Land use: arable land: 5% permanent crops: 5% meadows and pastures: 20% forest and woodland: 30% other: 40%
Irrigated land: NA sq km
Environment: current issues: air pollution from metallurgical plants natural hazards: high seismic risks international agreements: party to - Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
Geographic note: landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe
People ------
Population: 2,104,035 (July 1996 est.) note: the Macedonian government census of July 1994 put the population at 1.94 million, but ethnic allocations were likely undercounted
Age structure: 0-14 years: 22% (male 242,593; female 228,563) 15-64 years: 68% (male 728,969; female 703,665) 65 years and over: 10% (male 90,363; female 109,882) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.46% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 13.31 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 8.47 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female all ages: 1.02 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 29.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.94 years male: 69.86 years female: 74.18 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.82 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality: noun: Macedonian(s) adjective: Macedonian
Ethnic divisions: Macedonian 65%, Albanian 22%, Turkish 4%, Serb 2%, Gypsies 3%, other 4%
Religions: Eastern Orthodox 67%, Muslim 30%, other 3%
Languages: Macedonian 70%, Albanian 21%, Turkish 3%, Serbo-Croatian 3%, other 3%
Literacy: NA
Government ----------
Name of country: conventional long form: The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia conventional short form: none local long form: Republika Makedonija local short form: Makedonija abbreviation: FYROM
Data code: MK
Type of government: emerging democracy
Capital: Skopje
Administrative divisions: 34 counties (opstinas, singular - opstina) Berovo, Bitola, Brod, Debar, Delcevo, Gevgelija, Gostivar, Kavadarci, Kicevo, Kocani, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krusevo, Kumanovo, Murgasevo, Negotino, Ohrid, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis, Resen, Skopje-Centar, Skopje-Cair, Skopje-Karpos, Skopje-Kisela Voda, Skopje-Gazi Baba, Stip, Struga, Strumica, Sveti Nikole, Tetovo, Titov Veles, Valandovo, Vinica
Independence: 17 September 1991 (from Yugoslavia)
National holiday: 8 September
The 1996 Cia World Factbook · The Wunder Library — complete classics, free to read, with narration.