 | McLae´s guide to Macedonia |  |
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Macedonia Internet country code: .mk International telephone prefix: +389  Macedonia is a country with 7 ethnic minorities. There is still ethnic tension between Albanians and Macedonians, so maybe this is a subject best avoided. Tetovo, one of the largest cities in Macedonia, has a near 90% ethnic Albanian population. Most people advise not going to Tetovo. However, the brave traveller is rewarded greatly by visiting this town. The people are very hospitable, the scenery is beautiful and it is very safe. Most people are very friendly and hospitable, but beware of over-friendly taxidrivers and strangers. There is a sizeable Roma minority and children will often come to tables and beg. Ignore them and they will go away. Aside of this, if you are fortunate enough, Gypsy Brass Bands go from restaurant to restaurant and it is common courtesy to leave them a small tip. Tipping is not seen as essential, but it is always welcomed. It is not recommended to tip over 10%, as this is seen as being patronizing and offensive. Most Macedonians will quote prices in Euro and you will find that they are most accurately calculated. One Euro roughly equates to 60 Denar. Most larger cities have ATM Machines where you can withdraw money with cheap commission rates, there are also plenty of banks and exchange booths where you can easily change money. Do not change money on the street. While some young people speak English, most do not, so a phrase book is handy if not necessary. Speakers of Bulgarian, Serbian and Croatian should have no problem getting by, many older people also speak some Russian. German is also very useful, especially among older Albanians. 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. Macedonia is blessed with outstanding natural beauty. Do not miss a trip to one of the large lakes, Pelister Mountains or Shar Planina in the West and the fascinating rolling hills and mountains of the East with its rice fields. Eating and Drinking: If you are on a tight budget, try one of the Skara (grill) places in the Albanian quarter next to the old mosque. Muslims in this part of the world are very liberal, women are treated with respect and most places serve alcohol as most people drink regardless of their religion. There are quite a few up-market restaurants serving better quality food on the waterfront, but these do cater for tourists and don't be surprised at the rather weighted bill at the end of your meal. Typical Macedonian food resembles the food of the southern Balkans. For example loads of grilled meat known as skara are served in many places. Note that usually side dishes have to be ordered separately. However, Macedonia is also famous for its shopska salata a mixed salad of cucumbers, tomatoes and grated sirenje. Sirenje is a white cheese similar to feta cheese. Usually Macedonians will translate the English cheese to sirenje. Another local speciality is ajvar which is either used as an appetizer or side dish. It is a red paste made from roasted paprika and tomatoes. Many households prepare their own ajvar. Typical as well is tarator which might be comparable to the greek tzatziki. It is made of yoghurt, cucumbers and garlic and it is served as a cold soup. Macedonia, being landlocked, does not offer a great variety of fresh fish. A notable exception is Ohrid, where freshly fished fish from the local lake can be enjoyed. There you can also taste the Ohrid trout, a fish of endemic nature. Rakia is a strong grape brandy which is drunken a lot in Macedonia. It is probably close to being the national drink. The main beer, Skopsko, is a refreshing Pilsner and surprisingly decent. History: The lands governed by the Republic of Macedonia were previously the southernmost part of Yugoslavia. Its current borders were fixed shortly after World War II when the government of Yugoslavia established the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, recognizing a Macedonian ethnicity as distinct from the Serbs and as a separate nation within Yugoslavia. In the past, these lands came under a number of ancient states and former empires; Paionia, the kingdom of ancient Macedon (which gave its name to the whole Macedonian region). It must be noted though, that the ancient kingdom of Macedon was centered in what is known today as Greek Macedonia and its boundaries did not exceed the town Bitola. Later, in 146 BC, the area became part of the Roman and Byzantine empires, and the medieval Bulgarian and Serbian states. In the 14th century the region was conquered by the Ottoman Empire. Following the two Balkan wars of 1912 and 1913 and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire, the region of Macedonia was divided between Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia. The territory of the present-day Republic of Macedonia was then named Juzna Srbija, "Southern Serbia". After the First World War Serbia joined the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. In 1929, the kingdom was officially renamed the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and divided into provinces called banovinas. So called "Southern Serbia", including all of what is now the Republic of Macedonia, became a part of the Vardar Banovina. In 1941, Yugoslavia was occupied by the Axis Powers and the Vardar Banovina was divided between its neighbors, Bulgaria and Italian-occupied Albania. Harsh rule by the occupying forces encouraged many Macedonians to support the Communist Partisan resistance movement of Josip Broz Tito. After the end of the Second World War, when Tito became Yugoslavia's president, the People's Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was established. The People's Republic of Macedonia became one of the six republics of the Yugoslav federation. Following the federation's renaming as the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1963, the People's Republic of Macedonia was likewise renamed, becoming the Socialist Republic of Macedonia. It dropped the "Socialist" from its name in 1991 when it peacefully seceded from Yugoslavia. A few very minor changes to its border with Serbia were agreed upon to resolve problems with the demarcation line between the two countries. The country officially celebrates 8 September 1991 as Independence day, with regard to the referendum by registered voters endorsing independence from Yugoslavia. The Republic of Macedonia remained at peace through the Yugoslav wars of the early 1990s but was destabilized by the Kosovo War in 1999, when an estimated 360,000 ethnic Albanian refugees from Kosovo took refuge in the country. Although they departed shortly after the war, soon after, Albanian radicals on both sides of the border took up arms in pursuit of autonomy or independence for the Albanian-populated areas of the Republic. A short war was fought between government and ethnic Albanian rebels, mostly in the north and west of the country, in March - June 2001. This war ended with the intervention of a NATO ceasefire monitoring force. In the Ohrid Agreement, the government agreed to devolve greater political power and cultural recognition to the Albanian minority. The Albanian side agreed to give up any separatist demands and to fully recognise all Macedonian institutions. In addition, according to this accord the NLA was to disarm and hand over their weapons to a NATO force. In 2005, Macedonia was officially recognized as a European Union candidate nation. |
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