Macedonia (2006) | Moldova (2001) | |
Administrative divisions | 85 municipalities (opstini, singular - opstina); Aerodrom (Skopje), Aracinovo, Berovo, Bitola, Bogdanci, Bogovinje, Bosilovo, Brvenica, Butel (Skopje), Cair (Skopje), Caska, Centar (Skopje), Centar Zupa, Cesinovo, Cucer-Sandevo, Debar, Debartsa, Delcevo, Demir Hisar, Demir Kapija, Dojran, Dolneni, Drugovo, Gazi Baba (Skopje), Gevgelija, Gjorce Petrov (Skopje), Gostivar, Gradsko, Ilinden, Jegunovce, Karbinci, Karpos (Skopje), Kavadarci, Kicevo, Kisela Voda (Skopje), Kocani, Konce, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krivogastani, Krusevo, Kumanovo, Lipkovo, Lozovo, Makedonska Kamenica, Makedonski Brod, Mavrovo i Rastusa, Mogila, Negotino, Novaci, Novo Selo, Ohrid, Oslomej, Pehcevo, Petrovec, Plasnica, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis, Rankovce, Resen, Rosoman, Saraj (Skopje), Skopje, Sopiste, Staro Nagoricane, Stip, Struga, Strumica, Studenicani, Suto Orizari (Skopje), Sveti Nikole, Tearce, Tetovo, Valandovo, Vasilevo, Veles, Vevcani, Vinica, Vranestica, Vrapciste, Zajas, Zelenikovo, Zelino, Zrnovci
note: the ten municipalities followed by Skopje in parentheses collectively constitute "greater Skopje" |
10 juletule (singular - juletul), 1 municipality*, and 1 autonomous territorial unit**; Balti, Cahul, Chisinau, Chisinau*, Dubasari, Edinet, Gagauzia**, Lapusna, Orhei, Soroca, Tighina, Ungheni |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 20.1% (male 213,486/female 199,127)
15-64 years: 68.9% (male 711,853/female 701,042) 65 years and over: 11% (male 98,618/female 126,428) (2006 est.) |
0-14 years:
22.44% (male 506,303; female 488,311) 15-64 years: 67.62% (male 1,437,492; female 1,559,090) 65 years and over: 9.94% (male 163,473; female 276,901) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | grapes, wine, tobacco, vegetables; milk, eggs | vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, tobacco; beef, milk |
Airports | 17 (2006) | 30 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 under 914 m: 8 (2006) |
total:
7 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 7
914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 4 (2006) |
total:
23 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 14 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 25,333 sq km
land: 24,856 sq km water: 477 sq km |
total:
33,843 sq km land: 33,371 sq km water: 472 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Vermont | slightly larger than Maryland |
Background | Macedonia gained its independence peacefully from Yugoslavia in 1991, but Greece's objection to the new state's use of what it considered a Hellenic name and symbols delayed international recognition, which occurred under the provisional designation of the "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia." In 1995, Greece lifted a 20-month trade embargo and the two countries agreed to normalize relations, although differences over Macedonia's name remain. The undetermined status of neighboring Kosovo, implementation of the Framework Agreement - which ended the 2001 ethnic Albanian armed insurgency - and a weak economy continue to be challenges for Macedonia. | Formerly ruled by Romania, Moldova became part of the Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Although independent from the USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory east of the Nistru (Dnister) River supporting the Slavic majority population, mostly Ukrainians and Russians, who have proclaimed a "Transnistria" republic. One of the poorest nations in Europe and plagued by a moribund economy, in 2001 Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a communist as its president. |
Birth rate | 12.02 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 13.35 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $2.105 billion
expenditures: $2.15 billion; including capital expenditures of $114 million (2005 est.) |
revenues:
$536 million expenditures: $594 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
Capital | name: Skopje
geographic coordinates: 41 59 N, 21 26 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Chisinau |
Climate | warm, dry summers and autumns; relatively cold winters with heavy snowfall | moderate winters, warm summers |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991; amended November 2001 by a series of new constitutional amendments strengthening minority rights and in 2005 with amendments related to the judiciary | new constitution adopted 28 July 1994; replaces old Soviet constitution of 1979 |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Macedonia
conventional short form: Macedonia local long form: Republika Makedonija local short form: Makedonija note: the provisional designation used by the UN, EU, and NATO is Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) former: People's Republic of Macedonia, Socialist Republic of Macedonia |
conventional long form:
Republic of Moldova conventional short form: Moldova local long form: Republica Moldova local short form: none former: Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova; Moldavia |
