Country profile
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Posted 18.09.2004

Macedonia was spared the inter-ethnic violence that raged elsewhere in the Balkans following the break-up of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s but it came close to civil war a decade after independence.
Rebels staged an uprising in early 2001, demanding greater rights for the ethnic Albanian minority. The conflict set off a wave of refugees and the rebels made territorial gains.

OVERVIEW

After months of skirmishes, EU and Nato support enabled the late president, Boris Trajkovski, to strike a peace deal. Under the Lake Ohrid agreement, Albanian fighters laid down their arms in return for greater ethnic-Albanian recognition within a unitary state.

Acknowledgement of ethnic-Albanian rights was formalised in a new constitution that was approved by parliament in late 2001.

The country's identity remains contentious and it is still referred to formally as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

International recognition of the country's split from Yugoslavia in 1991 was held up over Greek fears that the country's name implied territorial ambitions toward the northern Greek region of Macedonia.

Greece lifted a two-year trade blockade only after the two countries signed an accord in 1995.

Macedonia has formally applied to join the EU but, while progress is being made, there is still a long way to go in consolidating stability, fighting crime and corruption and rebuilding the economy.

FACTS

Population: 2 million (UN, 2003)
Capital: Skopje
Area: 25,713 sq km (9,928 sq miles)
Major language: Macedonian, Albanian
Major religion: Christianity, Islam
Life expectancy: 71 years (men), 76 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 denar = 100 deni
Main exports: Clothing, iron and steel
GNI per capita: US $1,710 (World Bank, 2002)
Internet domain: .mk
International dialling code: +389

LEADERS

President: Branko Crvenkovski

A former centre-left prime minister and leader of the Social Democratic Union, Branko Crvenkovski moved on from both jobs when he was elected president in April 2004 two months after his predecessor, Boris Trajkovski, died in a plane crash.

There was widespread relief that the election took place peacefully. Although the Macedonian nationalist opposition alleged ballot-stuffing, Western monitors found that, while there were irregularities in some areas, the vote met international standards overall.

Mr Crvenkovski has promised to cement his predecessor's efforts to consolidate stability. Mr Trajkovski had played a prominent role in pushing through an EU-brokered deal with Albanian fighters in Macedonia in 2001 as the world feared that the country could be about to follow Kosovo into conflict. Although, under the constitution, the role of president is largely ceremonial, Boris Trajkovski had a major impact as an influence for peace.

As prime minister, Mr Crvenkovski won praise from Western countries for supporting reconciliation with the substantial Albanian minority. His economic record was less favourable. Unemployment rose to record levels and the country remains very poor. He also failed to achieve much progress in tackling corruption, thought to be a factor deterring foreign investment.

Mr Crvenkovski became president just after the country formally submitted its application to join the EU and he has pledged to work towards entry. He will have much to do if the necessary political and economic reforms are to be introduced.

Prime minister: Hari Kostov

After Branko Crvenkovski had been sworn in as president, former Interior Minister Hari Kostov, Mr Crvenkovski's chosen successor as prime minister, won parliament's approval in the post.

The government is still a coalition of the centre-left Social Democrat Union and the Democratic Union for Integration which represents the Albanian community. The cabinet is virtually the same as that of Mr Crvenkovski.

Mr Kostov is a close ally of his predecessor as prime minister, although not a member of his Social Democratic Union. He has promised to build on the economic reforms of Mr Crvenkovski, to fight crime and corruption and to steer the country towards the EU and Nato. He has also pledged to continue seeking to develop tolerance between the country's ethnic groups.

Mr Kostov is an economist by training and a banker by profession. He previously acted as an economic adviser to the government and represented Macedonia at the World Bank. He was 44 when he became prime minister.

Defence minister: Vlado Buckovski
Foreign minister: Ilinka Mitreva
Interior minister: Siljan Avramovski

MEDIA

The constitution guarantees freedom of speech and access to information. State television, which has three national channels, is seeing increasing competition from private networks. Licences were granted to private TV stations in May 1998.

However, the broadcast media are loosely regulated with many unlicensed radio and TV stations operating in the country.

Following privatisation, the leading newspaper publisher is still partially government-owned and controls one of the country's modern printing works as well as many newspaper kiosks.

Some journalists reacted to the 2001 armed clashes between government forces and ethnic Albanian guerrillas by using what Radio Free Europe described as less-than-responsible language and words of outright hate.

But the media reported fairly responsibly overall, according to the OSCE representative on media freedom.

The press

Nova Makedonija - state-subsidised daily
Utrinski Vesnik - daily, run by Social Democratic Alliance supporters
Dnevnik - private, daily
Vecer - state-subsidised daily
Makedonija Denes - private, daily
Vest - daily
Fakti - Albanian-language
Forum - weekly
Aktuel - private, news weekly
Focus - private, weekly
Start - political weekly
Television

MTV - state-owned, operates three national networks and satellite network
A1 - private, national
Sitel TV - private, national
Kanal 5 - private
Radio

Macedonian Radio - state-owned
Kanal 77 - private, national
Antenna 5 - private, national
Radio Ros - private, national
News agencies

Makfax - English-language pages
Macedonian Information Agency (MIA) - state-run, English-language pages

Timeline: Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

A chronology of key events:
1945 - Establishment of Yugoslav socialist federation, comprising six republics, including Macedonia, with Tito as president.

SKOPJE

Capital was largely rebuilt after devastating earthquake in 1963
Romans made 'Scupi' capital of Dardania province in fourth century AD
Turks conquered in 1392
Became part of Yugoslavia in 1918
Population: 467,000
1980 - Death of Tito, rise of nationalism among federation's constituent republics.

1991 - Majority of voters support independence in referendum.

New constitution enacted in the face of opposition by ethnic Albanian deputies. Declaration of independence. International recognition slow because Greece objects to the use of the name Macedonia, the same as one of its own provinces.

1992 - Unofficial referendum among ethnic Albanians shows overwhelming wish for their own territorial autonomy.

Government resigns after mass demonstrations over failure to win recognition for the country's independence. Federal Republic of Yugoslavia acknowledges Macedonia's secession.

UN approves dispatch of troops to monitor inter-ethnic tension.

1993 - Gains UN membership under the name Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Orthodox Christmas is celebrated in Skopje
1994 - Greece imposes trade restrictions, causing economic damage.

1995 - President Kiro Gligorov injured in assassination bid.

Greece recognises independence, lifts trade restrictions.

1996 - Sporadic ethnic Albanian protests over curbs on Tetovo's Albanian-language university.

1997 - Constitutional court forbids use of Albanian flag, sparking protests. Parliament adopts law on restricted use of the Albanian flag.

Tensions rise

1998 - Thousands of ethnic Albanians gather in Skopje in support of ethnic Albanians in Serbia.

Elections bring into power a coalition government which is led by Ljubco Georgievski and includes ethnic Albanian representatives.

2001 UPRISING

Ethnic Albanian rebels clashed with government forces
In depth: Macedonia crisis

2001: BBC's Paul Adams on peace deal
1999 March - Nato begins bombing campaign against Yugoslavia over its treatment of Kosovo Albanians. Serbian mass expulsion and killings of Kosovo Albanians leads to exodus into neighbouring countries, including Macedonia.

1999 June - Yugoslavia accepts peace plan. Kosovo refugees start leaving Macedonia.

2001 February/March - Tension rises amid sporadic violence. National Liberation Army emerges demanding equal rights for ethnic Albanians.

2001 May - Main Macedonian parties form government of national unity under PM Ljubco Georgievski which pledges to address minority grievances. Further incidents of violence.

Armed protesters besiege parliament in Skopje, angry at what they see as leniency towards ethnic Albanian rebels. President Boris Trajkovski makes a national appeal for peace.

Peace returns

2001 August - Government and rebels sign western-backed peace agreement involving greater recognition of ethnic Albanian rights in exchange for rebel pledge to hand over weapons to Nato peace force.

Nato deployed thousands of troops to collect rebels' weapons

2001 September - Nato carries out month-long Operation Essential Harvest to disarm rebels, exceeding target of collecting 3,300 weapons.

2001 October - Government announces amnesty for former members of the National Liberation Army days after it disbands.

Macedonian police begin entering villages formerly controlled by ethnic Albanian guerrillas.

2001 November - Parliament approves new constitution incorporating reforms required by August peace deal. It recognises Albanian as an official language and increases access for ethnic Albanians to public-sector jobs, including the police.

Moderate Social Democrats leave government coalition.

2002 January - Parliament cedes more power to local government to improve status of ethnic Albanians.

2002 March - Parliament amnesties former ethnic Albanian rebels who handed in their arms during Nato-supervised weapons collection.

International donors pledge more than $500 million in aid to help recovery from 2001 fighting.

2002 June - Parliament passes new laws making Albanian an official language.

Ethnic Albanian National Liberation Army became a political party

2002 September - Elections: Nationalist prime minister, Ljubco Georgievski, voted out of office. Social Democrats under Branko Crvenkovski become largest party. Most ethnic Albanian voters back Democratic Union for Integration under former rebel fighter Ali Ahmeti.

2003 March - EU takes over peacekeeping duties from Nato.

2004 February - President Boris Trajkovski is killed in a plane crash in Bosnia. He had been on his way to an investment conference in Mostar.

2004 March - Macedonia submits application to join EU.

2004 April - Branko Crvenkovski elected president.

2004 June - Parliament approves the former interior minister, Hari Kostov, as prime minister.