North Macedonia

North Macedonia is a landlocked country located in Southeast Europe.

Because it is landlocked, it has no direct access to an ocean. The nation shares borders with several neighbors. To the north lies Serbia, and to the northwest is Kosovo. To the east is Bulgaria, while Albania sits to the west. Greece forms the southern border. The country covers roughly the northern third of the larger geographical region known as Macedonia.

The population of North Macedonia exceeds 1.83 million people. Skopje is the capital and the largest city. About one quarter of the entire population lives in Skopje. The majority of residents are ethnic Macedonians, who are a South Slavic people. Albanians form a significant minority, making up approximately 25% of the population. Other ethnic groups include Turks, Roma, Serbs, Bosniaks, and Aromanians.

The history of this region stretches back to the ancient kingdom of Paeonia.

In the late sixth century BC, the Persian Achaemenid Empire conquered the area. Later, in the fourth century BC, the region was incorporated into the Kingdom of Macedonia. The Roman Republic conquered the territory in the second century BC. It then became part of the Roman province of Macedonia. For a long time, the area remained part of the Byzantine Empire. During the sixth century CE, Slavic tribes began to settle in the region.

Many different empires controlled the land over the centuries. From the mid-14th century until the early 20th century, the Ottoman Empire ruled the area. Following the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913, the territory came under Serbian rule. During the First World War, Bulgaria ruled the territory. After the war, it became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Bulgaria ruled the region again during the Second World War. In 1945, it was established as a constituent state of communist Yugoslavia. The country peacefully seceded from Yugoslavia in 1991.

The name of the country has deep linguistic roots. It derives from the Greek word for a kingdom. The name is linked to the ancient Macedonians. Some scholars believe the name comes from an ancient Greek adjective meaning "tall" or "taper."

This suggests the name might have meant "highlanders" or "the tall ones." This could describe people living in mountainous areas. In the 19th century, the name was revived by various nationalist movements. For a time, the name "Macedonia" was prohibited in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia due to Serbianisation policies.

A major change occurred regarding the country's official name. In June 2018, the Prespa agreement was signed.

This agreement led the country to change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia. A national referendum on the change saw 90% approval. However, it did not reach the required 50% turnout due to a boycott. The parliament ratified the change in October 2018. The new name officially entered into force on 12 February 2019. This change helped the country join NATO.

Today, North Macedonia is an upper-middle-income country according to the World Bank. It has developed an open economy since gaining independence. The nation is a developing country with a very high Human Development Index. It also maintains low income inequality. The government provides social security and a universal health care system. Citizens also receive free primary and secondary education. The country is a member of many international groups. These include the United Nations, NATO, and the World Bank. It has also been a candidate for joining the European Union since 2005.