GEOGRAPHY

Macedonia has a total area of 25,333 km2 (9,781 sq mi). It has some
748 km (465 mi) of boundaries, shared with Serbia (62 km or 39 mi) to
the North, Kosovo (159 km or 99 mi) to the northwest, Bulgaria
(148 km or 92 mi) to the east, Greece (228 km or 142 mi) to the south,
and Albania (151 km or 94 mi) to the west. The country represents a
major transportation corridor between Western and Central Europe to
Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe.

Macedonian Flag

The coat of arms of Republic of Macedonia

Statistics
POPULATION Number %

TOTAL 2,022,547 100

Macedonians 1,297,981 64.18
Albanians 509,083 25.17
Turks 77,959 3.85

Romani people 53,879 2.66

Serbs 35,939 1.78

Vlachs 9,695 0.48
others 38,011 1.88
 Largest Macedonian cities
City
City
Population
Skopje 444,000
Bitola 80,000
Kumanovo 71,000
Prilep 68,000
Tetovo 60,000
Ohrid 51,000
Veles 48,000
Gostivar 46,000
tip 42,000
Strumica 40,000
Koani 27,000
Radovi 16,223
 GJORGE IVANOV
The president of Republic of Macedonia

NIKOLA GRUEVSKI TRAJKO VELJANOVSKI

Prime minister The president of Macedonian parlament
RELIGION
The majority (64.7%) of the population belongs to the Macedonian Orthodox Church. It

declared autocephaly in 1968, though that is still not recognised by the Serbian and other
Eastern Orthodox Churches, although the Archbishop's Council of the Serbian Orthodox
Church has recognised the autonomy of the Macedonian Orthodox Church. Muslims
comprise 33.3% of the population and other Christian denominations comprise 0.37%. The
remainder (1.63%) is recorded as "unspecified" in the 2002 national census. Most of the
native Albanians, Turks and Bosniaks are Muslims, as are a minority of the country's ethnic
Macedonian population, known as Macedonian Muslims.
Altogether, there are more than 1200 churches and 400 mosques in the country. The
Orthodox and Islamic religious communities have secondary religion schools in Skopje.
There is an Orthodox theological college in the capital. Macedonia has the largest
proportion of Muslims of any country in Europe after Turkey, Albania and
Bosnia and Herzegovina.
CULTURE
Folklore
Macedonian folklore art developed
alongside its creators as a reflection of
the creative spirit and high values of
the Macedonians. It matured on the
basis of Old-Slavic and Balkan art as
well as on the basis of the various
elements from the other peoples,
especially Byzantium and Turkey.
Even today the Macedonians live
together with several other
nationalities (Vlahs, Albanians, Turks)
that has an impact on the
development of Macedonian art.
Although Macedonian folklore
embraces exotic elements, it still
developed independently and uniquely
transforming itself according to its
taste and changing it into its indivisible
part.
Cultural events

The most important cultural events in the

country are the Ohrid Summer festival of
classical music and drama, Balkan festival,
the Struga Poetry Evenings which gather
poets from more than 50 countries in the
world, International Camera Festival in
Bitola, Open Youth Theatre and
Skopje Jazz Festival in Skopje
Macedonian
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Cultural artists and
legends
Mother Theresa
Simon Trpcevski Kiril Dzajkovski

