1 COUNTRY 1 NATION 1 WORLD

FORM 4 ART/SCIENCE
MACEDONIA
 Independence Day of Macedonia
The Independence Day of Macedonia, on 8th
September, 1991 when it freed itself from the hands of
the Yugoslavia, is a great day to remember by the
citizens of the country.

Macedonian Independence Day is also celebrated as

the National Day of the country when all the people take
pride in themselves and with a positive attitude move
forward overcoming all challenges.
On 8th September, 1991 over 95.5% of the citizens
voted for independence of the Republic Macedonia. The
people's will for an independent state was confirmed
with the declaration of the referendum on September 18,
1991 at the Macedonian Parliament. Finally on 25th
September, 1991 the declaration was adopted for
Independence at the first multi-party Macedonian
Parliament. Next the constitution of Macedonia was
adopted on 17th November, 1991.
The Macedonian people will celebrate their 15th
Independence Day coming September 2008. The first
time the people gathered at Macedonia Square was to
celebrate the successful referendum at which the
Macedonian citizens voted for independent and
sovereign state. Since then the place holds quite an
important significant for the people. The people with
their diverse, dynamic and creative mind celebrate this
day with lots of funfair and pleasure.
 National Flag of Macedonia
The national flag of Macedonia is one of the world's newest flags
adopted on 5th October, 1995. In the course of its history there had
been many changes made to the national flag of Macedonia, finally
coming to the current design by Pr. Miroslav Grcev and sticking to it.

Description:
National Flag of the Republic of Macedonia consists of a centered rising
golden yellow sun with eight extending rays thickening towards the end
atop a red background. The golden yellow and the red are the
characteristics color if the Macedonian state.

The color Red has always been a noteworthy color throughout the
history of Macedonian national flags. The sun represents 'the new sun of
liberty' of the people of the country, mentioned in the national anthem of
Macedonia. This current Macedonian flag is a much more simplified
version of the previous few.
Previously a red flag with a yellow outlined star in upper hoist left corner
was used, which was adopted on 31st December 1946. This national
flag of Macedonia was in use when the country was a part of
Yugoslavia. Later when Macedonia gained independence from
Yugoslavia on 8th September, 1991, the earlier Macedonia's national
flag was replaced with the 16 pointed Vergina sun flag. But before long
there came protests from neighboring Greece regarding the origin of the
Vergina Sun as its symbol. The Greece considered the Vergina Sun as
the sun of Alexander. Thus the Macedonia flag was replaced in 1995 by
the present national flag of Macedonia which the Macedonian
Parliament approved and here the stylized eight-ray sun is referred as
the "Macedonian Sun".
The use of Macedonia's national flag is restricted to the land as the civil,
state and war flag. No other foreign flag is allowed to be flown with the
Macedonian Flag except on certain public and religious holidays when
they may be flown along with the Macedonian national flag
 National Anthem of Macedonia
Denes nad Makedonija se raa,
novo sonce na slobodata!
Makedoncite se borat,
za svoite pravdini!
Makedoncite se borat,
za svoite pravdini!
Odnovo sega znameto se vee,
na Kruevskata Republika!
Goce Delev, Pitu Guli,
Dame Gruev, Sandanski!
Goce Delev, Pitu Guli,
Dame Gruev, Sandanski!
Gorite Makedonski umno peat,
novi pesni, novi vesnici!
Makedonija slobodna,
slobodno ivee!
Makedonija slobodna,
slobodno ivee!
Ne plai Makedonijo majko mila,
Kreni glava gordo visoko,
Makedonija slobodna,
slobodna e ivee!
Makedonija slobodna,
slobodna e ivee!

"Denes Nad Makedonija" or the "Today Over Macedonia" in English is the national anthem of
Macedonia. The national anthem of Macedonia, written by Vlado Maleski, was adopted on 1991
for the new independent nation.

History?

