2019 Edition

Background

North Macedonia gained its independence peacefully from Yugoslavia in 1991 under the name of "Macedonia." Greek objection to the new country’s name, insisting it implied territorial pretensions to the northern Greek province of Macedonia, and democratic backsliding for several years stalled the country’s movement toward Euro-Atlantic integration. Immediately after Macedonia declared independence, Greece sought to block Macedonian efforts to gain UN membership if the name "Macedonia" was used. The country was eventually admitted to the UN in 1993 as "The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia," and at the same time it agreed to UN-sponsored negotiations on the name dispute. In 1995, Greece lifted a 20-month trade embargo and the two countries agreed to normalize relations, but the issue of the name remained unresolved and negotiations for a solution continued. Over time, the US and over 130 other nations recognized Macedonia by its constitutional name, Republic of Macedonia. Ethnic Albanian grievances over perceived political and economic inequities escalated into a conflict in 2001 that eventually led to the internationally brokered Ohrid Framework Agreement, which ended the fighting and established guidelines for constitutional amendments and the creation of new laws that enhanced the rights of minorities. In January 2018, the government adopted a new law on languages, which elevated the Albanian language to an official language at the national level, with the Macedonian language remaining the sole official language in international relations. Relations between ethnic Macedonians and ethnic Albanians remain complicated, however. North Macedonia's pro-Western government has used its time in office since 2017 to sign a historic deal with Greece in June 2018 to end the name dispute and revive Skopje's NATO and EU membership prospects. This followed a nearly three-year political crisis that engulfed the country but ended in June 2017 following a six-month-long government formation period after a closely contested election in December 2016. The crisis began after the 2014 legislative and presidential election, and escalated in 2015 when the opposition party began releasing wiretapped material that revealed alleged widespread government corruption and abuse. Although an EU candidate since 2005, North Macedonia has yet to open EU accession negotiations. The country still faces challenges, including fully implementing reforms to overcome years of democratic backsliding and stimulating economic growth and development. In June 2018, Macedonia and Greece signed the Prespa Accord whereby the Republic of Macedonia agreed to change its name to the Republic of North Macedonia. Following ratification by both countries, the agreement went in to force on 12 February 2019. North Macedonia signed an accession protocol to become a NATO member state in February 2019.

Area

Land

25,433 sq km

Total

25,713 sq km

Water

280 sq km

Area Comparative

slightly larger than Vermont; almost four times the size of Delaware

Climate

warm, dry summers and autumns; relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

Highest Point

Golem Korab (Maja e Korabit) 2,764 m

Lowest Point

Vardar River 50 m

Mean Elevation

741 m

Environment Current Issues

air pollution from metallurgical plants; Skopje has severe air pollution problems every winter as a result of industrial emissions, smoke from wood-buring stoves, and exhaust fumes from old cars

Environment International Agreements

Party To

Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

Signed But Not Ratified

none of the selected agreements

Geographic Coordinates

41 50 N, 22 00 E

Geography Note

landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe

Irrigated Land

1,280 sq km (2012)

Land Boundaries

Border Countries

Albania 181 km, Bulgaria 162 km, Greece 234 km, Kosovo 160 km, Serbia 101 km

Total

838 km

Land Use

Agricultural Land

44.3% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Arable Land

16.4% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Crops

1.4% (2011 est.)

Agricultural Land Permanent Pasture

26.5% (2011 est.)

Forest

39.8% (2011 est.)

Other

15.9% (2011 est.)

Location

Southeastern Europe, north of Greece

Map References

Europe

Maritime Claims

none (landlocked)

Natural Hazards

high seismic risks

Natural Resources

low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, manganese, nickel, tungsten, gold, silver, asbestos, gypsum, timber, arable land

Population Distribution

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations

Terrain

mountainous with deep basins and valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country bisected by the Vardar River

Age Structure

0 14 Years

16.24% (male 177,719 /female 166,374)

15 24 Years

13.41% (male 147,292 /female 136,851)

25 54 Years

44.55% (male 478,851 /female 465,058)

55 64 Years

12.43% (male 129,731 /female 133,645)

65 Years And Over

13.38% (male 123,101 /female 160,323) (2018 est.)

