid package (1993)

Electricity

capacity: 1,600,000 kW production: 6.3 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,900 kWh (1992)

Exchange rates

denar per US$1 - 865 (October 1992)

Exports

$889 million (1993) 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% (1990) partners: principally Serbia and Montenegro and the other former Yugoslav republics, Germany, Greece, Albania

External debt

$840 million (1992)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Illicit drugs

limited illicit opium cultivation; transshipment point for Asian heroin

Imports

$963 million (1993) 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% (1990) partners: other former Yugoslav republics, Greece, Albania, Germany, Bulgaria

Industrial production

growth rate -14% (1993 est.)

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

13% monthly average (1993 est.)

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $2.2 billion (1993 est.)

National product per capita

$1,000 (1993 est.)

National product real growth rate

-14.7% (1992 est.)

Overview

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, although the poorest republic in the former Yugoslav federation, can meet basic food and energy needs through its own agricultural and coal resources. Its economic decline will continue unless 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. The country's industrial output and GDP are expected to decline further in 1994. The Former Yugoslav Republic of 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.

Unemployment rate

27% (1993 est.)

Area

total area: 25,333 sq km land area: 24,856 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than Vermont

Climate

hot, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Environment

current issues: air pollution from metallurgical plants natural hazards: high seismic risks international agreements: party to - Ozone Layer Protection

International disputes

Greece claims republic's name implies territorial claims against Aegean Macedonia

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

total 748 km, Albania 151 km, Bulgaria 148 km, Greece 228 km, Serbia and Montenegro 221 km (all with Serbia)

Land use

arable land: 5% permanent crops: 5% meadows and pastures: 20% forest and woodland: 30% other: 40%

Location

Balkan State, Southeastern Europe, between Serbia and Montenegro and Greece

Map references

Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

none; landlocked

Natural resources

chromium, lead, zinc, manganese, tungsten, nickel, low-grade iron ore, asbestos, sulphur, timber

Note

landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe

Terrain

mountainous territory covered with deep basins and valleys; there are three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line

Abbreviation

F.Y.R.O.M.

Administrative divisions

34 counties (opstinas, singular - opstina) Berovo, Bitola, Brod, Debar, Delcevo, Gevgelija, Gostivar, Kavadarci, Kicevo, Kocani, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krusevo, Kumanovo, Murgasevo, 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

Assembly (Sobranje)

elections last held 11 and 25 November and 9 December 1990 (next to be held November 1994); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (120 total) VMRO-DPMNE 32, SDSM 29, PDPM 23, SRSM 19, SPM 4, DP 4, SJM 2, others 7

Capital

Skopje

Constitution

adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991

Digraph

MK

Diplomatic representation in US

the US recognized The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on 9 February 1994

Executive branch

chief of state: President Kiro GLIGOROV (since 27 January 1991); election last held 27 January 1991 (next to be held NA); results - Kiro GLIGOROV was elected by the Assembly head of government: Prime Minister Branko CRVENKOVSKI (since 4 September 1992), Deputy Prime Ministers Jovan ANDONOV (since NA March 1991), Risto IVANOV (since NA), and Becir ZUTA (since NA March 1991) cabinet: Council of Ministers; elected by the majority vote of all the deputies in the Sobranje

Flag

16-point gold sun (Vergina, Sun) centered on a red field

Independence

17 September 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

Judicial branch

Constitutional Court, Judicial Court of the Republic

Legal system

based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative branch

unicameral

Member of

CE (guest), CSCE (observer), EBRD, ECE, ICAO, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), ITU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Names

conventional long form: The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia conventional short form: none local long form: Republika Makedonija local short form: Makedonija

National holiday

NA

Other political or pressure groups

Movement for All Macedonian Action (MAAK); Democratic Party of Serbs; Democratic Party of Turks; Party for Democratic Action (Slavic Muslim)

Political parties and leaders

Social-Democratic Alliance of Macedonia (SDSM; former Communist Party), Branko CRVENKOVSKI, president; Party for Democratic Prosperity (PDPM); National Democratic Party (PDP), Ilijas HALINI, president; Alliance of Reform Forces of Macedonia - Liberal Party (SRSM-LP), 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; Democratic Party (DP), Petal GOSEV, president

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type

emerging democracy

US diplomatic representation

the US recognized The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on 9 February 1994

Birth rate

15.59 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate

6.72 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Macedonian 65%, Albanian 22%, Turkish 4%, Serb 2%, Gypsies 3%, other 4%

Infant mortality rate

27.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force

507,324 by occupation: agriculture 8%, manufacturing and mining 40% (1990)

Languages

Macedonian 70%, Albanian 21%, Turkish 3%, Serbo-Croatian 3%, other 3%

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.59 years male: 71.51 years female: 75.85 years (1994 est.)

Literacy

total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%

Nationality

noun: Macedonian(s) adjective: Macedonian

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population

2,213,785 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate

0.89% (1994 est.)

Religions

Eastern Orthodox 67%, Muslim 30%, other 3%

Total fertility rate

1.98 children born/woman (1994 est.)