The Macedonian national anthem was created in 1943 by Vlado Maleski, a poet from Struga.
The music was composed by Todor Skalovski and the Macedonian anthem was adopted to be
an anthem of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, a part of Yugoslavia, when it was established
after World War II. Later in 1991 the song was selected to be the anthem of the newly
independent Republic of Macedonia.
After Macedonia's independent on 8th September, 1991 the national anthem was sung by all the
people remembering the leaders who fought for the freedom of the country and taking pride in it.
 National Symbols of Macedonia
The national symbols of Macedonia define the rich history and culture of the country as a whole.
The Macedonian national symbols tell one of the countries heritage and their deep traditional
roots. The national symbols of Macedonia are in the form of the countries national flag, the coat
of arms, the national anthem and some patriotic symbols like the national plant and animal.

The following are the national symbols Macedonia:

The National Flag of Macedonia:

The current national flag was adopted on 5th October, 1995 after lots of changes over the years.
The golden yellow eight-ray sun on a red surface makes up the national flag and thus one of the
national symbols of Macedonia. The color red and golden yellow are the characteristic colors of
the Macedonian state.

The Coat of Arms of Macedonia:

This patriotic symbol of Macedonia, as mentioned in the national anthem, represents the sun of
freedom rising above Macedonia. At the head of the Macedonian national symbol is present the
Shar mountain, and the waters of Ohrid lake. Bounded with the ears of wheat, the tobacco
leaves and the poppy plant and double bent wit a ribbon tied at the top it's embroidered in a
traditional Macedonian costume. The coat of arms as a Macedonian national symbol represents
the richness of the country, the peoples struggle and their freedom.

The National Anthem of Macedonia:

"Denes Nad Makedonija" or the "Today Over Macedonia" in English is the Macedonian national
anthem and also one of the important Macedonian symbols. This patriotic symbol of Macedonia
was composed and created by Vlado Maleski, a poet from Struga in 1943. The anthem was
finally adopted after Macedonia got its independent in 1991. Previously it was taken up as an
anthem of the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia when it was established after World war II.

The National Flower:

The flower Poppy is the national symbol of Macedonia. Poppies have for a long time been used
as the symbol of both sleep and death. Besides the Poppy is red in color which also symbolizes
the characteristics of the Macedonian state. The opium extracted from the poppy helps one sleep
and the red color is referred to as death, more so because of the blood red color. The flower may
also be white, pink, yellow, orange and blue with a dark centre. One of the important Macedonian
national symbols, the poppy is also found in the Coat of Arms of Macedonia, another national
symbol of Macedonia.

National Patriotic Symbol:

The Vergina Sun or the 16-rayed sun or the Star of Vergina is a well-known Macedonian symbol.
This stylized star with sixteen rays was first unearthed in 1977 during the archaeological
excavations in Vergina, in northern Greece. This sixteen or also the eight-pointed sun often
appeared in Macedonian and Hellenistic coins and shields of the earlier times.

The National Animal:

The Lion from the 'Panthera leo' family is one of the national symbols of Macedonia. It's the
second largest feline species, after the tiger. Frequently referred to as the 'King of the Jungle',
the lion has been chosen by the Macedonian people as their national animal.

The Lion from the 'Panthera leo'

Flower Poppy
 Art and Culture of Macedonia
The art and culture of Macedonia has a rich cultural heritage in art, architecture, poetry,
and music. It's the culture of the Macedonian population of the Balkan region, known in
the 20th century as Vardar Macedonia or the current Republic of Macedonia. Through its
turbulent history, the art and culture of Macedonia has captured moments of the human
existence, life, pain, suffering and aesthetics of the region depicting Macedonian psyche
and character, preserved individuality and maintained in the national consciousness.

