North Macedonia is a small, landlocked country in the central Balkans of southeastern Europe, a mountainous land of valleys, ancient lakes, and historic towns. Its territory was part of the ancient world of Macedon and Paeonia and later a heartland of Slavic Christianity, centred on the beautiful lakeside town of Ohrid. A young state that emerged peacefully from the breakup of Yugoslavia, it spent decades in a dispute with Greece over its name, which it resolved by becoming North Macedonia.
The region lay on the edge of the ancient kingdom of Macedon and was home to the kingdom of Paeonia before falling to Rome and then Byzantium. From the medieval period the area became an important centre of Slavic culture and Orthodox Christianity, above all at Ohrid, where the disciples of the apostles to the Slavs developed learning and helped spread the Slavic written word. After long Ottoman rule and a period within Yugoslavia, the country gained independence peacefully in 1991.
North Macedonia is a rugged, mountainous country, crossed by ranges and divided by the broad valley of the Vardar River, which runs through the heart of the land. Among its greatest treasures are its ancient lakes, especially Lake Ohrid, one of the oldest and deepest lakes in Europe, shared with Albania and famous for its clear water and unique wildlife. The mountains and valleys give the small country a striking variety of scenery and a wealth of natural and historic sites.
The flag of North Macedonia is a bold red field bearing a stylised golden sun with eight rays broadening as they reach the edges. The design, adopted in the 1990s, represents the new sun of liberty referred to in the national anthem. It replaced an earlier flag whose sun symbol was the subject of dispute with Greece, and its simple, radiant image has become a strong and widely recognised emblem of the young nation.
The majority of people in North Macedonia are Eastern Orthodox Christians, mostly ethnic Macedonians, and the country has a deep Orthodox heritage centred on Ohrid, long an important seat of the faith and filled with ancient churches and monasteries. There is also a large Muslim minority, chiefly among the country's substantial ethnic Albanian population. This mix of Orthodox and Muslim communities is a defining feature of the country's society and a factor in its politics.
The cuisine of North Macedonia is rich and Balkan in character, sharing much with its neighbours. A national favourite is tavce gravce, baked beans cooked with peppers and spices in an earthenware dish. Ajvar, a relish of roasted red peppers, is made in great quantities each autumn and eaten throughout the year, and grilled meats, fresh cheeses, stuffed vegetables, and salads are staples. The warm climate yields excellent peppers, tomatoes, and other produce central to the table.
Agriculture is an important part of the economy of North Macedonia, favoured by the warm climate of its valleys. The country is a notable grower of tobacco, a traditional export crop, along with grapes for a long-standing winemaking tradition, and an abundance of vegetables, especially peppers, as well as fruit. Farming is concentrated in the fertile valleys, particularly along the Vardar, while the surrounding mountains support the raising of sheep and goats.
The region's links to ancient Macedon and its role as a centre of medieval Slavic Christianity at Ohrid are central to its heritage. After centuries under the Ottomans and decades within Yugoslavia, the country won independence peacefully in 1991. For much of the time since, it was locked in a dispute with Greece over the use of the name Macedonia, which it resolved in 2019 by renaming itself North Macedonia, clearing the way to join the NATO alliance.
North Macedonia has a population of around 1.8 million people, the largest group being ethnic Macedonians, a South Slavic and mostly Orthodox people, alongside a substantial ethnic Albanian minority, mostly Muslim, along with Turks, Roma, and others. The relationship between the Macedonian and Albanian communities is an important feature of the country's politics, shaped by a peace agreement that expanded minority rights. Most people live in the valleys and in the capital, Skopje.
