North Macedonia

North Macedonia is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe.

This means it is surrounded by land instead of oceans. It sits in a spot where many neighbors meet. To the south is Greece, and to the west is Albania. To the east lies Bulgaria, while Serbia is to the north. Kosovo sits at the northwest border.

The country makes up about one third of a larger area called Macedonia. It is home to more than 1.83 million people. Many people live in the capital city, Skopje. In fact, one quarter of the whole population lives there.

The people who live in North Macedonia come from many different backgrounds. Most are ethnic Macedonians, who are a South Slavic people. A large group of people are Albanians, making up about 25% of the population. You can also find Turks, Roma, Serbs, and Bosniaks living there. Other smaller groups include the Aromanians.

This mix of people makes the culture very rich. The country works hard to support its citizens through social security. It also provides free primary and secondary school for all children. A universal health care system is available to help everyone stay well.

The history of this land goes back a very long time. Long ago, the area was home to the kingdom of Paeonia.

In the late sixth century BC, the Persian Achaemenid Empire conquered the region. Later, in the fourth century BC, it became part of the Kingdom of Macedonia. The Roman Republic took control in the second century BC. For many years, the area was part of the Byzantine Empire. Slavic tribes began to settle in the land during the sixth century CE. Later, the Ottoman Empire ruled the area from the mid-14th century until the early 20th century.

Many changes happened during the world wars of the last century. After the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913, the land came under Serbian rule. During the First World War, Bulgaria ruled the territory. After that war, it became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Bulgaria ruled it again during the Second World War. In 1945, it became a part of communist Yugoslavia. The country finally became independent when it peacefully left Yugoslavia in 1991.

It joined the United Nations in 1993.

The name of the country has a very interesting story. The word comes from a Greek word meaning a kingdom. Some believe the name originally meant "highlanders" or "the tall ones."

This might describe the people living in the mountains. The name was used in different ways by different groups over time. In 2018, the country signed the Prespa agreement to change its official name. This agreement helped the country join NATO.

Today, North Macedonia is an open economy that is still developing. It is also a candidate to join the European Union.