Language:
The official language of Macedonia is 'Macedonian'. It's also the most widely spoken
language in Macedonia belonging to the Eastern branch of the South Slavic language
group. The Macedonians gave the first literary language. This old language was the
common language of all the Southern, the Eastern and part of the Western people for a
long period of time. Besides a wide variety of languages are spoken like the Albanian,
Turkish, Serbian, Bulgarian, Romani, Vlach, Circassian, Greek and others are spoken
roughly in proportion with their associated ethnic groups.
Religion:
The majority of the population, 64.7% belongs to the Macedonian Orthodox Church
which is still unrecognized. Muslims and other Christians comprise the rest of the
population. The root of the Christian religion goes back to the 10th century with the
creation of the Macedonian Archbishopric in Ohrid.
Literature:
In the 19th century the first representatives of modern Macedonian literature made their
appearance. The ideas and sentiments of Enlightenment and rationalism were first
introduced by Joakim Krcovski and Kiril Pejcinovik. The development of Macedonian
Literature from the period of the middle of the 19th century has been marked by the
works of Dimitar and Konstantin Miladinov, Grigor Prlicev, and Rajko Zinzifov.

Music:
Macedonia's art and culture has an exceptionally rich musical heritage. A strong
influence of Byzantine church music developed in its musical styles. Traditional Slavic
Macedonian's spiritual and church choir hymns formed a significant contribution to
Macedonian and Balkan cultural history. Another cherished area of Macedonian culture
is its Folk music and several folk festivals take place every year. Macedonia is also the
home to the greatest present time composer Jovan Kukuzela, who lived in the 14th
century. Modern day institutions, viz the Macedonian Philharmonic orchestra, Opera,
Ballet, Academy of Music, and the Folklore institute, have contributed to the
development of musical life in Macedonia since 1945.

Theatre:
In the culture of Macedonia there are 13 professional theaters. About 870 professional
 actors, singers, ballet dancers, directors, playwrights, set and costume designers, etc.
are members of the Macedonian National Theatre (Drama, Opera and Ballet
companies), the Drama Theatre, the Theatre of the Nationalities (Albanian and Turkish
Drama companies) and the other theatre companies. Professional theatre for children
and amateur also make up the theatrical world.

Architecture:
The past meets the present in the art and culture of Macedonia, especially in its age-old
architecture, monasteries and churches of exquisite beauty making an interesting
contrast to the super modern new architecture. Characterized by unique architecture
and priceless frescoes and icons the cultural monuments of the 11th and 12th century
churches of Eastern medieval Bulgaria (modern Macedonia) are quite famous
throughout the world. The mosques, bazaars and baths from the Ottoman Age all carry a
striking resemblance to the Islamic culture.

Art:
Macedonia has some of the most outstanding gifted painters, sculptures and graphic
artists of its time. Its one of the countries with the most beautiful preserved Byzantine
fresco paintings from the period between the 11th and 16th centuries. The culture of
Macedonia has the countries most outstanding works of the mediaeval masters of fresco
and icon-paintings.

Cuisine:
Also referred to as Slav Macedonian cuisine, it represents the Balkans, Turkish,
Bulgarian, Greek and Middle Eastern cuisine. Mediterranean to some extent Italian and
also Hungarian influence can be felt in the Macedonian cuisine. A variety of vegetables,
herbs and fruits grow because of the relatively warm climate. It's famous for its rich
'Shopska' salad, a must for every meal besides its different types of dairy products,
wines, and local alcoholic beverages, such as 'rakija' and 'mastika'. Overall a diverse
range of cuisine greets the Macedonian art and culture.
 National Heroes of Macedonia
The national heroes of Macedonia made the nation proud and the people acknowledge
them as an important part of the history and culture of the country. These national
heroes of Macedonia dared to challenge the then power standing up for the people of
the country. Besides the Macedonians have always appreciated the merits of the
heroes, remembering them and respecting them for what they did for the country.

Some of the important national heroes of Macedonia are:

Grigor Prlichev
Krste Petkov Misirkov
Goce Delcev
Grigor Prlichev born in Ohrid in 1830 is one of the famous writers from the 19th
century. Grigor first studied in a Greek School in Ohrid, and then he studied medicine in
Athens. In 1860 he participated at a literary competition for the best poem in the Greek
language and ultimately becoming the winner. He took the highest award, 'The Lovorov
Wreath', for his poem "Serdarot". Later he still continued to work as a teacher in Ohrid,
Bitols and in the Soluns grammar school. Besides his famous poem he also wrote 'The
Autobiography' and 'Skenderbeg' as well. This Macedonian national hero died in Ohrid in
1893.

