North Macedonia

Broadcast media

public TV broadcaster operates 3 national channels and a satellite network; 5 privately owned TV channels broadcast nationally using terrestrial transmitters and about 15 broadcast on national level via satellite; roughly 75 local commercial TV stations; large number of cable operators offering domestic and international programming; public radio broadcaster operates over multiple stations; 3 privately owned radio stations broadcast nationally; about 70 local commercial radio stations (2012)

Internet country code

.mk

Internet users

1.475 million | 70.4% (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 121

Telephone system

general assessment: competition from the mobile-cellular segment of the telecommunications market has led to a drop in fixed-line telephone subscriptions | domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership about 120 per 100 persons | international: country code - 389 (2015)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 372,557 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 105

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 2.223 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 106 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 147

Agriculture - products

grapes, tobacco, vegetables, fruits; milk, eggs

Budget

revenues: $2.903 billion | expenditures: $3.252 billion (2015 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-3.5% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 132

Central bank discount rate

3.25% (31 December 2014) | 3.25% (31 December 2013) | note: series discontinued in January 2010; the discount rate has been replaced by a referent rate for calculating the penalty rate | country comparison to the world: 101

Commercial bank prime lending rate

7.08% (31 December 2015 est.) | 7.46% (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 118

Current account balance

-$141 million (2015 est.) | -$91 million (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 72

Debt - external

$7.029 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $7.241 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 120

Distribution of family income - Gini index

43.6 (2013) | 39.2 (2011) | country comparison to the world: 48

Economy - overview

Since its independence in 1991, Macedonia has made progress in liberalizing its economy and improving its business environment, but has lagged the Balkan region in attracting foreign investment. Corruption and weak rule of law remain significant problems. Some businesses complain of opaque regulations and unequal enforcement of the law. | Macedonia’s economy is closely linked to Europe as a customer for exports and source of investment, and has suffered as a result of prolonged weakness in the euro zone. Unemployment has remained consistently high at about 30% since 2008, but may be overstated based on the existence of an extensive gray market, estimated to be between 20% and 45% of GDP, which is not captured by official statistics. | Macedonia maintained macroeconomic stability through the global financial crisis by conducting prudent monetary policy, which keeps the domestic currency pegged against the euro, and by limiting fiscal deficits. The government has been loosening fiscal policy, however, and the budget deficit was 4.2% of GDP in both 2013 and 2014, gradually falling to 3.7% in 2015. By yearend 2015, public debt was 40.3%, which although low by regional comparison, is significant for a small economy.

Exchange rates

Macedonian denars (MKD) per US dollar - | 55.537 (2015 est.) | 46.437 (2014 est.) | 46.437 (31 December 2013 est.) | 47.89 (2012 est.) | 44.231 (2011 est.)

Exports

$3.372 billion (2015 est.) | $3.682 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 122

Exports - commodities

foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco; textiles, miscellaneous manufactures, iron, steel; automotive parts

Exports - partners

Germany 33.2%, Kosovo 11.5%, Bulgaria 5.1%, Greece 4.5% (2015)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$9.922 billion (2015 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$29.04 billion (2015 est.) | $28.01 billion (2014 est.) | $27.05 billion (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars; Macedonia has a large informal sector that may not be reflected in these data | country comparison to the world: 132

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 67.7% | government consumption: 16.7% | investment in fixed capital: 18.2% | investment in inventories: 13.7% | exports of goods and services: 48.5% | imports of goods and services: -64.8% (2015 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 11.2% | industry: 26.1% | services: 62.7% (2015 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$14,000 (2015 est.) | $13,500 (2014 est.) | $13,100 (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 114

GDP - real growth rate

3.7% (2015 est.) | 3.5% (2014 est.) | 2.9% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 75

Gross national saving

22.5% of GDP (2015 est.) | 21.2% of GDP (2014 est.) | 22.1% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 30

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.2% | highest 10%: 34.5% (2009 est.)

Imports

$5.393 billion (2015 est.) | $6.15 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 121

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, automobiles, chemicals, fuels, food products

Imports - partners

Germany 15.9%, UK 13.6%, Greece 10.9%, Serbia 8.7%, Bulgaria 6.7%, Turkey 5.5%, Italy 4.7% (2015)

Industrial production growth rate

7.8% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 20

Industries

food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, iron, steel, cement, energy, pharmaceuticals, automotive parts

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-0.2% (2015 est.) | -0.1% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 41

Labor force

954,900 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 146

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 18.3% | industry: 29.1% | services: 52.6% (2014 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$2.084 billion (31 December 2014) | $2.302 billion (31 December 2013) | $2.423 billion (31 December 2012) | country comparison to the world: 98

Population below poverty line

30.4% (2011 est.)

