North Macedonia
Why in News?
North Macedonia is in the news because President Droupadi Murmu a historic state visit to capital city Skopje on 21–22 July 2026 – the first-ever visit by an Indian President.
Basic & Geographical Information
- Official Name: Republic of North Macedonia.
- Location: A landlocked country located in the south-central Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe.
- Borders: It shares borders with Kosovo and Serbia to the north, Bulgaria to the east, Greece to the south, and Albania to the west.
- Capital: Skopje, which functions as the country's political, economic, and cultural hub.
- Population: Approximately 1.8 million people.
- Official Language: Macedonian (a South Slavic language) and Albanian.
- Government Type: Unitary parliamentary republic.
- Head of State: President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova (elected in 2024 as the country's first female president).
- Head of Government: Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski.
- Legislature: A unicameral parliament known as the Sobranie, containing 120 seats.
- International Memberships: Gained official entry into NATO in 2020 and is currently an official candidate country for European Union (EU) membership.
- Yugoslav Era: The territory was formerly part of Yugoslavia as the Socialist Republic of Macedonia.
- Independence: The country peacefully declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 under the name "Republic of Macedonia".
- The Greek Dispute: Greece heavily objected to the name "Macedonia," arguing it implied territorial claims over Greece’s own northern region of the same name. This dispute blocked the country from joining NATO and the EU for decades.
- The Prespa Agreement: In 2018, the two nations signed the historic Prespa Agreement. The country officially changed its name to North Macedonia, and in return, Greece lifted its vetoes against its Euro-Atlantic integration.
- Birthplace of Mother Teresa: The prominent humanitarian Mother Teresa was born in Skopje in 1910, a heritage fiercely celebrated by the nation.
- Currency: Macedonian Denar (MKD).
- Economic Drivers: Driven primarily by agriculture (wine, vegetables, tobacco), mining (iron, zinc, lead), textiles, and automotive component manufacturing.
- Major Trade Partners: Germany serves as its largest export market, alongside regional partners like Greece, Serbia, and Bulgaria.
- Current Status: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) notes the economy is stabilizing post-pandemic with projected growth around 3.1%, but faces structural drag from youth emigration and energy price inflation.
