The republic of Macedonia (Македонија in Macedonian) is a small landlocked country in southeastern Europe on the Balkan peninsula. It borders Serbia to the north, Bulgaria to the east, Greece to the south and Albania to the west. It has an area of 25713 km2 and a population of 2 million inhabitants. The territory is mostly mountainous, with Mt Korab (2764m) as the highest mountain. The region around the capital Skopje, in the centre-north of Macedonia is relatively plain. The national language is Macedonian a southern Slavic language, but 25% of the population consists of ethnic Albanians.
Macedonia has been settled since prehistoric times, but until 1991 always was part of some empire (Roman, Byzantyne, Serbian, Ottoman). In 1991 it became independent following a referendum about the secession from Yugoslavia.
Since the independence Macedonia has developed a market economy, undergoing considerable economic reform. Despite that Macedonia is a relatively poor country, with a per capita GDP which was 36% of the EU average in 2014.
How to get to Macedonia
Macedonia can be reached by car, plane (international airports in Skopje and Ohrid) or train.
Accommodation
Accommodation options include hotels and pensions, all bookable via the international booking portals.
Skopje photo gallery  - 93 pictures of Skopje
Ohrid photo gallery  - 74 pictures of Ohrid
93 photos of Skopje, the capital of Macedonia
74 photos of the medieval city of Ohrid and the eponymous lake in southwestern Macedonia
Gallery with all images
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