Birth Rate

10.8 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Children Under The Age Of 5 Years Underweight

1.3% (2011)

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

40.2% (2011)

Current Health Expenditure

6.3% (2016)

Death Rate

9.6 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Dependency Ratios

Elderly Dependency Ratio

17.7 (2015 est.)

Potential Support Ratio

5.6 (2015 est.)

Total Dependency Ratio

41.6 (2015 est.)

Youth Dependency Ratio

23.8 (2015 est.)

Drinking Water Source

Improved Rural

98.9% of population

Improved Total

99.4% of population

Improved Urban

99.8% of population

Unimproved Rural

1.1% of population

Unimproved Total

0.6% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

0.2% of population

Ethnic Groups

Macedonian 64.2%, Albanian 25.2%, Turkish 3.9%, Romani 2.7%, Serb 1.8%, other 2.2% (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS Adult Prevalence Rate

<.1% (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS Deaths

300 (2018 est.)

HIV/AIDS People Living With HIV/AIDS

<500 (2018 est.)

Hospital Bed Density

4.4 beds/1,000 population (2013)

Infant Mortality Rate

Female

6.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Male

8.7 deaths/1,000 live births

Total

7.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

Macedonian (official) 66.5%, Albanian 25.1%, Turkish 3.5%, Romani 1.9%, Serbian 1.2%, other (includes Aromanian (Vlach) and Bosnian) 1.8% (2002 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Female

78.2 years

Male

73.8 years

Total Population

75.9 years (2018 est.)

Literacy

Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Female

96.8% (2015)

Male

98.8%

Total Population

97.8%

Major Urban Areas Population

590,000 SKOPJE (capital) (2019)

Maternal Mortality Rate

7 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median Age

Female

39.3 years

Male

37.2 years

Total

38.2 years (2018 est.)

Mother's Mean Age at First Birth

26.8 years (2014 est.)

Nationality

Adjective

Macedonian

Noun

Macedonian(s)

Net Migration Rate

0.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Obesity Adult Prevalence Rate

22.4% (2016)

Physicians Density

2.87 physicians/1,000 population (2015)

Population

2,118,945 (July 2018 est.)

Population Growth Rate

0.19% (2018 est.)

Religions

Macedonian Orthodox 64.8%, Muslim 33.3%, other Christian 0.4%, other and unspecified 1.5% (2002 est.)

Sanitation Facility Access

Improved Rural

82.6% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Total

90.9% of population (2015 est.)

Improved Urban

97.2% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Rural

17.4% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Total

9.1% of population (2015 est.)

Unimproved Urban

2.8% of population (2015 est.)

School Life Expectancy Primary To Tertiary Education

Female

13 years (2015)

Male

13 years

Total

13 years

Sex Ratio

0 14 Years

1.07 male(s)/female

15 24 Years

1.08 male(s)/female

25 54 Years

1.03 male(s)/female

55 64 Years

0.97 male(s)/female

65 Years And Over

0.77 male(s)/female

At Birth

1.07 male(s)/female

Total Population

0.99 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

1.49 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Unemployment Youth Ages 15 24

Female

48.6% (2017 est.)