Krste Petkov Misirkov a very famous national hero of Macedonia and also in the
Macedonian history was born in 18th November, 1874. A philologist and publicist, his life
was full with many sufferings and miseries. This Macedonian national hero was modest,
quiet, peaceable, moralist and religious in nature. His ethnic self-identity and views were
a matter of clash between Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia. One of the first
fighters for the Macedonian nation, he was also a collector of the national Macedonian
songs, translator and the author of the most important book "Z a makedonckite raboti".

Goce Delcev born in Kukus in a family with many children, he is one of the most popular
national heroes of Macedonia. Delcev's father was a tradesman and an innkeeper. In the
summer of 1891 he registered in the military school in Sofia. He was honest, stable,
open, radical, firm and had a visionary in spirit. Goce Delcev got involved in the
movement TMORO. One of the well-known national heroes of Macedonia, he supported
publishing of the Macedonian newspaper "Delo". Killed at 4th May, 1903, Goce Delcev
gave his life for the freedom of the country. Out of his 31 years of life, for 10 years he
was part of the Macedonian national fight.
 History of Macedonia
Located in the center of the Southern Balkans, north of Greece, and west of Thrace, the
history of Macedonia tells how the Macedonians were a distinct nation, ethnically,
linguistically, and culturally different from their neighbors. The name "Macedonia" is the
oldest existing name of a country on the continent of Europe. The history of Macedonia
gives us an over view from the time when that old European civilization flourished in
Macedonia between 7000 and 3500 BC to the time of the Macedonian partition till they
got their independence.

Medieval History

In the late 6th century AD, the south Slavic tribes settled in the territory of the present-
day Republic of Macedonia which was under the Byzantine control. They were known as
the 'Sklavines' by the Byzantine Greek historians. The Slavic tribes absorbed the
preexisting Greek, Latin, Illyrian and Thracian-speaking inhabitants. By the 9th century
through the evangelizing work of the Saints Cyril and Methodius and their disciples, the
people of the territory converted to Christianity with the first Bulgarian Empire assuming
control of most of the area.
Campaigns were launched by the Bulgar group round 680 AD in the region of the
Thessaloniki. The 7th century saw the capture of over 110,000 Slavs by Justinian II and
his troops, transferring them to Cappadocia. By 836/837 there were no remaining
Byzantine records of the 'Sklavines', with them being assimilated into the First Bulgarian
Empire. Full control was reassumed by the Byzantines of the Balkans by the early 11th
century, but the birth of the Second Bulgarian Empire came with the decline of the
Byzantine by the late 12th century. Political difficulties brought the empire back in the
hands of the Byzantine control but in the 14th century it became part of the Serbian
Empire. A few decades later though it came under the Ottoman control under whose rule
it was to remain for five centuries.

For the next 500 years the region remained a part of the Ottoman Empire gaining a
substantial Turkish minority, especially in the religious sense of Muslim. The uprising
and the forming of the Krushevo Republic are considered the corner-stone and
forerunners to the ultimate establishment of the Republic of Macedonia.

Modern History

This phase of Macedonian history is referred to as the 'Partitioned Macedonia', with the
wider region of Macedonia getting divided between the Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia
following the two Balkan wars of 1912 and 1913 and the dissolution of the Ottoman
Empire. The territory of the present-day Republic of Macedonia had no administrative
autonomy and was then named 'Juna Srbija' (Southern Serbia) or 'Stara Srbija' (Old
Serbia).

By the end of the World War I, Serbia became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and
Slovenes. The Kingdom was officially renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in 1929 and
divided into provinces called 'banovinas'. Yugoslavia was taken-over by the Axis Powers
and the Vardar Banovina was divided between Bulgaria and Italian-occupied Albania in
1941. Many who opposed the regime of the occupying powers joined the Communist
resistance movement of Josip Broz Tito. Macedonia's history saw the establishment of
the People's Federal Republic of Yugoslavia after the end of the World War II. Tito
became Yugoslavia's president and the People's Federal Republic of Macedonia
became one of the six republics of the Yugoslav federation. In 1963 the federation was
renamed as the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Later in 1991 it dropped the
"Socialist" from its name, peacefully seceded from Yugoslavia.

