Introduction
The Republic of Macedonia (Macedonian: Република Македонија, Republika Makedonija, Albanian: Republika e Maqedonisë) l, often referred to as Macedonia, is a landlocked country on the Balkanmapa.png peninsula in southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Serbia to the north, Albania to the west, Greece to the south, and Bulgaria to the east. It was admitted to the United Nations in 1993.
The capital is Skopje, with 500,000 inhabitants, and there are a number of smaller cities, notably Bitola, Kumanovo, Prilep, Tetovo, Ohrid, Veles, Štip, Kočani, Gostivar and Strumica. It has more than 50 natural and artificial lakes and sixteen mountains higher than 2,000 meters (6,550 ft) above sea level.
The country is a member of the UN and the Council of Europe and a member of La Francophonie, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Since December 2005 it is also a candidate for joining the European Union and has applied for NATO membership.
The Republic of Macedonia is rapidly advancing on the path of political
and economic reforms towards strengthening its democratic society and
its open market economy. The result is political and macroeconomic
stability providing much room for growth. The primary goals of the
Government are as follows:
- economic growth and development,
- active participation in regional and global integration processes,
- maintenance of macroeconomic stability,
- continuous structural reforms focused especially on promotion of the
SME sector and attracting foreign direct investments (FDIs), and
- reduced unemployment and poverty.
The Republic of Macedonia was granted EU-candidacy in December 2005,
which has significantly improved the country’s political credibility in
the international business community.
LOCATION AND GEOGRAPHY
The Republic's terrain is mostly rugged, located between the Šara and Osogovo, which frame the valley of the Vardar river. Three large lakes — Lake Ohrid, Lake Prespa and Dojran Lake — lie on the southern borders of the Republic, bisected by the frontiers withSolunska Glava Albania and Greece. Ohrid is considered to be one of the oldest lakes and biotopes in the world. The region is seismically active and has been the site of destructive earthquakes in the past, most recently in 1963 when Skopje was heavily damaged by a major earthquake, killing over 1,000.
The Republic of Macedonia also has scenic mountains. They belong to two different ranges: Dinarska and Rodopska. The Dinarska range is the oldest with subsequent erosion; the Rodopska range is younger offering rugged, alpine scenery.
The Republic of Macedonia is situated in the central part of the Balkan
Peninsula covering an area of 25,713 square kilometres. Its relief is
characterized by large and high mountain massifs giving way to
extensive, flat valleys and plains. The country is features a developed
hydro-graphic net: with numerous springs, rivers, and many natural and
artificial lakes. The climate in Macedonia is diverse: in the southern
part ] it is altered Mediterranean, in the central and northern areas
it is mild continental and on high mountains-mountainous.
The country is bordered by Serbia to the North, Bulgaria to the East,
Greece to the South and Albania to the West. It is a major transit way
for shipment of goods from Greece, through the Balkans, towards
Eastern, Western and Central Europe and through Bulgaria to the East.
Macedonia has an ideal geographic position on the Balkan Peninsula for
opening industrial capacities, for branch offices and consignation
facilities that would gravitate towards a market of 30 to 40 million
consumers. More precisely, the capital of Macedonia, Skopje, is less
then a two-hour drive away from the neighboring countries.
Major cities are Skopje (>600,000 citizens), Kumanovo, Bitola, Prilep, Tetovo, Veles, Ohrid, Strumica, etc.
Largest Macedonian cities and municipalities
City Population Administrative division Population
Skopje 444,000 Greater Skopje 506,926
Bitola 80,000 Bitola municipality 95,385
Kumanovo 71,000 Kumanovo municipality 105,484
Prilep 68,000 Prilep municipality 76,768
Tetovo 60,000 Tetovo municipality 86,580
Gostivar 46,000 Gostivar municipality 81,042
Štip 42,000 Štip municipality 47,796
Ohrid 51,000 Ohrid municipality 55,749
Veles 48,000 Veles municipality 55,108
Strumica 40,000 Strumica municipality 54,676
Kočani 27,000 Kočani municipality 38,092
Radoviš 16,223 Radoviš municipality 28,244
Area: 25,713 sq.km
Capital: Skopje
Population: 2.1 million people (69% in age bracket 15-64) 
Main Ethnic Groups:
Macedonian 64%, Albanian 25%, Others 11%
Religions:
Orthodox Christian 65%, Muslim 33%, Others 2%
Climate in Macedonia
The Republic of Macedonia has transitional climate from Mediterranean to continental. The summers are hot and dry and the winters are moderately cold. Average annual precipitation varies from 1,700 mm (67 inches) in the western mountainous area to 500 mm (20 inches) in the eastern area. There are three main climatic zones in the country: temperate Mediterranean, mountainous and mildly Continental. Along the valleys of the Vardar and Strumica rivers, in the regions of Gevgelija, Valandovo, Dojran, Strumica and Radovish the climate is temperate Mediterranean. The warmest region is the Demir Kapija and Gevgelija region, where the Ohrid Lake temperature in July and August frequently exceeds 40 C. The mountainous climate is present in the mountainous regions of the country and it is characterized by long and snowy winters and short and cold summers. The spring is colder than the fall. The majority of the country has a moderate continental climate with warm and dry summers and relatively cold and wet winters. There are 30 main and regular weather stations in the country.
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