Male

45.7%

Total

46.7%

Urbanization

Rate Of Urbanization

0.45% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Urban Population

58.2% of total population (2019)

Administrative Divisions

70 municipalities (opstini, singular - opstina) and 1 city* (grad); Aracinovo, Berovo, Bitola, Bogdanci, Bogovinje, Bosilovo, Brvenica, Caska, Centar Zupa, Cesinovo-Oblesevo, Cucer Sandevo, Debar, Debarca, Delcevo, Demir Hisar, Demir Kapija, Dojran, Dolneni, Gevgelija, Gostivar, Gradsko, Ilinden, Jegunovce, Karbinci, Kavadarci, Kicevo, Kocani, Konce, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krivogastani, Krusevo, Kumanovo, Lipkovo, Lozovo, Makedonska Kamenica, Makedonski Brod, Mavrovo i Rostusa, Mogila, Negotino, Novaci, Novo Selo, Ohrid, Pehcevo, Petrovec, Plasnica, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis, Rankovce, Resen, Rosoman, Skopje*, Sopiste, Staro Nagoricane, Stip, Struga, Strumica, Studenicani, Sveti Nikole, Tearce, Tetovo, Valandovo, Vasilevo, Veles, Vevcani, Vinica, Vrapciste, Zelenikovo, Zelino, Zrnovci

Capital

Daylight Saving Time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Geographic Coordinates

42 00 N, 21 26 E

Name

Skopje

Time Difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

Citizenship By Birth

no

Citizenship By Descent Only

at least one parent must be a citizen of North Macedonia

Dual Citizenship Recognized

no

Residency Requirement For Naturalization

8 years

Constitution

Amendments

proposed by the president of the republic, by the government, by at least 30 members of the Assembly, or by petition of at least 150,000 citizens; final approval requires a two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly; amended several times, last in 2019 (2019)

History

several previous; latest adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991

Country Name

Conventional Long Form

Republic of North Macedonia

Conventional Short Form

North Macedonia

Etymology

the country name derives from the ancient kingdom of Macedon (7th to 2nd centuries B.C.)

Former

Democratic Federal Macedonia, People's Republic of Macedonia, Socialist Republic of Macedonia, Republic of Macedonia

Local Long Form

Republika Severna Makedonija

Local Short Form

Severna Makedonija

Diplomatic Representation From The Us

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador Kate Marie BYRNES (since 12 July 2019)

Embassy

Str. Samoilova, Nr. 21, 1000 Skopje

Fax

[389] (2) 310-2499

Mailing Address

American Embassy Skopje, US Department of State, 7120 Skopje Place, Washington, DC 20521-7120 (pouch)

Telephone

[389] (2) 310-2000

Diplomatic Representation In The Us

Chancery

2129 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Chief Of Mission

Ambassador Vasko NAUMOVSKI (since 18 November 2014)

Consulate's General

Chicago, Detroit, New York

Fax

[1] (202) 667-2131

Telephone

[1] (202) 667-0501

Executive Branch

Cabinet

Council of Ministers elected by the Assembly by simple majority vote; note - after the December 2016 election, VMRO-DPMNE won a plurality of the seats but failed to gather a majority in the Assembly to establish a government; SDSM, DUI, and the Alliance for Albanians formed an alliance; however, the president refused to give the SDSM leader the mandate to form a new government; VMRO-DPMNE blocked the election of a Speaker of the Assembly until late April 2017, when a majority of Assembly members elected Talat XHAFERI as speaker; in response, demonstrators disrupted the Assembly building, attacking journalists and Assembly members; President Gjorge IVANOV eventually gave the mandate to SDSM&rsquo;s Zoran ZAEV to form a new coalition government, and the Assembly confirmed the Cabinet on 31 May 2017

Chief Of State

President Stevo PENDAROVSKI (since 12 May 2019)

Election Results

Stevo PENDAROVSKI elected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - Stevo PENDAROVSKI (SDSM) 44.8%, Gordana SILJANOVSKA-DAVKOVA (VMRO-DPMNE) 44.2%, Blenim REKA (independent) 11.1%; percent of vote in second round - Stevo PENDAROVSKI 53.6%, Gordana SILJANOVSKA-DAVKOVA 46.4%

Elections Appointments

president directly elected using a modified 2-round system; a candidate can only be elected in the first round with an absolute majority from all registered voters; in the second round, voter turnout must be at least 40% for the result to be deemed valid; president elected for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 21 April and 5 May 2019 (next to be held in 2024); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the Assembly

