Nationals living in, or intending to travel to, the northern and western border regions of (Former Yugoslav Republic of) Macedonia should exercise caution. Sporadic acts of violence do still occur in (Former Yugoslav Republic of) Macedonia, particularly in the north, but also including Skopje. However, most visits to (Former Yugoslav Republic of) Macedonia are trouble-free. For further advice, contact a local government travel advice department:

British Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Website: www.fco.gov.uk/travel
Tel: +44 (0)870 606 0290.

US Department of State
Website: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html

Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
Website: http://www.voyage.gc.ca/dest/sos/warnings-en.asp

25,713 sq km (9928 sq miles).
The former Yugoslav republic of ‘Macedonia’ is only one of three areas of the historical region of ‘Macedonia’, which includes Pirin Macedonia (Bulgaria) and Aegean Macedonia (Greece), with a total area of 66,600 sq km (25,700 sq miles), most of which is in Greece. In deference to Greek sensibilities, the United Nations and other international organisations have formally recognised Macedonia under the interim name of ‘The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’; however this is gradually reverting to ‘The Republic of Macedonia’.

2,022,547 (official estimate 2002).

79.7 per sq km.

Skopje. Population: 467,257 (2002).

Roughly rectangular in shape, and on the strategic Vardar Valley north–south communications route, Macedonia (Former Yugoslav Republic) is landlocked, bordering Serbia & Montenegro to the north, Albania to the west, Greece to the south and Bulgaria to the east.

Republic since 1991. Gained independence from Yugoslavia (now Serbia and Montenegro) in 1991. Head of State: President Branko Crvenkovski since 2004. Head of Government: Premier Vlado Buckovski since 2004.

Macedonian (a slavonic language using the Cyrillic script) is the most widely used language. Albanian, Turkish and Serbo-Croat are also used by ethnic groups. English, French and German are widely spoken.

67 per cent of the population are Eastern Orthodox Macedonians and around 23 per cent are Muslim Albanians. There are also Muslim Turks and Serbian Orthodox minorities. As elsewhere in the former Yugoslav federation, local politics are now strongly divided along national confessional lines.

220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Handshaking is the common practice on introduction. Local business protocol is fairly informal, but things go very slowly or not at all owing to the local bureaucracy and the more recent general socio-economic collapse in the Republic.