Boris Trajanov Milco Mancevski

Historical
places

Skupi
The old and ancient settlement of Skupi is located
in the northern part of Skopje (8 km from the city
centre) near the village of Bardovci and Zlokukani.
The town was a well-known base until it was
completely destroyed by a powerful earthquake.
the excavation site of the town of Skupi is located
right by the road, near the village of Bardovci.
Numerous archaeological finds are kept in the
Archaeological Museum in Skopje, including a
sarcophagus of Centurion, and some tombstones.
Near the village of Zlokukani there are the
excavations of the Skupi theatre, galleries, the
auditorium, orchestra and the stage. The theatre in
Skupi is of the Roman type, while the building was
covered with coloured tiles and the theatre itself
was built in brick. That theatre was better
decorated than the ancient on in Stobi.
Heraklea
Heraklea, the capital of the Linkestisa was
built in ancient times, and is two kilometres
from today's Bitola. It was an important
military and strategic centre, located on the
well known route of the Via Ignatia. It is
thought that Heraklea was founded by
Philip II.
The archaeological excavations of that
town started in 1938 when significant
objects were found, giving important
historical information. Like all other towns
Heraklea was protected by big town walls.
Numerous basilicas with preserved
mosaics were found there. One of the
archaeological finds is preserved today in
the British Museum in London.
 The ancient town of particular importance even before the
Roman conquest) was constructed at an extraordinarily strategic
place. It was destroyed by a massive earthquake in 518 A.D, but had
still succeeded in preserving itself until the fourteenth century.
The great part of Stobi has been excavated and has yielded very
important archaeological findings. The most attractive and important
for tourists include: the Bishop's church the Partenius palace, the
Peristerij palace, Poliharmos and Amphitheatre. Evaluating the
remains, it can be said that the Bishop's church had a monumental
view and was richly decorated in mosaics. Today, besides the
mosaics discovered in nartex, some fresco fragments have been
found there on the northern and western walls of the church, thought
to have originated from the fifth and sixth century A.D.
One of the most representative buildings in Stobi is the Pertenius
Stobi palace, built in the fifth century. Its rich decoration arrangement of
rooms and great space, give evidence of the wealth and comfortable
life led by some citizens of this town. What contributed to the value of
this building distinguishing it from the others, are the decorations of
mosaic and white marble and ornamental tiles.
The Peristerij palace is also famous as a palace with double doors
and two aspes placed one besides the other. Some mosaics made in
the fifth century with different figures and ornaments from animal and
plant life were preserved there. The remains of the town drinking
fountain and town bath are close to that place.
there are different opinions on the period of construction of the
amphitheatre in Stobi. Some say that it was constructed in the
second century A.D, others thought it was built in the third century.
However, this theatre was renovated and enlarged several times and
part of that construction material was used in a later period of
construction in Stobi and its surroundings.
The archaeological site of Stobi also has a restaurant.
 Kale fortress is situated on a hill in the middle of Skopje and dominates
this whole portion of the Vardar valley. Archaeological excavations has
revealed traces of habitation from the late neolithic and early bronze ages.
Exactly when the first fortifications were built on this site has not yet been
established, though it is believed that reconstruction was undertaken during
Justinian's reign (527-565), i.e. after the great earthquake in 518. Today's
visitor first notes the walls, 121 m in length, built of huge blocks of dressed
stone; according to some authorities the walls were built soon after the
earthquake of 518, and according to others in the 10th or 11th century.
However, the most probable construction date appears to be some time in
Kale - Skopje the 6th or 7th century when Byzantium was under constant attack from
Pechenegs, Polovitzians, Normans, Bulgars, and Slavs.
Important additions were made to the fortress which incorporated several
residential buildings and quarters for the soldiers. A small chapel with
frescoes assigned to the 14th century has also been found.
The most detailed description of the fortress was given by Evliya Chelebi, the
Turkish traveller and writer. "The walls," wrote Chelebi, "encircling the castle
on all sides are 50 ells high. The stronghold is adorned with 70 bastions, and
the bazaar has 2,000 shops. There are three gatehouses facing the south-
east, and in the vistibule of each tall gate many guards. Flowing past the
west side of the fortress is Vardar. There is also a path leading from the
fortress through a cave to a 'water-tower' on the river bank. Inside the
fortress are about a hundred buildings: soldiers' quarters, grain and munitions
depots."
When the military withdrew at the end of the last war the fortress was
converted into a large park dedicated to the Revolution. Since many of the
buildings had collapsed during the earthquake of 1963, conservation work
was undertaken.
The most Ohrid City of Unesco
visited cities Ohrid (Macedonian) is a city on the
eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic
of Macedonia. It has about 42,000
inhabitants, making it the seventh largest
city in the country. The city is the seat of
Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for
having once had 365 churches, one for
each day of the year, and is referred to as
the Macedonian Jerusalem.[1] The city is
rich in picturesque houses and monuments,
and tourism is predominant. It is located
southwest of Skopje, west of Resen and
Bitola, and east of Elbasan and Tirana in
Albania. Macedonia is gaining importance
as a European tourist destination and is
specially notable for its Roman and
Byzantine ruins,churches,natural
environment and excellent cuisine and
wine.
 SAINT PANTHELEMON - OHRID
St. JOVANTHEATRE
ANCIENT KANEO - OHRID
- OHRID
Bitola Bitola (Macedonian: )formerly called Monastir in
English; known also by several alternative names) is a
city in the southwestern part of the
Republic of Macedonia. The city is an administrative,
cultural, industrial, commercial, and educational centre.
It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley,
surrounded by the Baba and Nide mountains, 14 km
north of the Meditlija-Nki border crossing with Greece.
It is an important junction connecting the south of the
Adriatic Sea with the Aegean Sea and Central Europe. It
is known from the Ottoman period as "the city of the
consuls", as many European countries have consulates
in Bitola. According to some sources, Bitola is the
second largest town in the country,and to others the
third.[3] Bitola is also the centre of the Bitola Municipality.
 Skopje the capital of
Macedonia

The Mustafa Pashas Mosque The Old Railaway station

The stone bridge

Macedonian National theatre The Kale Fortress

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