Macedonia

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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.

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

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

Peacefully gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991

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?

Government President: Gjorge Ivanov Prime minister: Nikola Gruevski Government structure: parliamentary

democracy Voting age: 18 years old

Ivanov

Gruevski

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

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

Currency Macedonia

n denar 1 US

dollar= 54. 89 Macedonian denar (June 2015)

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 cinnamon Kebapi

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 southern Macedonia

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

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!

Links http://www.worldatlas.com/webimag

e/countrys/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/