Public debt

46.5% of GDP (2015 est.) | 46% of GDP (2014 est.) | note: official data from Ministry of Finance; data cover central government debt; this data exclude debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; include treasury debt held by foreign entitites; exclude debt issued by sub-national entities, as well as intra-governmental debt; there are no debt instruments sold for social funds | country comparison to the world: 91

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$2.471 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $2.963 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 113

Stock of broad money

$6.129 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $6.282 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 123

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$599.6 million (31 December 2015 est.) | $600.3 million (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 86

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$6.123 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $5.93 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 97

Stock of domestic credit

$5.308 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $5.111 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 121

Stock of narrow money

$1.797 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $1.692 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 134

Taxes and other revenues

29.3% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 87

Unemployment rate

26.1% (2015 est.) | 28% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 182

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

7.9 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 111

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 160

Crude oil - imports

146 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 81

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 167

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 167

Electricity - consumption

6.96 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 105

Electricity - exports

112.9 million kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 78

Electricity - from fossil fuels

64.5% of total installed capacity (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 121

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

33% of total installed capacity (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 70

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 140

Electricity - from other renewable sources

2.6% of total installed capacity (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 76

Electricity - imports

3.073 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 52

Electricity - installed generating capacity

2.011 million kW (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 108

Electricity - production

4.569 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 120

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

Natural gas - consumption

134.7 million cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 107

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2014) | country comparison to the world: 145

Natural gas - imports

134.7 million cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 71

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2014) | country comparison to the world: 102

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (31 December 2014 ) | country comparison to the world: 170

Refined petroleum products - consumption

20,000 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 141

Refined petroleum products - exports

2,616 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 101

Refined petroleum products - imports

17,950 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 117

Refined petroleum products - production

1,719 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 106

Area

total: 25,713 sq km | land: 25,433 sq km | water: 280 sq km | country comparison to the world: 150

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Vermont

Climate

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

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

mean elevation: 741 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Vardar River 50 m | highest point: Golem Korab (Maja e Korabit) 2,764 m

Environment - current issues

air pollution from metallurgical plants

Environment - international agreements

party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

41 50 N, 22 00 E

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

1,280 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 838 km | border countries (5): Albania 181 km, Bulgaria 162 km, Greece 234 km, Kosovo 160 km, Serbia 101 km

Land use

agricultural land: 44.3% | arable land 16.4%; permanent crops 1.4%; permanent pasture 26.5% | forest: 39.8% | other: 15.9% (2011 est.)

Location

Southeastern Europe, north of Greece

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

high seismic risks

Natural resources

low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, manganese, nickel, tungsten, gold, silver, asbestos, gypsum, timber, arable land

Population - distribution

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations

Terrain

mountainous with deep basins and valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country bisected by the Vardar River

Administrative divisions

70 municipalities (opstini, singular - opstina) and 1 city* (grad); Aracinovo, Berovo, Bitola, Bogdanci, Bogovinje, Bosilovo, Brvenica, Caska, Centar Zupa, Cesinovo-Oblesevo, Cucer Sandevo, Debar, Debarca, Delcevo, Demir Hisar, Demir Kapija, Dojran, Dolneni, Gevgelija, Gostivar, Gradsko, Ilinden, Jegunovce, Karbinci, Kavadarci, Kicevo, Kocani, Konce, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krivogastani, Krusevo, Kumanovo, Lipkovo, Lozovo, Makedonska Kamenica, Makedonski Brod, Mavrovo i Rostusa, Mogila, Negotino, Novaci, Novo Selo, Ohrid, Pehcevo, Petrovec, Plasnica, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis, Rankovce, Resen, Rosoman, Skopje*, Sopiste, Staro Nagoricane, Stip, Struga, Strumica, Studenicani, Sveti Nikole, Tearce, Tetovo, Valandovo, Vasilevo, Veles, Vevcani, Vinica, Vrapciste, Zelenikovo, Zelino, Zrnovci

Capital

name: Skopje | geographic coordinates: 42 00 N, 21 26 E | time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) | daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Macedonia | dual citizenship recognized: no | residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years

