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People
Editor's Note:
There is a distinction between the larger historical region referred to as Macedonia and the country that was, for many years, called the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) . The contemporary FYROM is also to be distinguished from the Greek area of Macedonia (see details below). The controversy over right to use the name Macedonia fueled a conflict with Greece that went on for several years. Finally, an agreement was forged for the country to adopt the name Republic of North Macedonia.
Ethnic, Cultural and Religious Background:
The people of FYROM consider themselves to be Macedonian, albeit of a distinct cultural, linguistic and ethnic typology than Macedonians of the Aegean. These "two Macedonias" are a subject of contentious debate which at the time of writing has garnered no ultimate resolution.
It is generally thought that one group of ethnic Macedonians is derived from the ancient Macedonian nation that settled the land along the Aegean Sea. Another group is descendant from Slavic tribes that populated Macedonia in the 7th century. Macedonians in FYROM today have close cultural ties with Slavic nation states, but they consider themselves to be a separate and distinct nationality, not to be confused with either Aegean Macedonians or Slavic peoples.
Other than Macedonians, ethnic Albanians comprise the large minority, more than 20 percent of the population. Ethnic Turks, Roma, Serbs and Vlachs make up smaller groups within the population. Macedonian, Albanian, Turkish, Serbo-Croatian and other languages are spoken. Eastern Orthodoxy is the predominant religion, though Islam is prevalent in the western part of the country. Additionally, there are a small number of Roman Catholics and Protestants in Macedonia.
Language and Script:
Macedonian is a South Slavic language divided into two large groups, the western and the eastern Macedonian dialects. The Macedonian literary language was based on the central dialects of Veles, Prilep, and Bitola. The Cyrillic alphabet that the Macedonian language uses was developed in the 9th century, when it was taught by Macedonian brothers from Solun (Salonica), St. Cyril and St. Methodius. Their disciples at a monestary in Ohrid, Macedonia, at the renowned Ohrid Literary School, extended the teaching of the language and it spread across the Eastern Slavic world. Indeed, this Macedonian language became the standard for written documents for the next two centuries. By about the 11th century, the Glagolitic script became the standard and still later, Cyrillic script became the norm.
The grammatical structure of the language was augmented around the 15th century while the more modern variant of the langauge supposedly developed in the 19th century, based on variants of the western dialect, although faint features from the eastern dialect can also be traced in the language. Two characteristic features of the Macedonian language, which are evident even today, are the three-syllable accent and the precise pronunciation of unaccented vowels. Indeed, even in contemporary Macedonian, there are separate letters for each sound, resulting in an alphabet with 31 letters. As well, most people notice that the spelling of Macedonian is based on its precise phonetical structure with almost every word and every letter of each word being pronounced.
The Macedonian language was made official in 1944 and has developed strongly ever since that date. Scholarly works on Macedonian grammar were published in 1946, 1952 and 1954, a comprehensive Dictionary of the Macedonian Language has been produced, while a rich body of works written in the Macedonian language on a number of subjects has also developed, not to mention the translation of innumerable works in various disciplines has been translated into Macedonian.
Today, although both the Cyrillic and the Roman alphabet are widely known in Macedonia, Cyrillic is predominantly used. Main signs and street names are printed either in Cyrillic script only, or in both alphabets. Most residents of Macedonia speak Macedonian, but Albanian, Turkish, Serbian, Aromani, or Greek are also spoken.
A Note on National Identity and International Recognition:
As noted above, the origin of the Macedonian nation and language and the residents of Macedonia remains a subject of discussion among scholars. The Macedonian state came into being with the First Anti-Fascist Assembly of the People's Liberation of Macedonia (ASNOM) in 1944. International recognition of The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's (FYROM) independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 was delayed by Greece's objection to the new state's use of what it considered a Hellenic name and symbols. Greece finally lifted its trade blockade in 1995, and the two countries agreed to normalize relations. FYROM's large Albanian minority and the de facto independence of neighboring Kosovo continue to be sources of ethnic tension.
Human Development:
In terms of health and welfare, Macedonians are expected to have a life expectancy of 73.3 years of age, according to recent estimates. The United Nations Development Programme determined that the infant mortality rate is 23 deaths per 1,000 live births but the CIA found notably lower infant mortality rate of 10.09 deaths per 1,000 births in its recent estimates. An estimated 96 percent of the total population, age 15 and older, can read and write. About 6.9 percent of GDP is spent on health expenditures. Access to sanitation, water, and health care is considered to be generally good.
One notable measure used to determine a country's quality of life is the Human Development Index (HDI), which has been compiled annually since 1990 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The HDI is a composite of several indicators, which measure a country's achievements in three main arenas of human development: longevity, knowledge and education, as well as economic standard of living. In a ranking of 169 countries, the HDI places FYROM in the high human development category, at 71st place. Although the concept of human development is complicated and cannot be properly captured by values and indices, the HDI, which is calculated and updated annually, offers a wide-ranging assessment of human development in certain countries, not based solely upon traditional economic and financial indicators.
Special Entry
Long-standing naming dispute resolved when Greece agrees to recognize "Republic of North Macedonia"
After years of a long-standing dispute in which Greece refused to recognize the name Macedonia of the country claiming that designation, a resolution was reached in June 2018. To that end, Greece said it would recognize Macedonia as "Republic of North Macedonia" or "Severna Macedonja.”
At the heart of the dispute was the distinction between the larger historical region referred to as Macedonia and the contemporary country -- a successor state following the fragmentation of the former Yugoslavia -- claiming the same name. As a result of this dispute, the country was admitted to the United Nations in 1993 using the temporary designation "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" (FYROM) until a permanent resolution could be reached. That United Nations decision, at the time, made clear that the contemporary FYROM was also to be distinguished from the Greek area of Macedonia. In 2018, the Greek and Macedonian leadership reached concurrence and agreed that the country would be referred to as "Republic of North Macedonia" or "Severna Macedonja.”
The concurrence between Athens and Skopje effectively ended the symbolic conflict between the two countries that had lasted more than quarter of a century. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras made the announcement following a meeting with President Prokopis Pavlopoulos.
Editor's Note:
Following the fragmentation of the former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, an independent successor state found itself embroiled in an ongoing imbroglio with Greece over the usage of the historic name "Macedonia." At the heart of the dispute was the distinction between the larger historical region referred to as Macedonia and the contemporary country claiming the same name. The dispute led to the country entering the United Nations in 1993 under the temporary designation "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" (FYROM). Greece said it would work to prevent the country self-identifying as Macedonia from entering the European Union and NATO unless it conceded to its demands over the name Macedonia, which Greece has said properly belongs to its culture and should be distinguished from the Slavic terrain of the same name. To that end, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia petitioned the International Court of Justice at The Hague to consider its case. But in 2008, animosity between the two countries contributed to Greece's decision to thwart the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia from joining NATO. Greece also warned it would continue to work to prevent the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia from joining the European Union. That being said, three years later, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague ruled against Greece for blocking the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)'s bid to join NATO. This ruling represented a symbolic victory for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; however, the naming dispute between FYROM and Greece continued with no resolution for several years. In 2018, the Greek and Macedonian leadership finally reached an agreement that the country would be referred to as "Republic of North Macedonia" or "Severna Macedonja.”
Written by Dr. Denise Youngblood Coleman, Editor in Chief, www.countrywatch.com; see Bibliography for research sources.
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