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Location: Southeastern Europe, north of Greece
Geographic coordinates: 41 50 N, 22 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total: 25,333 sq km
land: 24,856 sq km
water: 477 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Vermont
Land boundaries:
total: 748 km
border countries: Albania 151 km, Bulgaria 148 km, Greece
228 km, Serbia and Montenegro 221 km (all with Serbia)
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: warm, dry summers and autumns and relatively cold
winters with heavy snowfall
Terrain: mountainous territory covered with deep basins
and valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line;
country bisected by the Vardar River
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Vardar River 50 m
highest point: Golem Korab (Maja e Korabit) 2,753 m
Natural resources: chromium, lead, zinc, manganese, tungsten,
nickel, low-grade iron ore, asbestos, sulfur, timber, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 24%
permanent crops: 2%
permanent pastures: 25%
forests and woodland: 39%
other: 10% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 830 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: high seismic risks
Environment - current issues: air pollution from metallurgical
plants
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: landlocked; major transportation corridor
from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe
to Western Europe
Background: International recognition of The Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia's (FYROM) independence from Yugoslavia in
1991 was delayed by Greece's objection to the new state's use of
what it considered a Hellenic name and symbols. Greece finally lifted
its trade blockade in 1995, and the two countries agreed to normalize
relations. FYROM's large Albanian minority and the de facto independence
of neighboring Kosovo continue to be sources of ethnic tension.
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