Currency | - | Moldovan leu (MDL) |
Death rate | 8.77 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 12.6 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $2.19 billion (2005 est.) | $900 million (2000) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Gillian A. MILOVANOVIC
embassy: Bul. Ilindenska bb, 1000 Skopje mailing address: American Embassy Skopje, US Department of State, 7120 Skopje Place, Washington, DC 20521-7120 (pouch) telephone: [389] 2 311-6180 FAX: [389] 2 311-7103 |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Rudolf Vilem PERINA embassy: Strada Alexei Mateevicie, #103, Chisinau 2009 mailing address: use embassy street address; pouch address - American Embassy Chisinau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7080 telephone: [373] (2) 23-37-72 FAX: [373] (2) 23-30-44 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Ljupco JORDANOVSKI
chancery: 2129 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 667-0501 FAX: [1] (202) 667-2131 consulate(s) general: Southfield (Michigan) |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Ceslav CIOBANU chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130 FAX: [1] (202) 667-1204 |
Disputes - international | ethnic Albanians in Kosovo object to demarcation of the boundary with Macedonia in accordance with the 2000 Macedonia-Serbia and Montenegro delimitation agreement; Greece continues to reject the use of the name Macedonia or Republic of Macedonia | separatist Transnistria region, comprising the area between the Nistru (Dniester) River and Ukraine, has its own de facto government, dominated by Moldovan Slavs |
Economic aid - recipient | $250 million (2003 est.) | $100.8 million (1995); note - $547 million from the IMF and World Bank (1992-99) |
Economy - overview | At independence in September 1991, Macedonia was the least developed of the Yugoslav republics, producing a mere 5% of the total federal output of goods and services. The collapse of Yugoslavia ended transfer payments from the central government and eliminated advantages from inclusion in a de facto free trade area. An absence of infrastructure, UN sanctions on the downsized Yugoslavia, one of its largest markets, and a Greek economic embargo over a dispute about the country's constitutional name and flag hindered economic growth until 1996. GDP subsequently rose each year through 2000. However, the leadership's commitment to economic reform, free trade, and regional integration was undermined by the ethnic Albanian insurgency of 2001. The economy shrank 4.5% because of decreased trade, intermittent border closures, increased deficit spending on security needs, and investor uncertainty. Growth barely recovered in 2002 to 0.9%, then rose by 3.4% in 2003, 4.1% in 2004, and 3.7% in 2005. Macedonia has maintained macroeconomic stability with low inflation, but it has lagged the region in attracting foreign investment and job growth has been anemic. Macedonia has an extensive grey market, estimated to be more than 20 percent of GDP, that falls outside official statistics. | Moldova enjoys a favorable climate and good farmland but has no major mineral deposits. As a result, the economy depends heavily on agriculture, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Moldova must import all of its supplies of oil, coal, and natural gas, largely from Russia. Energy shortages contributed to sharp production declines after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. As part of an ambitious reform effort, Moldova introduced a convertible currency, freed all prices, stopped issuing preferential credits to state enterprises, backed steady land privatization, removed export controls, and freed interest rates. Yet these efforts could not offset the impact of political and economic difficulties, both internal and regional. In 1998, the economic troubles of Russia, by far Moldova's leading trade partner, were a major cause of the 8.6% drop in GDP. In 1999, GDP fell again, by 4.4%, the fifth drop in the past seven years; exports were down, and energy supplies continued to be erratic. GDP declined slightly in 2000, with a serious drought hurting agriculture. Growth should turn positive in 2001. |
Electricity - consumption | 7.933 billion kWh (2005) | 5.78 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 1.662 billion kWh (2005) | 1.916 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 6.271 billion kWh (2005) | 4.155 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
93.62% hydro: 6.38% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Vardar River 50 m
highest point: Golem Korab (Maja e Korabit) 2,764 m |
lowest point:
Nistru (Dnister) River 2 m highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m |
Environment - current issues | air pollution from metallurgical plants | heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to:
Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
Ethnic groups | Macedonian 64.2%, Albanian 25.2%, Turkish 3.9%, Roma 2.7%, Serb 1.8%, other 2.2% (2002 census) | Moldovan/Romanian 64.5%, Ukrainian 13.8%, Russian 13%, Gagauz 3.5%, Jewish 1.5%, Bulgarian 2%, other 1.7% (1989 est.)