Head Of Government

Prime Minister Zoran ZAEV (since 31 May 2017)

Flag Description

a yellow sun (the Sun of Liberty) with eight broadening rays extending to the edges of the red field; the red and yellow colors have long been associated with Macedonia

Government Type

parliamentary republic

Independence

8 September 1991 (referendum by registered voters endorsed independence from Yugoslavia)

International Law Organization Participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International Organization Participation

BIS, CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EU (candidate country), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial Branch

Highest Courts

Supreme Court (consists of 22 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)

Judge Selection And Term Of Office

Supreme Court judges nominated by the Judicial Council, a 7-member body of legal professionals, and appointed by the Assembly; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges appointed by the Assembly for nonrenewable, 9-year terms

Subordinate Courts

Courts of Appeal; Basic Courts

Legal System

civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts

Legislative Branch

Description

unicameral Assembly - Sobraine in Macedonian, Kuvend in Albanian (between 120 and 140 seats, currently 120; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by closed-list proportional representation vote; possibility of 3 directly elected in diaspora constituencies by simple majority vote provided there is sufficient voter turnout; members serve 4-year terms)

Election Results

percent of vote by party/coalition - VMRO-DPMNE 38.1%, SDSM coalition 36.7%, BDI 7.3%, Besa Movement 4.9%, AfA 3.1%, PDSh 2.7%, other 7.2%; seats by party - VMRO-DPMNE 51, SDSM coalition 49, BDI 10, Besa Movement 5, AfA 3, PDSh 2; note - the 3 seats for diaspora went unfilled because none of the candidates won the 6,500 minimum vote threshold

Elections

last held on 11 December 2016, with a second round held in one polling station on 25 December 2016 (next to be held in 2020)

National Anthem

Lyrics Music

Vlado MALESKI/Todor SKALOVSKI

Name

"Denes nad Makedonija" (Today Over Macedonia)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 8 September (1991), also known as National Day

National Symbol S

eight-rayed sun; national colors: red, yellow

Political Parties And Leaders

Alliance for Albanians or AfA [Ziadin SELA] Besa Movement [Bilal KASAMI] Democratic Party of Albanians or PDSh [Menduh THACI] Democratic Union for Integration or BDI [Ali AHMETI] Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization - Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity or VMRO-DPMNE [Hristijan MICKOSKI] Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Goran MILEVSKI] Social Democratic Union of Macedonia or SDSM [Zoran ZAEV] Socialist Party of Macedonia or SPM [Ljubislav IVANOV-DZINGO]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture Products

grapes, tobacco, vegetables, fruits; milk, eggs

Budget

Expenditures

3.605 billion (2017 est.)

Revenues

3.295 billion (2017 est.)

Budget Surplus Or Deficit

-2.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Central Bank Discount Rate

