1993 Encyclopedia Britannica Annual (c)
Macedonia
A landlocked republic of the central
Balkans,
Macedonia
borders Yugoslavia
to the north, Bulgaria
to the east, Greece
to the south, and Albania to the west. Area: 25,713 sq km.
Pop. (1992 est.): 2,050,000. Cap.:
Skopje.
Monetary unit: denar (transitional
quasi currency introduced April 1992), with (Oct. 5, 1992) a par
value of 360 denars = DM 1 (508 denars = U.S. $1 and 863 denars
= 1 sterling). President in 1992, Kiro Gligorov;
Prime minister from August 17, Branko Crvenkovski.
Unlike the other Yugoslav Republics of Bosnia and Hercegovina,
Croatia,
and Slovenia,
Macedonia(Republic)
remained unrecognized throughout 1992 by the
European Communities (EC)
and the United States (though it was recognized by
Bulgaria,
Russia, and
Turkey).
The main reason was
Greece's
objection that the name of the new state was the same as that of its own
northern province of Macedonia
and thus - in
Greece's view - a
potential vehicle of Slav Macedonian
expansionism. By the end of January Macedonia(Republic)
complained that it was being subjected to an economic blockade both by
Greece
and by Serbia
and appealed to the EC for help. At a meeting in
April, however, EC members appeared
to accept Greece's objections
and instituted a search for a compromise name.
Greece refused
to accept any mention - even as an adjective - of the word
'Macedonia' in the republic's name and also refused to take as
sufficient reassurance a special clause in the preamble to the
Macedonian(Republic) constitution
disclaiming any territorial ambitions.
Clashes between members of the Albanian minority in
Skopje
and Macedonian(Republic) police on November 6 led to the death of one
Albanian and the wounding of four. Fears of a deteriorating internal
situation that might lead to an international conflict prompted
EC governments to offer
economic aid to
Macedonia(Republic) in
November and caused the UN Security Council to send UN monitors
to Macedonia(Republic).
-- K.F. CVIIC
Republic of Macedonia