FACTS ABOUT MACEDONIA
Macedonia (the Republic of) occupies about half of Macedonia (the
geographic region). The rest of the region is split between Greece and
Bulgaria. In a way a bit like the Republic of Ireland and Ireland.
Macedonia (the Republic of) is a landlocked country in the heart of the
Balkan Peninsula, the size of Vermont, population 2 million.
The East-West and the North-South roads traversing South-Eastern Europe
cross in Macedonia. (The ancient Roman road Via Ignatia goes East-West and
the valley of the river Vardar goes North-South, connecting the port of
Salonika to Central Europe).
Population: ethnic Macedonians constitute 67%. The minorities include
ethnic Albanians (23%), Turks (4%), Roma - Gypsies (2%), Vlachs (2%),
Serbs (2%), etc.
(Statistical data by The World Factbook, prepared by the CIA.)
The ethnic Macedonians are Slavic people. The Macedonian language is
related to Polish, Russian, Bulgarian and Serbian.
The terrain is mainly mountainous, with some peaks very, very rarely being
visited by anyone other than chamois, wolves and eagles.
The Republic of Macedonia is one of the poorest countries in Europe, with
GNP roughly the same as Jamaica.
The only Roma - Gypsy parliamentarian in the world sits in the Macedonian
Parliament. His, however, is not the only Roma party in the country. In
addition to having two Roma parties, the community boasts two (competing)
Roma TV stations.
(The Republic of) Macedonia was part of Yugoslavia from the formation of
Yugoslavia in 1918 till Yugoslavia fell apart in 1991.
Macedonia is the only part of former Yugoslavia which won independence
without bloodshed. It was not involved in the wars of former Yugoslavia of
the 90s (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo).
One quarter of the population lives in the capital, Skopje.
Skopje has suffered quite a few devastating earthquakes throughout
history, the biggest ones in 518 and in 1963, leveling most of the city.
In addition, the Austro-Hungarian General Piccolomini ordered the city
burnt down in the 18th Century.
In the early 1990s, the Macedonian economy suffered from the effects of a
Greek economic blockade and UN sanctions against Yugoslavia.
Since the chief crops in addition to grains, cotton, grapes and tomatoes
are tobacco and opium (for the pharmaceutical industry), it's not
surprising that the national coat of arms brandishes both a tobacco leaf
and an opium poppy.
The first President of Macedonia, Kiro Gligorov was seriously injured in
an assassination attempt in October 1995; he lost one eye and has shrapnel
lodged in his brain after a car bomb exploded on Skopje's main street, but
returned to office early in 1996 to finish his second term in office at
the age of 83.
In 1991 Macedonians voted for independence from Yugoslavia. Greece,
fearing possible Macedonian claims on the Greek region of Macedonia,
sought a change in the new nation's name and was able to slow, but not
prevent, international recognition of Macedonia; Greece later instituted a
trade embargo. In 1995 Macedonia granted concessions to Greece in return
for an end to the embargo.
Relations between the government and the Albanian minority, who desire
greater autonomy, have been tense, in spite of the fact that all
governments since independence contained ethnic Albanian parties. At
present, six of seventeen ministers are ethnic Albanians, in addition to
several deputy ministers and ambassadors.
Armed groups cross both from Kosovo and Albania and have ambushed and
killed both soldiers and policemen in Macedonia in March and May of 2001.
The international community has strongly condemned their terrorist actions
which are aimed at secession (in spite of the terrorists' strong human
rights rhetoric). Bombs have exploded in most major cities, and the army
has intervened, but the situation has been kept relatively calm.
Yes, Alexander the Great was the first world-size conqueror who extended
his empire across Greece and Persia to India and Egypt. He contributed
significantly to the spread of Hellenistic civilization.
Very little is known about Alexander's language, ancient Macedonian. It
is, however, known that Alexander's Greek language tutor was Aristotle.
He founded Alexandria and died at the age of 33 without a direct heir, one
of the greatest generals of all time.
After his death, the empire fell apart. It became the first Roman province
in 146 B.C.
Czar Samoil fought the Byzantines for control of Macedonia in the 10th
Century. After the initial success, he lost a fateful battle at Belasica
(in the southeast of today's Republic of Macedonia). He got away, but
14,000 of his soldiers didn't. The Byzantines had all 14,000 blinded. All,
but every one hundredth prisoner, who were spared an eye each so that they
could lead the blinded army back to Samoil, who - according to legend -
died upon seeing the horrifying sight.
The army of the Republic of Macedonia has 9,000 soldiers, 5,000 less than
the soldiers captured in 1014 by the Byzantines. The army also has two
airplanes.
Mother Theresa was born in Skopje, the capital of Macedonia, in 1910.
The Cyrillic alphabet, official in Macedonia, is based on the alphabet
developed by two Macedonian brothers, St Cyril (thus - Cyrillic) and St
Methodius, in the 9th century. It was taught by their disciples at a
monastery in Ohrid, from whence it spread across the eastern Slavic
world.
More than one legend links the origin of the name Macedonia to Noah's
grandchildren.
The father of the modern Turkish nation Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was born in
Salonika and went to the Military Academy in Bitola, the second largest
city in the Republic of Macedonia.
Hundreds of thousands Macedonians have left the country over the last 150
years. There are large communities in Toronto, Ohio, Australia, etc.