31 December 2016

3.75%

31 March 2017

3.25%

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

31 December 2016

6.61%

31 December 2017

6.21%

Current Account Balance

2016

-$293 million

2017

-$151 million

Debt External

31 December 2016

$7.685 billion

31 December 2017

$8.79 billion

Distribution Of Family Income Gini Index

2014

35.2

2015

33.7

Economy Overview

Since its independence in 1991, Macedonia has made progress in liberalizing its economy and improving its business environment. Its low tax rates and free economic zones have helped to attract foreign investment, which is still low relative to the rest of Europe. Corruption and weak rule of law remain significant problems. Some businesses complain of opaque regulations and unequal enforcement of the law.Macedonia’s economy is closely linked to Europe as a customer for exports and source of investment, and has suffered as a result of prolonged weakness in the euro zone. Unemployment has remained consistently high at about 23%, but may be overstated based on the existence of an extensive gray market, estimated to be between 20% and 45% of GDP, which is not captured by official statistics.Macedonia is working to build a country-wide natural gas pipeline and distribution network. Currently, Macedonia receives its small natural gas supplies from Russia via Bulgaria. In 2016, Macedonia signed a memorandum of understanding with Greece to build an interconnector that could connect to the Trans Adriatic Pipeline that will traverse the region once complete, or to an LNG import terminal in Greece.Macedonia maintained macroeconomic stability through the global financial crisis by conducting prudent monetary policy, which keeps the domestic currency pegged to the euro, and inflation at a low level. However, in the last two years, the internal political crisis has hampered economic performance, with GDP growth slowing in 2016 and 2017, and both domestic private and public investments declining. Fiscal policies were lax, with unproductive public expenditures, including subsidies and pension increases, and rising guarantees for the debt of state owned enterprises, and fiscal targets were consistently missed. In 2017, public debt stabilized at about 47% of GDP, still relatively low compared to its Western Balkan neighbors and the rest of Europe.

Exchange Rates

2013

46.437

2014

55.537

2015

55.733

2016

55.733

2017

55.8

Currency

Macedonian denars (MKD) per US dollar -

Exports

2016

$3.75 billion

2017

$4.601 billion

Exports Commodities

foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco; textiles, miscellaneous manufactures, iron, steel; automotive parts

Exports Partners

Germany 46.7%, Bulgaria 6.1%, Serbia 4.4%, Belgium 4.1% (2017)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

GDP Composition By End Use

Exports Of Goods And Services

54% (2017 est.)

Government Consumption

15.6% (2017 est.)

Household Consumption

65.6% (2017 est.)

Imports Of Goods And Services

-69% (2017 est.)

Investment In Fixed Capital

13.6% (2017 est.)

Investment In Inventories

20.2% (2017 est.)

GDP Composition By Sector Of Origin

Agriculture

10.9% (2017 est.)

Industry

26.6% (2017 est.)

Services

62.5% (2017 est.)

GDP Official Exchange Rate

$11.37 billion (2017 est.)

GDP Per Capita Ppp

2015

$14,600

2016

$15,000

2017

$14,900

GDP Purchasing Power Parity

2015

$30.15 billion

2016

$31.02 billion

2017

$31.03 billion

GDP Real Growth Rate

2015

3.9%

2016

2.9%

2017

0%

Gross National Saving

2015

28.5% of GDP

2016

29.9% of GDP

2017

30.3% of GDP

Household Income Or Consumption By Percentage Share

Highest 10

25% (2015 est.)

Lowest 10

1.7%

Imports

2016

$5.805 billion

2017

$6.63 billion

Imports Commodities

machinery and equipment, automobiles, chemicals, fuels, food products

Imports Partners

Germany 11.9%, UK 10%, Greece 8%, Serbia 7.1%, China 5.9%, Italy 5.5%, Turkey 4.5%, Bulgaria 4.3% (2017)

Industrial Production Growth Rate

-7.8% (2017 est.)

Industries

food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, iron, steel, cement, energy, pharmaceuticals, automotive parts

Inflation Rate Consumer Prices

2016

-0.2%

2017

1.4%

Labor Force

950,800 (2017 est.)

Labor Force By Occupation

Agriculture

16.2%

Industry

29.2%

Services

54.5% (2017 est.)

Market Value Of Publicly Traded Shares

31 December 2014

$2.269 billion

31 December 2015

$1.853 billion

31 December 2016

$2.078 billion

Population Below Poverty Line

21.5% (2015 est.)

Public Debt

2016

39.5% of GDP

2017

39.3% of GDP

Reserves Of Foreign Exchange And Gold

31 December 2016

$2.755 billion

31 December 2017

$2.802 billion

Stock Of Broad Money

31 December 2016

$1.909 billion

31 December 2017

$2.403 billion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment Abroad

31 December 2016

$849.1 million

31 December 2017

$1.169 billion

Stock Of Direct Foreign Investment at Home

31 December 2016

$6.8 billion

31 December 2017

$6.937 billion

Stock Of Domestic Credit

31 December 2016

$5.01 billion

31 December 2017

$6.243 billion

Stock Of Narrow Money

31 December 2016

$1.909 billion

31 December 2017

$2.403 billion

Taxes And Other Revenues

29% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment Rate

2016

23.8%

2017

22.4%

Carbon Dioxide Emissions From Consumption Of Energy

7.459 million Mt (2017 est.)

