Grolier's Academic American Encyclopedia (c) 1992
Macedonia, Republic of
TITLE(s): Macedonia, Republic of
The Republic of Macedonia, formerly part of Yugoslavia, proclaimed its
independence in 1991.
It has an area of 25,713 sq km (9,928 sq mi) and a
population of
2,033,964 (1991). Bounded on the north by
Serbia,
on the east by Bulgaria, on
the south by Greece,
and on the west by Albania, the republic forms part of
the historic region of Macedonia, the rest of which is in
Greece and
Bulgaria. Its capital is
Skopje.
LAND, PEOPLE, AND ECONOMY
Sometimes called Vardar Macedonia, after the Vardar (Axios) River, which
flows southeast through its territory into Greece, the Republic of Macedonia
is a landlocked, mountainous country with a continental climate. In 1991,
64.6% of the population were Macedonian Slavs, a people closely related to
the Bulgarians; 21% were ethnic Albanians, 4.8% were ethnic Turks, 2.7% were
Gypsies, and 2.1% were Serbs. The Macedonian Slavs belong by tradition to
the Orthodox church; the Turks and most of the Albanians are Muslims. The
economy is predominantly agricultural. Major cities, in addition to
Skopje,
are Bitola,
Prilep, Kumanovo, and Titov Veles.
HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT
Before being conquered by King Antigonus II of Macedonia in the 3d century
BC, the territory of the present Republic of Macedonia was occupied by
Paeonia, an Illyrian-Thracian kingdom centered around Bylazora (Titov Veles)
and nearby Stobi. Under the Romans, Stobi became the chief city of Vardar
Macedonia, which in the late Roman period was called Macedonia Salutaris.
Settled by Slavic tribes in the 6th century, the region was part of Bulgaria
for most of the medieval period, and belonged to the Ottoman Empire from the
14th century until 1913, when it was annexed by Serbia. Between World War I
and World War II it was part of the Yugoslav province of Vardarska. In 1945,
it became one of the constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia.
In the post-World War II period, the Yugoslav Communist regime, anxious to
discourage any pro-Bulgarian feeling among the population, promoted the
development of a separate Macedonian identity. A Macedonian dialect clearly
distinct from Bulgarian was adopted as the official language of the republic,
and a separate Macedonian Orthodox church was established in 1967. This
policy antagonized not only Bulgaria, but also Greece, which controlled the
southern part of historic Macedonia, and feared claims to its territory by
Macedonian nationalists. It also caused tensions with the ethnic Albanians
who inhabit the western part of the republic. Despite attempts by the
government to develop Macedonia's economy, it remained one of the poorest
areas of Yugoslavia.
The Macedonia Communist party relinquished its power monopoly in 1969, and
in 1990 a coalition of Macedonian nationalists and reform Communists took
office. In 1991 Macedonia, following the example of Slovenia and Croatia,
seceded from Yugoslavia. However, because of Greek opposition to its use of
the name Macedonia, the country's independence was not recognized by most of
the international community.
Bibliography:
- Palmer, S. E., and King, R., Yugoslav Communism and the Macedonian Question (1971);
- Perry, D., The Politics of Terror: Macedonian Revolutionary Movements, 1893-1903 (1988);
- Privichevich, S., Macedonia: Its People and History (1982).
Republic of Macedonia