Portal:Republic of Macedonia

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Republic of Macedonia Portal

The Republic of Macedonia (Macedonian: Република Македонија, Albanian: Republika e Maqedonisë), sometimes referred to as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, is an independent state on the Balkan peninsula in the heart of southeastern Europe. The country borders Serbia to the north, Albania to the west, Greece to the south, and Bulgaria to the east. In 2005, the Republic of Macedonia received official candidate status for the European Union. The capital is Skopje with more than 600,000 inhabitants. It also has a number of other significant cities, notably Bitola, Prilep, Tetovo, Gostivar, Kumanovo, Ohrid, Veles, Stip, and Strumica. The Republic of Macedonia is often called a land of lakes and mountains. There are more than 50 natural and artificial lakes and sixteen mountain ranges higher than 2000 metres above sea level.

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Selected article

The Republic of Macedonia has a rich cultural heritage in art, architecture, poetry, and music. It has many ancient, protected religious sites. Poetry, cinema, and music festivals are held annually.

Macedonian music styles developed under the strong influence of Byzantine Greek church music. Macedonia is among the countries with the most beautiful preserved Byzantine fresco painting, mainly from the period between the 11th and 16th centuries. There are several thousands square metres of fresco painting preserved, the major part of which is in very good condition.

In Macedonia the past meets the present. Its age-old architecture and monasteries and churches of exquisite beauty make an interesting contrast to the super modern new architecture. Most of the Macedonian monasteries, built in various periods, and particularly those built between the 11th and 15th -16th centuries, have been completely preserved until today. The Macedonian collection of icons, and in particular the Ohrid one, is among the most valuable collections in the world today. After the Sinai and the Moscow collection of icons, it is third in importance in Orthodoxy. From a Byzantological aspect, it is unique.

The most important cultural events in the country are the Ohrid Summer festival of classical music and drama, the Struga Poetry evenings which gather poets from more than 50 countries in the world, Skopje May Opera Evenings, International Camera Festival in Bitola, Open Youth Theatre and Jazz festivals in Skopje etc.

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Selected City

The city of Ohrid

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Places

Galičnik (pronounced Galichnik, in Macedonian Галичник) is a village in the Republic of Macedonia, on Mount Bistra, 10 km from Mavrovo.

Each summer on the Orthodox Christian holiday of St. Peter's day the Galichnik Wedding Festival takes place. The festival consists of a wedding done in traditional Macedonian style, featuring ancient customs, traditional music and dances. Participants all wear traditional costumes and mix with the visitors on the village square, which also contains an amphitheater.

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Did you know...

... that the Republic of Macedonia covers 38% of the geographical region of Macedonia, 51% is part of Greece, and the rest is shared between Bulgaria, Albania and Serbia.

... that the first flag of the independent Republic of Macedonia was the Vergina Sun (now a protected by WIPO as a Greek emblem of state [1][2][3][4]). This symbol was associated with Ancient Macedonian kings like Alexander the Great and his father Philip II?

... that the capital city Skopje (see also other names of Skopje) is the hometown of the great Albanian humanitarian and Nobel Prize winner, Mother Theresa?

... that the city of Ohrid has 365 churches , one church for each day of the year?

... that the Macedonia's Megalithic Kokino Observatory is more than 3800 years old and it is placed on 4^th position on NASA list of ancient observatories by importance [5]

... that the smallest ethno museum in the world is located only 5 km on the northwest of Tetovo, in the picturesque village of Dzepchishte and as such is listed in the Guinness Book of Records?

... about the Stone town, situated by the Kuklica village in the Kratovo area. According to the sources, the stone figures that are called Dolls by the local population are 10 million years old?

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UNESCO World Heritage Sites

In April 1997, the Republic of Macedonia joined the legal instruments of the Organization, that is to say the UNESCO Conventions, while in January 2002, Macedonia ratified the ascension of the country into the Second Protocol of the Hague Convention] (Cultural heritage preservation in case of military conflict, Hague, 1954). The process of ascension of our country in the Convention of UNESCO for the preservation of the undersea heritage is underway. The Ohrid region in Macedonia has been included in the UNESCO list of the world cultural and natural heritage (since 1980), Macedonia is also included in the long-term UNESCO program "United schools" in the UNESCO program for solar energy, in its youth network, UNEVOK - Technical education development program, while "Wedding in Galicnik" is due to be nominated as a master piece of the spiritual heritage in UNESCO. In its publishing activity, the Republic of Macedonia has presented the Monography of Koco Racin and poetry book by Aco Sopov within the UNESCO'S representative works. In 2003, one of the bigger projects was the implementation of the exhibition in Skopje, called "Dialogs" Macedonian artists of today”, which was held from March 7 until April 1 in the Miro hall, the HQ of UNESCO. On April 14, 2003, this exhibition was opened by the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Macedonia, Mr. Blagoj Stefanovski, and the Director General of UNESCO, Koishiro Macura.

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Selected picture

An areal view of the Plaosnik Monestery in Ohrid

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Personalities

Krste Misirkov (born 1874 in the village of Ayii Apostoli (Greek: Άγιοι Απόστολοι, Macedonian: Постол - Postol) in Macedonia (Greece)), died in Sofia, 1926), was the most prominent Macedonian publicist, philologist and linguist who set the principles of the Macedonian literary language at the beginning of the late 19th century.

His opinions on the political and national issues of his time carry the proof of the struggle of the Macedonian intellectuals and their contribution to the fight for the liberation of the Macedonians and the creation of an independent Macedonian state. In 1903 he published the book "Za Makedonskite Raboti" ("On Macedonian Matters") in which he laid down the principles of the modern Macedonian language.

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