Constitution

several previous; latest adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991; amended several times, last in 2015 (2016)

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Macedonia | conventional short form: Macedonia | local long form: Republika Makedonija | local short form: Makedonija | note: the provisional designation used by the UN, EU, and NATO is the "former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" (FYROM) | former: People's Republic of Macedonia, Socialist Republic of Macedonia | etymology: the country name derives from the ancient kingdom of Macedon (7th to 2nd centuries B.C.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Jess L. BAILY (since 12 February 2015) | embassy: Str. Samolilova, Nr. 21, 1000 Skopje | mailing address: American Embassy Skopje, US Department of State, 7120 Skopje Place, Washington, DC 20521-7120 (pouch) | telephone: [389] (2) 310-2000 | FAX: [389] (2) 310-2499

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Vasko NAUMOVSKI (since 18 November 2014) | chancery: 2129 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 667-0501 | FAX: [1] (202) 667-2131 | consulate(s) general: Chicago, Detroit, New York

Executive branch

chief of state: President Gjorge IVANOV (since 12 May 2009) | head of government: Interim Prime Minister Emil DIMITRIEV (since 18 January 2016); Prime Minister Nikola GRUEVSKI (since 26 August 2006) resigned on 15 January 2016 | cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Assembly by simple majority vote; note - the 2014 cabinet formed by the government coalition parties VMRO-DPMNE, DUI, and several small parties; as a result of an agreement reached in July 2015 between the largest parties to resolve a 16-month opposition boycott of the Assembly, several minister and deputy minister positions were also given to the opposition SDSM | elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 13 and 27 April 2014 (next to be held in 2019); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually elected prime minister by the Assembly | election results: Gjorge IVANOV reelected president in second round; percent of vote - Gjorge IVANOV (independent) 55.3%, Stevo PENDAROVSKI (SDSM) 41.1%, other 3.6%

Flag description

a yellow sun (the Sun of Liberty) with eight broadening rays extending to the edges of the red field; the red and yellow colors have long been associated with Macedonia

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

8 September 1991 (referendum by registered voters endorsed independence from Yugoslavia)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

BIS, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EU (candidate country), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consist of NA judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges) | judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by the Judicial Council, a 7-member body of legal professionals, and appointed by the Assembly; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the Assembly for nonrenewable, 9-year terms | subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Basic Courts

Legal system

civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Assembly or Sobranie (123 seats; 120 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 3 directly elected in diaspora constituencies worldwide by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms) | elections: last held on 27 April 2014 (the election scheduled for 5 June 2016 has been postponed until 11 December 2016) | election results: percent of vote by party - VMRO-DPMNE 43.0%, SDSM 25.3%, BDI 13.7%, PDSh 5.9%, GROM 2.8%, RDK 1.6%, other 4.3%, invalid 3.4%; seats by party - VMRO-DPMNE 61, SDSM 34, BDI 19, PDSh 7, GROM 1, RDK 1

National anthem

name: "Denes nad Makedonija" (Today Over Macedonia) | lyrics/music: Vlado MALESKI/Todor SKALOVSKI | note: written in 1943 and adopted in 1991 , the song previously served as the anthem of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia while part of Yugoslavia

National holiday

Independence Day, 8 September (1991); also known as National Day

National symbol(s)

eight-rayed sun; national colors: red, yellow

Political parties and leaders

Citizens Option for Macedonia or GROM [Stevco JAKIMOVSKI] | Democratic Party of Albanians or PDSh [Menduh THACI] | Democratic Union for Integration or BDI [Ali AHMETI] | Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity or VMRO-DPMNE [Nikola GRUEVSKI] | National Democratic Revival or RDK [Vesel MEMEDI] | Social Democratic Union of Macedonia or SDSM [Zoran ZAEV] | note: during the 2014 parliamentary elections VMRO-DPMNE, SDSM, and GROM each led coalitions

Political pressure groups and leaders

Federation of Free Trade Unions [Mirjana ANDREVSKA] | Federation of Trade Unions [Zivko MITREVSKI] | Trade Union of Education, Science and Culture or SONK [Jakim NEDELKOV] | Student Plenum | Eco Guerilla [Arianit XHAFERI]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Macedonia gained its independence peacefully from Yugoslavia in 1991. Greek objection to Macedonia’s name, insisting it implies territorial pretensions to the northern Greek province of the same name, have 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. Macedonia 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 are ongoing. Since 2004, the US and over 130 other nations have recognized Macedonia by its constitutional name, Republic of Macedonia. Ethnic Albanian grievances over perceived political and economic inequities escalated into an insurgency 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. Relations between Macedonians and ethnic Albanians remain fragile, however. Although Macedonia became an EU candidate in 2005, the country still faces challenges, including overcoming the ongoing political crisis that began in 2015 when opposition party SDSM began releasing wiretap content that it alleged showed widespread government corruption, the ongoing migration crisis, fully implementing the Framework Agreement, resolving the outstanding name dispute with Greece, improving relations with Bulgaria, halting democratic backsliding, and stimulating economic growth and development. Macedonia's membership in NATO was blocked by Greece at the Alliance's Summit of Bucharest in 2008.

Military branches

Army of the Republic of Macedonia (ARM; includes General Staff and subordinate Joint Operational Command, Training and Doctrine Command, Special Operations Regiment) (2012)

Military expenditures

1.08% of GDP (2015) | 1.17% of GDP (2014) | 1.14% of GDP (2013) | 1.2% of GDP (2012) | 1.3% of GDP (2011) | country comparison to the world: 92

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2008 (2013)

Age structure

0-14 years: 17.27% (male 187,752/female 174,935) | 15-24 years: 13.69% (male 148,340/female 139,195) | 25-54 years: 43.65% (male 465,622/female 451,028) | 55-64 years: 12.3% (male 126,548/female 131,749) | 65 years and over: 13.09% (male 117,787/female 157,069) (2016 est.)

Birth rate

11.5 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 170

Child labor - children ages 5-14

total number: 16,782 | percentage: 6% (2005 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1.3% (2011) | country comparison to the world: 128

Contraceptive prevalence rate

40.2% (2011)

Death rate

9.1 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 66

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 41.4% | youth dependency ratio: 24% | elderly dependency ratio: 17.4% | potential support ratio: 5.7% (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 99.8% of population | rural: 98.9% of population | total: 99.4% of population | urban: 0.2% of population | rural: 1.1% of population | total: 0.6% of population (2015 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.01% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 131

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 100 (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 106

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

200 (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 126

Health expenditures

6.5% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 79

Hospital bed density

4.5 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

total: 7.5 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 7.8 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 7.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 158

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 76.2 years | male: 73.6 years | female: 79 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 89

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 97.8% | male: 98.8% | female: 96.8% (2015 est.)

Major urban areas - population

SKOPJE (capital) 503,000 (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

8 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 153

Median age

total: 37.5 years | male: 36.4 years | female: 38.6 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 65

Mother's mean age at first birth

26.6 (2013 est.)

Nationality

noun: Macedonian(s) | adjective: Macedonian

Net migration rate

-0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 129

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

20.8% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 92

Physicians density

2.62 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

Population

2,100,025 (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 146

Population distribution

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations

Population growth rate

0.18% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 188

Religions

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

Sanitation facility access

urban: 97.2% of population | rural: 82.6% of population | total: 90.9% of population | urban: 2.8% of population | rural: 17.4% of population | total: 9.1% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 13 years | male: 13 years | female: 13 years (2012)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.07 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.03 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female | total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.6 children born/woman (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 181

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 53.1% | male: 52% | female: 55% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 4

Urbanization

urban population: 57.1% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 0.11% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - international

Kosovo and Macedonia completed demarcation of their boundary in September 2008; Greece continues to reject the use of the name Macedonia or Republic of Macedonia

Illicit drugs

major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish; minor transit point for South American cocaine destined for Europe; although not a financial center and most criminal activity is thought to be domestic, money laundering is a problem due to a mostly cash-based economy and weak enforcement

Refugees and internally displaced persons

stateless persons: 667 (2015) | note: 478,003 refugee and migrant arrivals (2015 - November 2016 est.)

Airports

10 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 155

Airports - with paved runways

total: 8 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 | under 914 m: 6 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 2 | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 | under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Z3 (2016)

Pipelines

gas 268 km; oil 120 km (2013)

Railways

total: 699 km | standard gauge: 699 km 1.435-m gauge (223 km electrified) (2014) | country comparison to the world: 101

Roadways

total: 14,182 km (includes 242 km of expressways) | paved: 9,633 km | unpaved: 4,549 km (2014) | country comparison to the world: 124