Macedonia is a country located in the Balkan region of Southeast Europe. It has a population of about 2 million people and its capital and largest city is Skopje. Macedonian is the official language and Macedonian Orthodox Christianity is the dominant religion. The country has a long and complex history involving the Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires. It declared independence in the 19th century and is now a parliamentary democracy working to join the European Union while facing issues such as poverty and ethnic tensions.

1. Macedonia
KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY-KNOW YOUR WORLD

2. Speaker:

3. Macedonia is located in Southeastern Europe in a region
known as the Balkans. It has lots of mountains and
rivers. By plane, it would take 16 hours to get to Skopje,
Macedonia from Akron, with multiple stops.

4. Country Quick Facts
• Full name: Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
(FYROM)/ Republic of Macedonia
• Population: about 2 million (July 2014)
• Capital: Skopje
• Largest city: Skopje
• Official language: Macedonian
• Major religion: Macedonian Orthodox Christian (60%)
• Life expectancy: Male: 73, Female: 79
• Monetary unit: Macedonian denar
• Main exports: food, beverages, tobacco, textiles,
miscellaneous manufactures, iron, steel, automotive parts
• GNI per capita: $11, 520

5. Macedonian History in Brief
 Was part of the Greek and later Roman Empires
 Part of the Byzantine Empire from the 5th-14th
centuries
 Conquered by the Turks in 1389
 Independence from the Ottoman Empire in 19th
century
 Fighting throughout the 19th century between the
Greeks, Bulgarians, and Serbians as to who
Macedonia belonged to

6. Language
• HELLO: zdravo/здраво
• GOODBYE: doviduvanie/Довидување
• YES: Da/да
• NO: Ne/не
• THANK YOU: Blagodaram/ благодарам
• YOU’RE WELCOME: molam/молам
• PLEASE: Ve molam/ве молам
• I LOVE YOU: Te sakam/те сакам
• HOW ARE YOU: Kako si?/Како си?

7. Government
 President: Gjorge Ivanov
 Prime minister: Nikola Gruevski
 Government structure: parliamentary democracy
 Voting age: 18 years old Ivanov
Gruevski

8. Current Issues
 Problems with Greece over their official name,
Greeks claim Macedonia is a Greek term and
shouldn’t be used
 Poverty and poor infrastructure
 Ethnic clashes
 Protection of minorities
 Freedom of press and media
 Protection of cultural heritage and religion
 Corruption

9. Economy
 Became a candidate for the European Union in 2005
 Switched to a capitalist economy with its independence in 1991
 Trying to attract foreign investment to help grow their economy
 Major industries:
 Food processing
 Beverages
 Textiles/Clothing
 Chemicals
 Iron
 Steel
 Cement
 Energy
 Pharmaceuticals
Kale Fortress, Skopje

10. Currency
 Macedonian
denar
 1 US dollar=
54. 89
Macedonian
denar (June
2015)

11. Traditional Food
 Shopska salad- tomatoes,
pepper, cucumber, onion,
and lots of feta cheese
 Palacinki- like a crepe or flat
pancake with Nutella, jam,
etc.
 Kebapi- grilled meat like
sausage served with flat
bread and onions
 Burek- flaky pastry often
filled with meat, cheese, and
spinach
 Sutlijach- rice putting,
usually topped with
Kebapi

12. Traditional Dress and
Dance
 There are many
traditional Macedonian
folk dances
 Some traditional
clothing shown on the
left
 Different dances from
different regions of the
country
 For example,
"Mariovska Tresenica"
is a dance from the
Mariovo region in

13. Fun Facts
 The Cyrillic alphabet was
created by Macedonian
brother Sts. Cyril and
Methodius
 Lake Ohrid, a UNESCO
World Heritage Site, is
one of the oldest and
deepest lakes in Europe
and is estimated to be 4
million years old
 Mother Teresa of Calcutta
was born in Skopje,
Macedonia
 Skopje, the capital, is
known for its abundance
of statues throughout the
city

14. Macedonian Restaurant
 We have our very own
Macedonian restaurant
right in our community!
 The Village Gardens
located at 2437 State Rd.,
Cuyahoga Falls, OH
 Experience some
Macedonian food right in
your community!

15. Links
 http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/coun
trys/europe/mk.htm
 http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/26759.htm
 http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-
17550407
 https://www.cia.gov/library/PUBLICATIONS/
the-world-factbook/geos/mk.html
 http://macedonia.usembassy.gov/