Macedonia
Maya Williams - May 4, 2015 - Period 6
Climate/Weather
Winters in Macedonia are windy and cold, with plenty of snow. The temperature is relatively 32°F but can drop to -5°F due to cold air masses from Russia. Winter is also very wet, often going over 2 inches of precipitation per month.
Summers in Macedonia are hot and sunny. The typical temperature is usually around 86°F, but can reach a scorching 104°F mid-day. Summer is also dry and has rare rain showers that come in forms of mini thunderstorms in the afternoon.
Culture
Macedonians celebrate many holidays and traditions, for example, Orthodox Christmas, Strumica Carnival, and Day of the Macedonian Revolutionary Struggle.
- Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on January 5th, in which children go from house to house, caroling, and gather around a bonfire to look back on the last 12 months.
- Strumica Carnival, celebrated on the first Tuesday of April, focuses on helping local girls get engaged. After a colorful parade, masked men visit the homes of potential brides and beg for their hand in marriage.
- Day of the Macedonian Revolutionary Struggle is celebrated on October 23rd to remember the attempt to overthrow the Ottoman rule and take back the country.
In Macedonia, the most common religion is Eastern Orthodoxy followed closely by the 2nd largest religion, Muslim.
Monastery of St. Naum
Warrior on a Horse
Even now, this 22 meter statue is causing an uproar. Greece, not at all happy about the statue's creation, believes the ‘warrior’ upon the horse is representing Alexander the Great – a national hero of the Greeks that originated from Greece – not Macedonia. Macedonian’s are still keeping quiet about who is it supposed to represent, though it is believed that the Greek’s claim is true. Despite this ongoing debate, this eye-catching statue is very popular and worth a look.
Lake Orhid
Lake Orhid is one of the oldest lakes in the world and has over 200 species living in its waters, causing it to be known as the host of a unique aquatic Eco-system. The lake is the deepest lake in The Balkans, a stunning 288 meters deep! Lake Orhid's water is also know to be exceptionally clear, with visibility up to 22 meters down. This lake can be found on the Macedonian-Albanian border and is equally shared between the two countries.
Current Information
- Macedonia's currency is the Macedonian Denar, the money appearing as colorful slips of paper and golden coins. One Macedonian Denar is equal to 0.02 cents of a dollar in US money.
- Macedonia is a republic, in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives. The current president of Macedonia is Gjorge Ivanov.
- Macedonia has made great progress considering its raise in income growth and reducing of poverty.
Economy History:
Exports:
Macedonia's most common export partners are Germany, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia. The exports mostly support precious metal, iron, other steel products, clothes, and petroleum oil.
Food- Moussaka
Recipe:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 3 teaspoons paprika
- 5 to 6 medium sized potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2½ cups milk
- 3 eggs
Transportation and Lodging
Next, for hotels. The top 3 in the country consist of the luxurious Holiday Inn Skopje for 116$ a day, the fancy Hotel Leonardo for 49$ a day, or the run down cabin of Hotel Kapistec for 31$ a day. Your pick.
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