note: internal disputes with ethnic Slavs in the Transnistrian region |
Exchange rates | Macedonian denars per US dollar - 48.92 (2005), 49.41 (2004), 54.322 (2003), 64.35 (2002), 68.037 (2001) | lei per US dollar - 12.3728 (January 2001), 12.4342 (2000), 10.5158 (1999), 5.3707 (1998), 4.6236 (1997), 4.6045 (1996); note - lei is the plural form of leu |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Branko CRVENKOVSKI (since 12 May 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Nikola GRUEVSKI (since 28 August 2006) cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the majority vote of all the deputies in the Assembly; note - current cabinet formed by the government coalition parties VMRO/DPMNE, NSDP, PDSH/DPA, and several small parties elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); two-round election last held 14 April and 28 April 2004 (next to be held by April 2009); prime minister elected by the Assembly following legislative elections election results: Branko CRVENKOVSKI elected president on second-round ballot; percent of vote - Branko CRVENKOVSKI 62.7%, Sasko KEDEV 37.3% |
chief of state:
President Vladimir VORONIN (since 4 April 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Vasile TARLEV (since 15 April 2001), three Deputy Prime Ministers: Valerian CRISTEA, Andrei CUCU, and Dmitri TODOROGLO (all since 19 April 2001) cabinet: selected by prime minister, subject to approval of Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term; election last held 4 April 2001; presidential elections were scheduled for December 2000, but in July 2000, Parliament canceled direct popular elections; Parliament's failure to chose a new president in December 2000 led to early parliamentary elections (moved up a year to February 2001); according to the Moldovan constitution, the president, on consulting with Parliament, will designate a candidate for the office of prime minister; within 15 days from designation, the prime minister-designate will request a vote of confidence from the Parliament regarding his/her work program and entire cabinet; prime minister designated on 15 April 2001, cabinet received vote of confidence on 19 April 2001 election results: Vladimir VORONIN elected president; parliamentary votes - Vladimir VORONIN 71, Dumitru BRAGHIS 15, Valerian CHRISTEA 3; Vasile TARLEV elected Prime Minister; parliamentary votes of confidence - 75 of 101 |
Exports | NA bbl/day | $500 million (f.o.b., 2000) |
Exports - commodities | food, beverages, tobacco; miscellaneous manufactures, iron and steel | foodstuffs 57%, wine, tobacco; textiles and footwear, machinery (1999) |
Exports - partners | Germany 17.8%, Greece 15.3%, Italy 8.3% (2005) | Russia 41%, Romania 9%, Germany 8%, Ukraine 7%, Italy, Belarus (1999) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | a yellow sun with eight broadening rays extending to the edges of the red field | same color scheme as Romania - three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag is of a Roman eagle of gold outlined in black with a red beak and talons carrying a yellow cross in its beak and a green olive branch in its right talons and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on its breast is a shield divided horizontally red over blue with a stylized ox head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $11.3 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 11.8%
industry: 31.9% services: 56.3% (2005 est.) |
agriculture:
31% industry: 35% services: 34% (1998) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4% (2005 est.) | -1.5% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 41 50 N, 22 00 E | 47 00 N, 29 00 E |
Geography - note | landlocked; major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe | landlocked |
Highways | - | total:
20,000 km paved: 13,900 km (these roads are said to be hard-surfaced, and include, in addition to conventionally paved roads, some that are surfaced with gravel or other coarse aggregate, making them trafficable in all weather) unpaved: 6,100 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1990) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%:
2.7% highest 10%: 25.8% (1992) |
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 (no arrests or prosecutions for money laundering to date) | limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for CIS consumption; transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia via Central Asia to Russia, Western Europe, and possibly the US |
