Name:
conventional long form: Republic of Macedonia
conventional short form: Macedonia
local long form: Republika Makedonija
local short form: Makedonija
Geography: Southeastern Europe, north of Greece, landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe, slightly larger than Vermont
Size: 25,713 sq km
Population: 2,045,262 (July 2005 est.)
Language: Makedonski/Macedonian (Indo-European language family)
Ethnic Composition: Macedonian 64.2%, Albanian 25.2%, Turkish 3.9%, Roma 2.7%, Serb 1.8%, other 2.2% (2002 census)
Religion: Macedonian Orthodox approx 70%, other Christian 0.2%, Muslim 16.9%, other and unspecified (2002 census)
Neighboring states: Albania 151 km, Bulgaria 148 km, Greece 246 km, Serbia and Montenegro 221 km
Capital: Skopje
Flag: a yellow sun with eight broadening rays extending to the edges of the red field
National Currency: Macedonian denar (MKD)
National Holidays:
May 24 - St. Kiril and Metodij
August 2 (1903) - Uprising Day (St. Elijah's Day-Ilinden)
September 8 (1991) - Independence Day
Land: mountainous territory covered with deep basins and valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country bisected by the Vardar River
Climate: warm, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall
Largest Cities: Bitola, Prilep, Veles, Tetovo, Kumanovo, Gostivar, Ohrid, Stip
Highest peak: Golem Korab 2,764 m
Largest body of water: Lake Ohrid
Natural resources: low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, manganese, nickel, tungsten, gold, silver, asbestos, gypsum, timber, arable land
