North Macedonia

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

In classical antiquity most of present-day North Macedonia corresponded to the ancient regions of Paeonia and Pelagonia. In the late-6th century BC, most of the area was subjugated by the Persian Empire, and then incorporated into the kingdom of Macedonia by the mid-4th century BC. Rome conquered the region by the mid-2nd century BC and made it part of its larger province of Macedonia. The area remained part of the Byzantine Empire, but was often raided and settled by Slavic tribes beginning in the 6th century CE. Following centuries of contention between the Byzantine and Bulgarian empires, it became part of the Serbian Empire in the mid-14th century, and then it was part of the Ottoman Empire from the late-14th century until the Balkan Wars (1912-1913), when it came under Serbian rule. During the First World War, the territory was ruled by Bulgaria. After the end of the war, it returned to Serbian rule as part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. During the Second World War, it was again ruled by Bulgaria; and in 1945 it was established as a constituent state of communist Yugoslavia, which it remained until its peaceful secession in 1991. The country became a member of the United Nations (UN) in 1993.

In Their Own Story

The name 'Macedonia' carries deep roots, deriving from the Greek word Makedonía and the adjective makednós, meaning 'tall' or 'taper,' possibly describing 'highlanders.' While largely forgotten during Byzantine and Ottoman eras, it was revived by nationalist movements in the early 19th century. During the interwar period within the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the use of the name was prohibited due to Serbianisation policies. It was only at the end of World War II that the Socialist Republic of Macedonia officially adopted the name as one of six constituent countries. Parliament ratified the amendment on January 11, 2019, and it entered into force on February 12, following Greek ratification.

Reader's Guide

North Macedonia is a member of NATO, the Council of Europe, the World Bank, OSCE, CEFTA, BSEC and the WTO. Since 2005, it has also been a candidate for joining the European Union. North Macedonia is an upper-middle-income country by the World Bank's definitions and has undergone considerable economic reform since its independence in developing an open economy. It is a developing country, ranking 68th on the Human Development Index, with low income inequality. The country provides social security, a universal health care system as well as free primary and secondary education to its citizens.

Did You Know?

• The state's name derives from the Greek word Μακεδονία (Makedonía), a kingdom named after the ancient Macedonians.
• The name 'Macedonia' was revived by Bulgarian and Greek nationalist movements from the early 19th century onwards.
• The Prespa agreement of June 2018 saw the country change its name to the 'Republic of North Macedonia' eight months later.
• Many of the country's citizens and local media outlets unofficially refer to the country as 'Macedonia'.