Imports | NA bbl/day | $761 million (f.o.b., 2000) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, automobiles, chemicals, fuels, food products | mineral products and fuel 38%, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles (1999) |
Imports - partners | Russia 13.2%, Germany 10.4%, Greece 9.2%, Bulgaria 7.3%, Italy 6% (2005) | Russia 21%, Romania 16%, Ukraine 14%, Germany 12%, Italy 6%, Belarus (1999) |
Independence | 8 September 1991 (referendum by registered voters endorsing independence from Yugoslavia) | 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) |
Industrial production growth rate | 6.8% (2005 est.) | 3% (2000 est.) |
Industries | food processing, beverages, textiles, chemicals, steel, cement, energy, pharmaceuticals | food processing, agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, hosiery, sugar, vegetable oil, shoes, textiles |
Infant mortality rate | total: 9.81 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.94 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
42.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 0% (2005 est.) | 32% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | BIS, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (1999) |
Irrigated land | 550 sq km (2003) | 3,110 sq km (1993 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court - the Assembly appoints the judges; Constitutional Court - the Assembly appoints the judges; Republican Judicial Council - the Assembly appoints the judges | Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (the sole authority for constitutional judicature) |
Labor force | 855,000 (2004 est.) | 1.7 million (1998) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture 40%, industry 14%, other 46% (1998) |
Land boundaries | total: 766 km
border countries: Albania 151 km, Bulgaria 148 km, Greece 246 km, Serbia 221 km |
total:
1,389 km border countries: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km |
Land use | arable land: 22.01%
permanent crops: 1.79% other: 76.2% (2005) |
arable land:
53% permanent crops: 14% permanent pastures: 13% forests and woodland: 13% other: 7% (1993 est.) |
Languages | Macedonian 66.5%, Albanian 25.1%, Turkish 3.5%, Roma 1.9%, Serbian 1.2%, other 1.8% (2002 census) | Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect) |
Legal system | based on civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts | based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; it is unclear if Moldova accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction but accepts many UN and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) documents |
Legislative branch | unicameral Assembly or Sobranie (120 seats - members elected by popular vote from party lists based on the percentage of the overall vote the parties gain in each of six electoral districts; all serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 5 July 2006 (next to be held by July 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - VMRO-DPMNE 32.5%, SDSM 23.3%, DUI 12.2%, PDSH/DPA 7.5%; seats by party - VMRO-DPMNE 44, SDSM 32, DUI 28, PDSH/DPA 11, other 5 |
unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; parties and electoral blocs, as well as independent candidates, elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 February 2001 (next to be held NA 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - PCM 50.1%, Braghis Alliance 13.4%, PPCD 8.2%, other parties 28.3%; seats by party - PCM 71, Braghis Alliance 19, PPCD 11 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 73.97 years
male: 71.51 years female: 76.62 years (2006 est.) |
total population:
64.6 years male: 60.15 years female: 69.26 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.1% male: 98.2% female: 94.1% (2002 est.) |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96% male: 99% female: 94% (1989 est.) |
Location | Southeastern Europe, north of Greece | Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania |
Map references | Europe | Commonwealth of Independent States |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | none (landlocked) |
Military branches | Army of the Republic of Macedonia (ARM): Joint Operational Command, with subordinate Air Wing (Makedonsko Voeno Vozduhoplovstvo, MVV), Special Force Command (2006) | Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $200 million (FY01/02 est.) | $6 million (FY99) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 6% (FY01/02 est.) | 1% (FY99) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49:
1,164,018 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49:
921,210 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 18 years of age |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males:
