Yugoslavia

[Country map of Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of]

Map ©1996 NGS Cartographic Division. Developed in association with GeoSystems Global Corp. World Map

Geography

Location: Southeastern Europe, north of Greece

Map references: Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe

Area:
total area: 25,333 sq km
land area: 24,856 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than Vermont

Land boundaries: total 748 km, Albania 151 km, Bulgaria 148 km, Greece 228 km, Serbia and Montenegro 221 km (all with Serbia)

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Climate: hot, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall

Terrain: mountainous territory covered with deep basins and valleys; there are three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country bisected by the Vardar River

Natural resources: chromium, lead, zinc, manganese, tungsten, nickel, low-grade iron ore, asbestos, sulphur, timber

Land use:
arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 5%
meadows and pastures: 20%
forest and woodland: 30%
other: 40%

Irrigated land: NA sq km


People

Population: 2,159,503 (July 1995 est.)
note: the Macedonian government census of July 1994 put the population at 1.94 million, but ethnic allocations were likely undercounted

Age structure:
0-14 years: 25% (female 257,876; male 277,314)
15-64 years: 67% (female 711,810; male 733,903)
65 years and over: 8% (female 97,475; male 81,125) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.9% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 15.82 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 6.7 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 24.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74 years
male: 71.87 years
female: 76.3 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.02 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Macedonian(s)
adjective: Macedonian

Ethnic divisions: Macedonian 65%, Albanian 22%, Turkish 4%, Serb 2%, Gypsies 3%, other 4%

Religions: Eastern Orthodox 67%, Muslim 30%, other 3%

Languages: Macedonian 70%, Albanian 21%, Turkish 3%, Serbo-Croatian 3%, other 3%

Literacy: NA%

Labor force: 591,773 (June 1994)
by occupation: manufacturing and mining 40% (1992)


Government

Names:
conventional long form: The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
conventional short form: none
local long form: Republika Makedonija
local short form: Makedonija

Abbreviation: F.Y.R.O.M.

Digraph: MK

Type: emerging democracy

Capital: Skopje

Administrative divisions: 34 counties (opstinas, singular - opstina) Berovo, Bitola, Brod, Debar, Delcevo, Gevgelija, Gostivar, Kavadarci, Kicevo, Kocani, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krusevo, Kumanovo, Murgasevo, Negotino, Ohrid, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis, Resen, Skopje-Centar, Skopje-Cair, Skopje-Karpos, Skopje-Kisela Voda, Skopje-Gazi Baba, Stip, Struga, Strumica, Sveti Nikole, Tetovo, Titov Veles, Valandovo, Vinica

Independence: 17 September 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

National holiday: 8 September

Constitution: adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991

Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal


Economy

Overview: The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, although the poorest republic in the former Yugoslav federation, can meet basic food and energy needs through its own agricultural and coal resources. Its economic decline will continue unless ties are reforged or enlarged with its neighbors Serbia and Montenegro, Albania, Greece, and Bulgaria. The economy depends on outside sources for all of its oil and gas and most of its modern machinery and parts. An important supplement of GDP is the remittances from thousands of Macedonians working in Germany and other West European nations. Continued political turmoil, both internally and in the region as a whole, prevents any swift readjustments of trade patterns and economic programs. The country's industrial output and GDP are expected to decline further in 1995. The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's geographical isolation, technological backwardness, and potential political instability place it far down the list of countries of interest to Western investors. Resolution of the dispute with Greece and an internal commitment to economic reform would encourage foreign investment over the long run. In the immediate future, the worst scenario for the economy would be the spread of fighting across its borders.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.9 billion (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate: -15% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $900 (1994 est.)

Inflationrate (consumer prices): 54% (1994)

Unemployment rate: 30% (1993 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Exports: $1.06 billion (1993)
commodities: manufactured goods 40%, machinery and transport equipment 14%, miscellaneous manufactured articles 23%, raw materials 7.6%, food (rice) and live animals 5.7%, beverages and tobacco 4.5%, chemicals 4.7% (1990)
partners: principally Serbia and Montenegro and the other former Yugoslav republics, Germany, Greece, Albania

Imports: $1.2 billion (1993)
commodities: fuels and lubricants 19%, manufactured goods 18%, machinery and transport equipment 15%, food and live animals 14%, chemicals 11.4%, raw materials 10%, miscellaneous manufactured articles 8.0%, beverages and tobacco 3.5% (1990)
partners: other former Yugoslav republics, Greece, Albania, Germany, Bulgaria

External debt: $840 million (1992)

Industrial production: growth rate -14% (1993)

Electricity:
capacity: 1,600,000 kW
production: NA kWh
consumption per capita: NA kWh (1993)

Industries: low levels of technology predominate, such as, oil refining by distillation only; produces basic liquid fuels, coal, metallic chromium, lead, zinc, and ferronickel; light industry produces basic textiles, wood products, and tobacco

Agriculture: meetsthe basic needs for food; principal crops are rice, tobacco, wheat, corn, and millet; also grown are cotton, sesame, mulberry leaves, citrus fruit, and vegetables; agricultural production is highly labor intensive

Currency: the denar, which was adopted by the Macedonian legislature 26 April 1992, was initially issued in the form of a coupon pegged to the German mark; subsequently repegged to a basket of seven currencies

Fiscal year: calendar year


Transportation

Railroads:
total: 922 km
standard gauge: 922 km 1.435-m gauge (1994)

Highways:
total: 10,591 km
paved: 5,091 km
unpaved: gravel 1,404 km; earth 4,096 km (1991)

Inland waterways: none, lake transport only

Pipelines: none

Ports: none

Airports:
total: 16
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
with paved runways under 914 m: 11
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2


Flag by Dream Maker Software, Inc.
Information obtained from CIA, The World Factbook 1995