Macedonia Smore
Jadon Guthrie
Introduction
In this Smore, you should hear much information about the small European country, Macedonia. This may include maps and graphs, government info, the foreign policy, economy, ethnic groups, VIPs native to it, history and religion and language info, and holidays and traditions of Macedonia. Please do remember to enjoy!
Geography and Travel
If you are looking to go to the city in Macedonia (by population), go to Skopje with a whopping population of 500,000+ people. This is because it is the biggest Macedonia civilization. Another few of the biggest Macedonia cities (in order) are Bitola, Kumanovo, Prilep, and Tetovo. All of the populations of these cities remain over 50,000 people, and all except Skopje are under 100,000 people. Skopje lies on the Vardar River, and the other main rivers are the Bregalnico and the Crna. The main mountain ranges are the Korab, Sar, Osogovski, Malsevski, and Nidze mountain ranges, while Mt. Korab is the only major mountain of Macedonia. A major route of travel is along the Vardar river, and a flight there would take 11 to 12 hours from the DFW Airport. Temperatures range from 100+ degrees Fahrenheit, to -20 degrees in Fahrenheit in the Winter! The average temperature is 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Physical Geography Map
Get a glimpse at natural landmarks and elevation in Macedonia with this map.
Government
Macedonia has a parliamentary republic which gives it its name: Republic of Macedonia. Macedonia has an elected president, and his name is Gjorge Ivanov. This government is a socialist one of limited power, but it has previously removed "socialist" from being in the country's name. This is similar to the US, as it uses elections to decide the leaders. It is part of the UN, known as FYROM to it. Macedonia receives from the US many vital things, leading them in an important partnership.
Economy
Macedonia uses the Denar as the currency. To equal just one US dollar you need just shy of 44 Macedonian Denars. In Macedonia's top five exports is hot rolled iron and refined petroleum. The GDP per capita is 4589.34 US dollars. Macedonia definitely does not seem like a wealthy country compared to the US.
Social and Ethnic Groups
Macedonia consists of 65% Macedonians, and 25% Albanians for the top two ethnic groups of the population. School is usually required. There is a 95% enrollment rate in the schools, and mostly you go until age 19. A lot of home schooling is needed for the high drop out rate of girls. Macedonia fights for equal basic rights for all ages and genders. Male literacy rate is 99% and female is 96% with 97.5% of the entire population. It can be seen from this that education is important to both male and female people. As said, mainly Macedonians and Albanians live here, Macedonians being the main. In the past, Albanians have had religious protests in the streets of Macedonia, chanting for Allah and death to the Christians. They also threw rocks at police officers.
Languages, Religion, and Flag
The top two and official languages of Macedonia are Macedonian spoke by 66% of the population, and Albanian spoke by 25% of the population. Obviously, it can be seen that the main and dominant language of Macedonia is Macedonian. With religion, 65% is Macedonian Orthodox, and 33% is Muslim. From this, the main language is Macedonian Orthodox. The flag is shown below in the country's shape, showing bright yellow and red colors to represent the colors of the country. As a symbol represented by the flag, there is a butterfly that actually has the same pattern and colors as the flag. This flag was adopted in 1995.
Traditions and Holidays
Clement of Ohrid is a religious holiday publicly celebrated in Macedonia. This is celebrated on December 8th of each year. This holiday is part of the Orthodox church, and is meant to celebrate Свети Климент Охридски (Saint Clement of Ohrid), and his life as a disciple, scholar, and writer. Traditional clothes of Macedonia are some can be related to native clothes of America. Some people dress formally or traditionally every day while some wear t-shirts. Turli Tava is a traditional food of Macedonia. Many Macedonian foods are similar to this traditional cuisine. The recipe can be found below:
*http://www.villagefeast.com.au/2010/02/17/mixed-village-pot-turli-tava/*
Population Density
Per Capital Income (USD)
Made by: Jadon Guthrie