42,268 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | Uprising Day, 2 August (1903); note - also known as Saint Elijah's Day and Ilinden | Independence Day, 27 August (1991) |
Nationality | noun: Macedonian(s)
adjective: Macedonian |
noun:
Moldovan(s) adjective: Moldovan |
Natural hazards | high seismic risks | landslides (57 cases in 1998) |
Natural resources | low-grade iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, manganese, nickel, tungsten, gold, silver, asbestos, gypsum, timber, arable land | lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land |
Net migration rate | -0.65 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | -0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 268 km; oil 120 km (2006) | natural gas 310 km (1992) |
Political parties and leaders | Democratic Alliance [Pavle TRAJANOV]; Democratic Alternative or DA [Vasil TUPURKOVSKI]; Democratic League of the Bosniaks [Rafet MUMINOVIC]; Democratic Party of Albanians or PDSH/DPA [Arben XHAFERI]; Democratic Party of Serbs [Ivan STOILJKOVIC]; Democratic Party of Turks [Kenan HASIPI]; Democratic Renewal of Macedonia [Liljana POPOVSKA]; Democratic Republican Union of Macedonia or DRUM [Goran RAFAJLOVSKI]; Democratic Union of Vlachs for Macedonia [Mitko KOSTOV]; Democratic Union for Integration or DUI [Ali AHMETI]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Democratic Party for Macedonian National Unity or VMRO-DPMNE [Nikola GRUEVSKI]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-Macedonian [Boris STOJMENOV]; Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization-People's Party or VMRO-Narodna [Vesna JANEVSKA, acting]; League for Democracy [Gjorgi MARJANOVIC]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDP [Risto PENOV]; Liberal Party [Stojan ANDOV]; National Alternative [Harun ALIU]; National Democratic Party or PDK [Basri HALITI]; National Farmers' Party [Vejljo TANTAROV]; New Democratic Forces [Hysni SHAQIRI]; New Social Democratic Party or NSDP [Tito PETKOVSKI]; Party for Democratic Future [Alajdin DEMIRI]; Party for Democratic Prosperity or PPD/PDP [Abduljhadi VEJSELI]; Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia or SDSM [Vlado BUCKOVSKI]; Socialist Party of Macedonia or SP [Ljubisav IVANOV-ZINGO]; United Party for Emancipation or OPE [Nezdet MUSTAFA] | Braghis Alliance [Dumitru BRAGHIS]; Popular Christian Democratic Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]; Communist Party or PCM [Vladimir VORONIN, first chairman] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Civic Movement of Macedonia [Gordana SILJANOVSKA]; World Macedonian Congress [Todor PETROV] | NA |
Population | 2,050,554 (July 2006 est.) | 4,431,570 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 29.6% (2004 est.) | 75% (1999 est.) |
Population growth rate | 0.26% (2006 est.) | 0.05% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | none |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 29, FM 20, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 7, FM 50, shortwave 3 (1998) |
Radios | - | 3.22 million (1997) |
Railways | total: 699 km
standard gauge: 699 km 1.435-m gauge (233 km electrified) (2005) |
total:
1,328 km broad gauge: 1,328 km 1.520-m gauge (1992) |
Religions | Macedonian Orthodox 64.7%, other Christian 0.37%, Muslim 33.3%, other and unspecified 1.63% (2002 census) | Eastern Orthodox 98.5%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist (only about 1,000 members) (1991) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: country code - 389 |
general assessment:
inadequate, outmoded, poor service outside Chisinau, some effort to modernize is under way domestic: new subscribers face long wait for service; mobile cellular telephone service being introduced international: service through Romania and Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik |
Telephones - main lines in use | 533,200 (2005) | 627,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1.261 million (2005) | 2,200 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 31 (plus 166 repeaters) (1995) | 1 (plus 30 repeaters) (1995) |
Terrain | mountainous territory covered with deep basins and valleys; three large lakes, each divided by a frontier line; country bisected by the Vardar River | rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea |
Total fertility rate | 1.57 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 1.67 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 37.3% (2005 est.) | 1.9% (includes only officially registered unemployed; large numbers of underemployed workers) (November 2000) |
Waterways | - | 424 km (1994) |