Crude Oil Exports

142 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude Oil Production

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude Oil Proved Reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity Access

100% (2016)

Electricity Consumption

6.42 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Exports

58.5 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity From Fossil Fuels

60% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity From Hydroelectric Plants

37% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Nuclear Fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity From Other Renewable Sources

3% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity Imports

2.191 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity Installed Generating Capacity

1.828 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity Production

5.396 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Natural Gas Consumption

198.2 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Imports

198.2 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural Gas Proved Reserves

0 cu m (31 December 2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Consumption

21,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Exports

3,065 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Imports

23,560 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined Petroleum Products Production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband Fixed Subscriptions

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

18 (2017 est.)

Total

386,718

Broadcast Media

public service TV broadcaster Macedonian Radio and Television operates 3 national terrestrial TV channels and 2 satellite TV channels; additionally, there are 10 regional TV stations that broadcast nationally using terrestrial transmitters, 54 TV channels with concession for cable TV, 9 regional TV stations with concessions for cable TV; 4 satellite TV channels broadcasting on a national level, 21 local commercial TV channels, and a large number of cable operators that offer domestic and international programming; the public radio broadcaster operates over 3 stations; there are 4 privately owned radio stations that broadcast nationally; 17 regional radio stations, and 49 local commercial radio stations (2019)

Internet Country Code

.mk

Internet Users

Percent Of Population

70.4% (July 2016 est.)

Total

1.475 million

Telephone System

Domestic

fixed-line 17 per 100 and mobile-cellular 101 per 100 subscriptions (2018)

General Assessment

being part of the EU pre-accession process has led to a stronger teledensity with closer regulatory framework and independent regulators; administrative ties with the European Union have led to progress; broadband services are widely available; more customers moving to fiber networks; 2 mobile network operators; end of roaming tariffs (2018)

International

country code - 389

Telephones Fixed Lines

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

17 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

361,269

Telephones Mobile Cellular

Subscriptions Per 100 Inhabitants

101 (2017 est.)

Total Subscriptions

2,121,805

Airports

10 (2013)

Airports With Paved Runways

2 438 To 3 047 M

2 (2017)

Total

8 (2017)

Under 914 M

6 (2017)

Airports With Unpaved Runways

914 To 1 523 M

1 (2013)

Total

2 (2013)

Under 914 M

1 (2013)

Civil Aircraft Registration Country Code Prefix

Z3 (2016)

Pipelines

262 km gas, 120 km oil (2017)

Railways

Standard Gauge

925 km 1.435-m gauge (313 km electrified) (2017)

Total

925 km (2017)

Roadways

Paved

9,633 km (2017)

Total

14,182 km (includes 290 km of expressways) (2017)

Unpaved

4,549 km (2017)

Military And Security Forces

Army of the Republic of North Macedonia (ARSM; includes General Staff and subordinate Joint Operational Command, Logistic Support Command, Training and Doctrine Command, Special Ops Regiment, Electronic Surveillance Center, and Air Surveillance Center) (2019)

Military Expenditures

2014

1.09% of GDP

2015

1% of GDP

2016

0.96% of GDP

2017

0.99% of GDP

2018

1.19% of GDP

Military Service Age And Obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished in 2008 (2013)

Disputes International

Kosovo and North Macedonia completed demarcation of their boundary in September 2008

Illicit Drugs

major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and hashish; minor transit point for South American cocaine destined for Europe; although not a financial center and most criminal activity is thought to be domestic, money laundering is a problem due to a mostly cash-based economy and weak enforcement

Refugees And Internally Displaced Persons

571 (2018)