On 8th September, 1991 a referendum was held establishing its independence from
Yugoslavia, under the name of the Republic of Macedonia. Few minor changes to its
border with Yugoslavia were agreed upon to resolve problems of the demarcation line
between the two countries. In the Kosovo War in 1999 some 360,000 ethnic Albanian
refugees from Kosovo took refuge in the country, and later fought for the independence
for the Albanian-populated areas of the Republic.

Finally with NATO's intervention peace was restored and the government agreed to
devolve greater political power and cultural recognition to the Albanian minority with the
Albanians recognized all Macedonian institutions. The country was officially recognized
as a European Union candidate state in 2005, under the reference "Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia".
 Political System of Macedonia
The political system of Macedonia occurs within the framework of a parliamentary
representative democratic republic, with an executive government made-up of a coalition
of parties from the unicameral legislature and an independent judicial branch with a
constitutional court. The Prime Minister is the head of the political system of Macedonia,
and of a pluriform multi-party system.
The Constitutional System
The constitution of Macedonia was first adopted on 17th November 1991 and came into
effect from 20th November 1991. A number of amendments have been made, one in
November 2001 to strengthen the rights of the minority and another in 2005 relating to
the judiciary. The constitution stipulates the basic principles of democracy and
guarantees democratic civil freedom.
Executive Branch
The President of Macedonia is the ceremonial head of the government, with the real
power resting in the hands of the President of the Government. In the Macedonian
political system the President is the commander-in-chief of the armed force and also the
president of the state Security Council. He is elected for a term of five years and is
eligible for re-election. Branko Crvenkovski is the current President of Macedonia with
the Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski as the head of the government.
Legislative Branch
In the Macedonian government the Assembly or Sobranie has 120 seats. The members
are elected for a term of four years by proportional representation, i.e. by popular vote
from party lists based on the percentage of the overall vote the parties gain in each of
six electoral districts.
Judicial Branch
The judiciary power of Macedonia's political system is exercised by the countries various
courts. At the head is the Judicial Supreme Court followed by the Constitutional Court
and the Republican Judicial Council. All the judges are appointed by the members of the
Assembly.
The Party in Power
In the political system of Macedonia the current government is a coalition of VMRO-
DPMNE, the he Democratic Party of Albanians, the Liberal Party of Macedonia, the New
Social Democratic Party, the Socialist Party of Macedonia, and the Party for the
Movement of Turks in Macedonia.
Administrative Divisions
In the last election held in the year 2005, the local government functions are divided
between 78 municipalities. Skopje, the capital of Macedonia is governed as a group of
ten municipalities collectively referred to as "the City of Skopje". All the municipalities are
units of local self-government.
 Cities of Macedonia
Macedonia with a total area of 25,333 sq km is a landlocked country on the Balkan
Peninsula in southeastern Europe. The land of mesmerizing beauty with mountain
ranges on one side and lakes on the other, the cities of Macedonia attract tourists from
all the parts of the world. Bordered by countries like Serbia and Greece people flock to
visit the cities of Macedonia and drink in its flavor.
The following are some major cities of Macedonia:
Skopje
Ohrid
Prilep
Bitola
Kumanovo
Skopje:
The capital city of the Republic of Macedonia, Skopje covers an area of 1.818 sq km and
is the largest city in the country. With 506,926 inhabitants it's located at 420'N, 2126'E
on the upper course of the Vardar River on a major north-south Balkan route between
Athens and Central Europe. One of the popular cities of Macedonia, it developed rapidly
after the World War II, becoming a centre for the metal-processing, chemical, textile,
timber, leather, and printing industries. Today Skopje is a political, academic, economic
and cultural center of Macedonia.
Ohrid:
With a population of 55,700 inhabitants Ohrid lies on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in
Macedonia. The seat of the Ohrid municipality, it's the most picturesque place among
other Macedonian cities with its striking houses and monuments. The origin of the name
is said to be entirely Slavic which is derived from the expression 'na hrid' which means
'on a hill', as the town of Ohrid is built on a hill. Fishing, tourism and agriculture provide a
livelihood for the population
Prilep:
Known as 'the city under Marko's Towers' because of its closeness to the towers of the
legendary King Marko, it covers an area of 1.675 sq km in the northern part of the
Pelagonia Plain. With 73,925 citizens Prilep is a center for superior tobacco and
cigarettes, metal processing, textiles, electronics, timber, food, and Macedonian 'Bianco
Sivec', i.e. pure white marble industries. One of the well-known cities of Macedonia it
has been selected as a heroic town.
Bitola:
Situated in the extreme South, close to the border with Greece and with a population of
close to 100,000 people Bitola is the second largest town in the country and is also
centre of the Bitola municipality. One of the major Macedonian cities, it's an important
administrative, industrial, cultural, commercial and educational centre. Surrounded by
the Baba and Nide mountains, it's an important junction connecting the south of the
Adriatic Sea with the Aegean Sea and Central Europe. A sort after tourists destination
it's also the center of numerous historical events which were milestones in the life and
development of the peoples of this region.
Kumanovo:
The third largest city of Macedonia just after Skopje and Bitola it's 340 m. above the sea-
level. One of Macedonia's major cities it's also the seat of the second largest
municipality in the country, the Kumanovo municipality. Kumanovo is an important
trading, economic and cultural center which includes a city council, mayor and other
administrative bodies. The town's prosperity rests upon the tobacco, footwear, metal-
processing and textile industries, as well as agriculture.
 Demography of Macedonia
The demography of Macedonia is approximately 2,070,000 and according to the July
2008 census, it's estimated to be 2,055,915. Macedonia with a total area of 25,333 sq
km has a population growth rate of 0.263%.

