- Country name
- conventional long form: Republic of North Macedonia
conventional short form: North Macedonia
local long form: Republika Severna Makedonija
local short form: Severna Makedonija
former: Democratic Federal Macedonia, People's Republic of Macedonia, Socialist Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Macedonia
etymology:
the name derives from the ancient kingdom of Macedon (7th to 2nd centuries B.C.), whose name origin is unclear; it may derive from the mythological Macedon, the son of the Greek god Zeus; alternatively, it may come from the Greek word makednos, meaning "tail," or the Illyrian word maketia, meaning "cattle" - Government type
- parliamentary republic
- Capital
- name: Skopje
geographic coordinates: 42 00 N, 21 26 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
etymology: the name is of Illyrian or Macedonian origin, and the meaning is unclear; derives from Scupi, its name during the Roman era - Administrative divisions
- 80 municipalities (opstini, singular - opstina) and 1 city* (grad); Aracinovo, Berovo, Bitola, Bogdanci, Bogovinje, Bosilovo, Brvenica, Caska, Centar Zupa, Cesinovo-Oblesevo, Cucer Sandevo, Debar, Debarca, Delcevo, Demir Hisar, Demir Kapija, Dojran, Dolneni, Gevgelija, Gostivar, Gradsko, Ilinden, Jegunovce, Karbinci, Kavadarci, Kicevo, Kocani, Konce, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krivogastani, Krusevo, Kumanovo, Lipkovo, Lozovo, Makedonska Kamenica, Makedonski Brod, Mavrovo i Rostuse, Mogila, Negotino, Novaci, Novo Selo, Ohrid, Pehcevo, Petrovec, Plasnica, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis, Rankovce, Resen, Rosoman, Skopje*, Sopiste, Staro Nagoricane, Stip, Struga, Strumica, Studenicani, Sveti Nikole, Tearce, Tetovo, Valandovo, Vasilevo, Veles, Vevcani, Vinica, Vrapciste, Zelenikovo, Zelino, Zrnovci
*the Greater Skopje area is composed of 10 municipalities: Aerodrom, Butel, Centar, Chair, Gazi Baba, Gjorce Petrov, Karposh, Kisela Voda, Saraj, and Shuto Orizari - Legal system
- civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts
- Constitution
- history: several previous (since 1944); latest adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991
amendment process:
proposed by the president of the republic, by the government, by at least 30 members of the Assembly, or by petition of at least 150,000 citizens; final approval requires a two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly - International law organization participation
- has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
- Citizenship
- citizenship by birth: no
citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of North Macedonia
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 8 years - Suffrage
- 18 years of age; universal
- Executive branch
- chief of state: President Gordana SILJANOVSKA-DAVKOVA (since 12 May 2024)
head of government: Prime Minister Hristijan MICKOSKI (since 23 June 2024)
cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the Assembly by simple majority vote
election/appointment process:
president directly elected using a modified 2-round system; a candidate can only be elected in the first round with an absolute majority from all registered voters; in the second round, voter turnout must be at least 40% for the result to be valid; president elected for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); following legislative elections, the Assembly usually elects the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as prime minister
most recent election date: 24 April and 8 May 2024
election results:
2024: Hristijan MICKOSKI elected prime minister; Assembly vote - 77 for, 22 against
2024: Gordana SILJANOVSKA-DAVKOVA elected president in the second round; percent of vote - Gordana SILJANOVSKA-DAVKOVA (VMRO-DPMNE) 69%, Stevo PENDAROVSKI (SDSM) 31%
2024: Talat XHAFERI elected caretaker prime minister; Assembly vote - 65 for (opposition boycott)
2022: Dimitar KOVACEVSKI elected prime minister; Assembly vote - NA
expected date of next election: 2029 - Legislative branch
- legislature name: Assembly of the Republic (Sobranie)
legislative structure: unicameral
number of seats: 123 (all directly elected)
electoral system: mixed system
scope of elections: full renewal
term in office: 4 years
most recent election date: 5/8/2024
parties elected and seats per party:
Coalition "Your Macedonia" (led by VMRO-DPMNE) (58); Coalition "European Front" (led by the Democratic Union for Integration – DUI) (18); Coalition "For a European Future" (led by the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia – SDSM) (18); Coalition VLEN (14); ZNAM (Movement "I know": For our Macedonia) (6); The Left (Levica) (6)
percentage of women in chamber: 39.2%
expected date of next election: May 2028 - Judicial branch
- highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 22 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)
judge selection and term of office:
Supreme Court judges nominated by the Judicial Council, a 7-member body of legal professionals, and appointed by the Assembly; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the Assembly for nonrenewable, 9-year terms
subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Basic Courts - Political parties
- Alliance for Albanians or AfA or ASH
Alternative (Alternativa) or AAA
Besa Movement or BESA
Citizen Option for Macedonia or GROM
Democratic Alliance or DS
Democratic Movement or LD
Democratic Party of Albanians or PDSH
Democratic Party of Serbs or DPSM
Democratic Renewal of Macedonia or DOM
Democratic Union for Integration or BDI
European Democratic Party or PDE
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity or VMRO-DPMNE
Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - People's Party or VMRO-NP
Liberal Democratic Party or LDP
New Social-Democratic Party or NSDP
Social Democratic Union of Macedonia or SDSM
Socialist Party of Macedonia or SPM
Srpska Stranka in Macedonia or SSM
The Left (Levica)
The People Movement or LP
Turkish Democratic Party or TDP
Turkish Movement Party or THP
We Can! (coalition includes SDSM/BESA/VMRO-NP, DPT, LDP) - Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission: Ambassador Zoran POPOV (since 16 September 2022)
chancery: 2129 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 667-0501
FAX: [1] (202) 667-2104
email address and website:
washington@mfa.gov.mk
United States (mfa.gov.mk)
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Detroit, New York - Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission: Ambassador Angela AGGELER (since 8 November 2022)
embassy: Str. Samoilova, Nr. 21, 1000 Skopje
mailing address: 7120 Skopje Place, Washington, DC 20521-7120
telephone: [389] (2) 310-2000
FAX: [389] (2) 310-2499
email address and website:
SkopjeACS@state.gov
https://mk.usembassy.gov/ - International organization participation
- BIS, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EU (candidate country), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
note: North Macedonia is an EU candidate country whose satisfactory completion of accession criteria is required before being granted full EU membership - Independence
- 8 September 1991 (referendum endorsed independence from Yugoslavia)
- National holiday
- Independence Day, 8 September (1991), also known as National Day
- Flag
- description: a red field with a yellow sun (the Sun of Liberty) in the center, with eight broadening rays extending to the edges
meaning: the red and yellow colors have long been associated with Macedonia - National symbol(s)
- eight-rayed sun
- National color(s)
- red, yellow
- National anthem(s)
- title: "Denes nad Makedonija" (Today Over Macedonia)
lyrics/music: Vlado MALESKI/Todor SKALOVSKI
history: written in 1943 and adopted in 1991, the song previously served as the anthem of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, when it was part of Yugoslavia - National heritage
- total World Heritage Sites: 2 (both natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid Region; Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians