Republic of Macedonia

National Name: Republika Makedonija

President: Branko Crvenkovski (2004)

Prime Minister: Nikola Gruevski (2006)

Land area: 9,597 sq mi (24,856 sq km); total area: 9,781 sq mi (25,333 sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 2,050,554 (growth rate: 0.3%); birth rate: 12.0/1000; infant mortality rate: 9.8/1000; life expectancy: 74.0; density per sq mi: 214

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Skopje, 587,300 (metro. area), 452,500 (city proper)

Other large cities: Bitola, 84,400; Kumanovo, 78,900; Prilep, 56,900

Monetary unit: Denar

Languages: Macedonian 67%, Albanian 25% (both official); Turkish 4%, Roma 2%, Serbian 1% (2002)

Ethnicity/race: Macedonian 64.2%, Albanian 25.2%, Turkish 3.8%, Roma (Gypsy) 2.7%, Serb 1.8%, other 2.2% (2002)

Religions: Macedonian Orthodox 32%, Islam 17% (2002)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $15.55 billion; per capita $7,600. Real growth rate: 3.7%. Inflation: 0.5%. Unemployment: 38%. Arable land: 22%. Agriculture: grapes, wine, tobacco, vegetables; milk, eggs. Labor force: 855,000 (2004 est.); agriculture n.a., industry n.a., services n.a. Industries: food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, steel, cement, energy, pharmaceuticals. Natural resources: low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, manganese, nickel, tungsten, gold, silver, asbestos, gypsum, timber, arable land. Exports: $2.047 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.):food, beverages, tobacco; miscellaneous manufactures, iron and steel. Imports: $3.196 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): machinery and equipment, automobiles, chemicals, fuels, food products. Major trading partners: Serbia and Montenegro, Germany, Italy, Greece, Croatia, U.S., Slovenia, Bulgaria, Italy, Turkey, Romania (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 408,000 (1997); mobile cellular: 12,362 (1997). Radio broadcast stations: AM 29, FM 20, shortwave 0 (1998). Radios: 410,000 (1997). Television broadcast stations: 31 (plus 166 repeaters) (1995). Televisions: 510,000 (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 6 (2000). Internet users: 100,000 (2001).

Transportation: Railways: total: 699 km (2002). Highways: total: 8,684 km; paved: 5,540 km (including 133 km of expressways); unpaved: 3,144 km (1999 est.). Waterways: none, lake transport only. Ports and harbors: none. Airports: 18 (2002).

International disputes: the Albanian government calls for the protection of the rights of ethnic Albanians in F.Y.R.O.M. while continuing to seek regional cooperation; ethnic Albanians in Kosovo continue to protest 2000 F.Y.R.O.M.-Serbia and Montenegro boundary treaty, which transfers small tracts of land to F.Y.R.O.M.; dispute with Greece over country's name persists.

 

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