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| BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL IN MACEDONIA |
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| FAST FACTS |
| Author: Stefan Kerazovski |
| Official name: Republic of Macedonia Location: Southeastern Europe, Geographic coordinates: 41 50 N, 22 00 E Map references: Europe Area: total: 25,333 sq km land: 24,856 sq km water: 477 sq km Land boundaries: total: 748 km Border countries: Albania 151 km, Bulgaria 148 km, Greece 228 km, Serbia and Montenegro 221 km (all with Serbia) Coastline: 0 km (landlocked) Climate: warm, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall Terrain: mountainous territory covered with deep basins and valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country bisected by the Vardar River Elevation extremes: lowest point: Vardar River 50 m highest point: Golem Korab (Maja e Korabit) 2,753 m Natural resources: chromium, lead, zinc, manganese, tungsten, nickel, low-grade iron ore, asbestos, sulfur, timber, arable land Environment - international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands Geography: landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe Data code: MK Government type: emerging democracy Official language: Macedonian (cyrilic letter) Main religion: Christian Orthodox Other religion groups: Christian Catholics, Muslims Capital: Skopje Other bigger cities: Bitola, Ohrid, Tetovo, Kumanovo, Stip National holiday: 8 September Independence Day Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts Legislative branch: unicameral Assembly or Sobranje (120 seats - 85 members are elected by popular vote; 35 members come from lists of candidates submitted by parties based on the percentage that parties gain from the overall vote; all serve four-year terms) Judicial branch: Constitutional Court, judges are elected by the Judicial Council; Judicial Court of the Republic, judges are elected by the Judicial Council Flag description: a rising yellow sun with eight rays extending to the edges of the red field GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.6 billion (1999 est.) GDP - real growth rate: 2.5% (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,800 (1999 est.) Industries: coal, metallic chromium, lead, zinc, ferronickel, textiles, wood products, tobacco Currency: 1 Macedonian denar (MKD) = 100 deni Transportation Railways: total: 699 km standard gauge: 699 km 1.435-m gauge (233 km electrified) note: a new 56-km line is under construction to the Bulgarian border (1999) Highways: total: 8,684 km paved: 5,540 km (including 133 km of expressways) unpaved: 3,144 km (1997 est.) Waterways: none, lake transport only Pipelines: 10 km Ports and harbors: none Airports: 2 (Skopje & Ohrid) |