Macedonia (country)

From Metapedia

Macedonia (Macedonian: Македонија, Makedonija) is a landlocked country in Southeastern Europe. It's capital is Skopje with 500,000 inhabitants, and there are a number of smaller cities, notably Bitola, Kumanovo, Prilep, Tetovo, Ohrid, Veles, Shtip, Kochani, Gostivar and Strumica. It has more than 50 natural and artificial lakes and sixteen mountains higher than 2,000 meters (6,550 ft) above sea level. It is bordered by Serbia to the north, Albania to the west, Greece to the south, and Bulgaria to the east. The country is a member of the United Nations and the Council of Europe and a member of La Francophonie, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Since December 2005 it is also a candidate for joining the European Union and has applied for NATO membership.

Over the centuries the territory which today forms the Republic of Macedonia was ruled by a number of different states and former empires. Macedonia is also known as the cradle of the Slavic culture. Although Macedonia is a young state, since it became independent in 1991, its roots run deep into history. The name "Macedonia" is in fact the oldest surviving name of a country in the continent of Europe. Archaeological evidence shows that old European civilization flourished in Macedonia between 7000 and 3500 BC (see Kokino Observatory). The region Macedonia is located in the heart of the Balkans, north of ancient Greece, east of Illyria, and west of Thrace.