History:
The process of industrialization and urbanization after the World War II caused the
Macedonian population growth to decrease to a certain level, but in the last decade the
Macedonian demography has shown a high trend of increase in population. Rates of
increase are quite high among rural Muslims like the Turks and Torbesh and more so
with the Albanians and Roma. All these resulted in an increase of 25% of the total
population growth in Macedonia in the 1990s.
Recent Growth:
The birth rate estimated by July 2008 is 12.02 births per 1,000 populations. The State
Bureau of Statistics, Macedonia announced a population of 2,022,547 in the 2002
census. The largest ethnic group in the country is said to be the Macedonians with
1,297,981 inhabitants declaring themselves to be Macedonians, representing 64.18% of
the total population. The Albanians represents 25.17% of the population with 509,083
inhabitants. Other lesser ethnic minorities include the:
Turks 3.85%
Roma 2.66%
Serbs 1.78%
Bosniaks 0.84%
Vlachs 0.48%
Other 1.04%
About 19.8% are in the age group of 0-14 years, 69.1% between the age group of 15-64
years and 11.1% are over 65 years, with the number of females slightly less than the
males. According to the demography of Macedonia there are about 64.7% who are
Macedonian Orthodox, 33.3% who are Muslims, other Christians are 0.37% and others
1.63%.

A state wise census was carried out taking some of the important states in view and it
was seen that there were 13.14 births per 1,000 populations. The capital of the Republic
of Macedonia is Skopje and it had the highest population growth compared to other
towns and cities. The towns with the number of inhabitants in it include:
Skopje- 467,257
Bitola- 86,408
Prilep- 73,351
Kumanovo- 103,205
Tetovo- 70,841
Veles- 57,602
Stip- 47,796
Ohrid- 54,380
Gostivar- 49,545
Kavadarci- 38,391
Strumica- 45,087
These facts about Macedonian demography help the country, specially its government
to plan ahead for the future, more so in dealing with the poverty, environmental
degradation, and unsustainable level of consumption, production crime and violence.